From this account it seems plain, that our author means the genuine tear, or the opos of Dioscorides.
[33.] Antimony. Stimmi, and in other places of our author stibium.) Dioscorides’s description of this shews it to be the modern antimony, lib. v. cap. 873.
[34.] Dross of lead.) This is glassy, and has the same virtues as calcined lead. If is washed in a mortar like other minerals. Dioscorid. lib. v. cap. 878.
[35.] Matter. Materia.) This is not meant here of pus, as will appear by what the author immediately adds; but any humour, that is the proximate cause of a disease.
[36.] Struthium.) This was an herb used by dyers. Dioscorides says it was well known. The wool-washers make use of it for cleansing wool: the root of it is pungent and diuretic, and relieves in disorders of the liver, &c. Lib. ii. cap. 381.—This herb is not known now, at least by the same name. Some take it for the luteola, others for the imperatoria, others for red valerian, others for saponaria.
[37.] Nard ointment.) For making this, oil is inspissated with cyperus, and for the fragrancy is added costus, amomum, nard, myrrh, balsam. Dioscorid. lib. i. cap. 76.
[38.] Cachrys is the fruit of the libanotis fructifera, which is by some called zea or campsanema, and has leaves like fennel, but thicker and broader, roundish, and creeping on the ground; the stalk, about a cubit or more in length; the fruit has a heating quality, very drying, whence it is good mixed with ointments against rheums of the eyes. Dioscorid. lib. iii. cap. 492. et 93.
[39.] Viscum, bird-lime.
[40.] Ammoniacum thymiama.) According to Constantine, this is nothing else than gum ammoniac. I forbear to mention the conjectures of others, that seem to be not well founded. Paulus Ægineta says, it is an opos, or juice, endued with such an emollient virtue as to discuss schirri and tophi. Lib. vii.
[41.] Crocomagma.) This was the refuse left after the expression of the oil in making the crocine ointment; which, besides retaining some of the virtues of saffron, would also be in some measure impregnated, with the aromatics used in the composition of that ointment. Vide Plin. lib. xxi. cap. 20. et Dioscorid. lib. i. cap. 26.