2.
Antidote called ambrosia.
Another antidote, which Zopyrus is said to have compounded for king Ptolemy, and called it ambrosia, consists of the following things: costus, male frankincense, of each p. v. *. white pepper p. *. z. flower of round cyperus p. ii. *. cinnamon p. iii. *. black cassia p. iv. *. Cilician saffron p. *. iv. z. the myrrh called stacte[(60)] p. v. *. Indian nard p. *. v. z. which being powdered separately, are incorporated with boiled honey: then when it is used, the bigness of an Egyptian bean must be diluted in a draught of wine.
3.
Mithridates’s antidote.
But the most celebrated is that of Mithridates: by taking which every day, this king is said to have rendered his body secure against the danger or poisons. It contains the following things: of costus p. *. z. acorus p. v. *. hystericum, cummin, sagapenum, juice of acacia, Illyrian iris, cardamom, each p. ii. * anise p. iii. * Gallican nard, gentian-root, dry rose leaves, each p. iv. *. poppy tears, parsley, each p. *. iv. z. cassia, siler, darnel, long pepper, each p. vi. *. storax p. *. v. z. castor, frankincense, juice of hypocistis, myrrh, opopanax, each p. vi. *. malobathrum leaves p. vi. *. flower of round cyperus, turpentine resin, galbanum, seed of Cretan carrot, each p. *. v. z. nard, opobalsam, each p. *. vi. z. treacle mustard p. *. vi. pontic root[(61)] p. vii. *. saffron, ginger, cinnamon, each p. *. viii. These are powdered and mixed with honey, and against poison the bigness of a sweet almond is given in wine. In other disorders of the body, according to their violence, either the bigness of an Egyptian bean, or a vetch, will be sufficient.
CHAP. XXIV. OF ACOPA.
Acopon for the nerves.
Acopa[(62)] are useful to the nerves. Such is that, which contains flower of round cyperus p. *. ii. z. z. costus, long cyperus, bay berries, ammoniacum, cardamom, each p. *. iv. z. myrrh, calcined copper, each p. vii. *. Illyrian iris, wax, each p. iv. *. Alexandrian reed, round cyperus, calambac wood, xylo-balsam, each p. xviii. *. suet p. i. *. iris ointment a cyathus.
Another called elæodes.
There is another, which they call elæodes[ EL ]; it is made in this manner: of wax p. *. z. oil a like quantity, and of turpentine resin the bulk of a walnut; these are boiled together: then being poured into a mortar, are rubbed, and an acetabulum of the best honey is gradually dropped into it, then three cyathi of iris ointment and of rose oil.