CHAP. 64.—REMEDIES FOR THE GOUT AND DISEASES OF THE FEET.
Sideritis,[1329] attached to the body as an amulet, reduces varicose veins, and effects a painless cure. Gout used to be an extremely rare disease, not in the times of our fathers and grandfathers only, but within my own memory even. Indeed, it may justly be considered a foreign complaint; for if it had been formerly known in Italy, it would surely have found a Latin name. It should, however, by no means be looked upon as an incurable malady; for before now, in many instances, it has quitted the patient all at once, and still more frequently, a cure has been effected by proper treatment.
For the cure of gout, roots of panaces[1330] are used, mixed with raisins; juice of henbane, or the seed, combined with meal; scordion,[1331] taken in vinegar; iberis, as already mentioned;[1332] vervain, beaten up with axle-grease; or root of cyclaminos,[1333] a decoction of which is good also for chilblains.
As cooling applications for gout, root of xiphion[1334] is used; seed of psyllion;[1335] hemlock, with litharge or axle-grease; and, at the first symptoms of red gout, or, in other words, hot gout, the plant aizoüm.[1336] For either kind of gout, erigeron,[1337] with axle-grease, is very useful; leaves of plantago, beaten up with a little salt; or argemonia,[1338] pounded with honey. An application of vervain is also remedial, and it is a good plan to soak the feet in a decoction of that plant in water.
CHAP. 65. LAPPAGO OR MOLLUGO: ONE REMEDY. ASPERUGO: ONE REMEDY.
Lappago[1339] is employed also for this disease; a plant similar to the anagallis,[1340] were it not that it is more branchy, bristling with a greater number of leaves, covered with rugosities, full of a more acrid juice, and possessed of a powerful smell. The kind that resembles anagallis most closely, is known as mollugo.[1341] Asperugo[1342] is a similar plant, only with a more prickly leaf. The juice of the first is taken daily, in doses of one denarius, in two cyathi of wine.
CHAP. 66.—PHYCOS THALASSION OR SEA-WEED: THREE VARIETIES OF IT. LAPPA BOARIA.
But it is the phycos thalassion, or sea-weed,[1343] more particularly, that is so excellent a remedy for the gout. It resembles the lettuce in appearance, and is used as the basis in dyeing tissues with the purple of the murex.[1344] Used before it becomes dry, it is efficacious as a topical application not only for gout, but for all diseases of the joints. There are three kinds of it; one with a broad leaf, another with a longer leaf of a reddish hue, and a third with a crisped leaf, and used in Crete for dyeing cloths.[1345] All these kinds have similar properties; and we find Nicander prescribing them in wine as an antidote to the venom of serpents even. The seed also of the plant which we have spoken of as “psyllion,”[1346] is useful for the cure of gout: it is first steeped in water, and one hemina of the seed is then mixed with two spoonfuls of resin of Colophon, and one spoonful of frankincense. Leaves of mandragora,[1347] too, are highly esteemed for this purpose, beaten up with polenta.
(11.) For swellings of the ankles, slime,[1348] kneaded up with oil, is wonderfully useful, and for swellings of the joints the juice of the smaller centaury; this last being remarkably good also for diseases of the sinews. Centauris,[1349] too, is very useful; and for pains in the sinews of the shoulder-blades, shoulders, vertebræ, and loins, an infusion of betony is taken in drink in the same way as for diseases of the liver.[1350] Cinquefoil is applied topically to the joints, and a similar use is made of the leaves of mandragora, mixed with polenta,[1351] or else the root, beaten up fresh with wild cucumber[1352] or boiled in water. For chaps upon the toes, root of polypodion[1353] is used; and for diseases of the joints, juice of henbane with axle-grease; amomum,[1354] with a decoction of the plant; centunculus,[1355] boiled; or fresh moss steeped in water, and attached to the part till it is quite dry.
The root, too, of lappa boaria,[1356] taken in wine, is productive of similar effects. A decoction of cyclaminos[1357] in water, is curative of chilblains, and all other affections resulting from cold. For chilblains, cotyledon[1358] is also employed with axle-grease, leaves of batrachion,[1359] and juice of epithymum.[1360] Ladanum,[1361] mixed with castoreum,[1361] and vervain applied with wine, extract corns from the feet.