[42.] Thapsia.) According to Dioscorides’s description and account of its virtues, it seems to be the modern thapsia, or turpethum garganicum, deadly carrot. Vide Dioscorid. lib. iv. cap. 739.
[43.] Washed lead was thus prepared.—Put water into a leaden mortar, and rub it with a lead pestle, till the water becomes black and feculent; then strain it through a linen cloth, pouring water upon it, that all that is dissolved may be strained; and repeat this till you have a sufficient quantity. Then suffer it to settle, pouring water upon it several times, till no more blackness stand upon the top; then work it up into a troches and set it by. Dioscorid. lib. v. cap. 869.
[44.] Cedria is what distils from the cedar-tree; the best is thick, pellucid, and of a strong smell, and not diffusing itself when poured out. Dioscorid. lib. i. cap. 106.
[45.] Laurel oil.) This was made in different ways. One method was boiling the berries in water when they fall off the tree, which causes them to emit their oil, which is separated by the hands into shells. Others impregnate the oil of unripe olives with cyperus, calamus, and afterwards putting in the tender leaves of the laurel, boil them together. Others add to these bay-berries, till the oil smell sufficiently of them. Others mix with it storax and myrrh. Dioscorides, lib. i. cap. 50.
[46.] Rasile verdigrease is made by suspending a copper vessel, or plate, over the steam of vinegar for ten days; then the verdigrease produced is scraped off. Or else by putting one or more lumps or plates of copper into husks of grapes grown sour. Dioscorid. lib. v. cap. 865.
[47.] Oesypum is the oily part collected from sordid wool thus: the wool was washed in warm water, and all its sordes expressed, the fat swimmed a-top, with a froth, and upon throwing in some sea water, it subsided to the bottom, and when all the œsypum was obtained from it in this manner, it was purified by repeated affusions of water. When pure it has no sharp taste, but is in some degree astringent, and appears white. It has a heating quality, fills up ulcers, and is emollient. Dioscorid. lib. ii. cap. 272.
[48.] Boiled copperas.) Dioscorides mentions a species prepared in Spain that had the name of χάλκανθον ἑφθὸν—atramentum sutorium coctum. Lib. v. cap. 888.
[49.] Cicine.) A proper quantity of κροτωνὼν, of the Ricinus, is dried in the sun, till their exterior coat break and fall off. Then the pulp is collected, put into a mortar, and pounded well, and afterwards removed into a tinned kettle containing water, and boiled over a fire. When all the juice is obtained from them, remove the vessel from the fire, and take up the oil that swims a-top, and set it by. In Egypt, where great use is made of this oil, they obtain it by first grinding the seed, and then pressing it. Dioscorid. lib. i. cap. 38.
[50.] Burnt ceruss.) Put powdered ceruss into a deep vessel; set it on the fire, stirring it with a ferula, till it has the colour of sandaracha, (red arsenick). Dioscorides also mentions a toasted or roasted ceruss, but the process is of the same nature, and only stopped, when the ceruss acquires a lemon colour. Dioscorid. lib. v. c. 877.
[51.] Polybus.) I have chosen to read this name with the older editions, because our author afterwards mentions the sphragis of Polybus, which can have no other place to refer to but this.