The collyrium of Philon contains of washed ceruss, spodium, gum, each p. i. *. poppy tears toasted p. i. *. It is fit to know, that all the ingredients must first be powdered separately, after that mixed and beat up again, dropping in from time to time, either water or some other liquid. Gum, as it possesses some other qualities, so has this peculiar effect upon collyriums, that when they have been long made, and are grown dry, they continue firmly united, and are not friable.

Dionysius’s.

Dionysius’s collyrium: of poppy tears toasted till tender p. i. *. toasted frankincense, gum, each p. ii. *. spodium p. iv. *.

Cleon’s.

Cleon’s is a very famous one: of poppy tears toasted p. i. *. saffron p. i. *. gum p. *. v. to these, while they are powdered, is added juice of roses. Another, by the same, stronger; of iron scales, which is called stomoma[ FV ] p. i. *. saffron p. ii. *. spodium p. iv. *. lead, both washed and calcined p. i. *. and the same quantity of gum. There is still another of the same author’s, chiefly useful where there is a great flux of gum: of castor p. *. i. aloes p. *. i. myrrh p. *. ii. prepared cadmia p. viii. *. a like quantity of antimony, juice of acacia p. xii. *. the mixture may be kept in a small box. But Theodotus added to this composition toasted poppy tears p. *. i. copper calcined and washed p. ii. *. date kernels toasted p. x. *. gum p. xii. *.

The achar­is­tum of Theodotus.

But Theodotus’s own, which by some is called acharistum[ FW ], is thus made: of castor, Indian nard, each p. i. *. lycium p. *. poppy tears the same quantity; myrrh p. ii. *. saffron, washed ceruss, aloes, each p. iii. *. cadmia botryitis washed, calcined copper, each p. viii. *. gum p. xviii. *. juice of acacia, p. xx. *. antimony the same quantity; to these is added rain water.

The cythion, or tephrion.

Besides these, amongst the most common collyriums is that, which some call cythion, others from its ash colour, teprion. It contains of starch, tragacanth, acacia juice, gum, each p. i. *. poppy tears p. ii. *. washed ceruss p. iv. *. washed litharge p. viii. *. these in the same manner are beat up with rain water.