Epilepsy is cured by the root of the panaces which we have spoken[1381] of as the “heraclion,” taken in drink with sea-calf’s rennet, the proportions being three parts of panaces and one of rennet. For the same purpose an infusion of plantago[1382] is taken, or else betony or agaric, with oxymel, the former in doses of one drachma, the latter in doses of three oboli; leaves of cinquefoil are taken, also, in water. Archezostis[1383] is also curative of epilepsy, but it must be taken constantly for a year; root of bacchar,[1384] too, dried and powdered, and taken in warm water, in the proportion of three cyathi to one cyathus of coriander; centunculus[1385] also, bruised in vinegar, warm water, or honey; vervain, taken in wine; hyssop[1386] berries, three in number, pounded and taken in water, for sixteen days consecutively; peucedanum,[1387] taken in drink with sea-calf’s rennet, in equal proportions; leaves of cinquefoil, bruised in wine and taken for thirty days; powdered betony, in doses of three denarii, with one cyathus of squill vinegar and an ounce of Attic honey; as also scammony, in the proportion of two oboli to four drachmæ of castoreum.
CHAP. 71.—REMEDIES FOR FEVERS.
Agaric, taken in warm water, alleviates cold fevers: sideritis, in combination with oil, is good for tertian fevers; bruised ladanum[1388] also, which is found in corn fields; plantago,[1389] taken in doses of two drachmæ, in hydromel, a couple of hours before the paroxysms come on; juice of the root of plantago made warm or subjected to pressure; or else the root itself beaten up in water made warm with a hot iron. Some medical men prescribe three roots of plantago, in three cyathi of water; and in a similar manner, four roots for quartan fevers. When buglossos[1390] is beginning to wither, if a person takes the pith out of the stem, and says while so doing, that it is for the cure of such and such a person suffering from fever, and then attaches seven leaves to the patient, just before the paroxysms come on, he will experience a cure, they say.
Fevers too, those which are attended with recurrent cold shiverings more particularly, are cured by administering one drachma of betony, or else agaric, in three cyathi of hydromel. Some medical men recommend three leaves of cinquefoil for tertian, four for quartan, and an increased number for other fevers; while others again prescribe in all cases three oboli of cinquefoil, with pepper, in hydromel.
Vervain, administered in water, is curative of fever, in beasts of burden even; but care must be taken, in cases of tertian fever, to cut the plant at the third joint, and of quartan fever at the fourth. The seed of either kind of hypericon[1391] is taken also for quartan fevers and cold shiverings. Powdered betony modifies these fits, and panaces[1392] is of so warming a nature that persons when about to travel amid the snow are recommended to drink an infusion of it, and to rub the body all over with the plant. Aristolochia[1393] also arrests shivering produced by cold.
CHAP. 72.—REMEDIES FOR PHRENITIS, LETHARGY, AND CARBUNCLES.
Phrenitis is cured by sleep induced by the agency of an infusion of peucedanum[1394] in vinegar, poured upon the head, or else by the juice of either kind of anagallis.[1395] On the other hand, when patients are suffering from lethargy, it is with the greatest difficulty that they are aroused; a result which may be effected, they say, by touching the nostrils with juice of peucedanum in vinegar. For the cure of insanity, betony is administered in drink. Panaces[1396] brings carbuncles to a head, and makes them break; and they are equally cured by powdered betony applied in water, or else cabbage leaves mixed with frankincense in warm water, and taken in considerable quantities. For a similar purpose, a red-hot coal is extinguished in the patient’s presence, and the ashes are taken up with the finger and applied to the sore. Bruised plantago[1397] is also used for the cure of carbuncles.
CHAP. 73.—REMEDIES FOR DROPSY. ACTE OR EBULUM. CHAMÆACTE.
For the cure of dropsy, tithymalos characias[1398] is employed; panaces[1399] also; plantago,[1400] used as a diet, dry bread being eaten first, without any drink; betony, taken in doses of two drachmæ in two cyathi of ordinary wine or honied wine; agaric or seed of lonchitis,[1401] in doses of two spoonfuls, in water; psyllion,[1402] taken in wine; juice of either anagallis;[1403] root of cotyledon[1404] in honied wine; root of ebulum,[1405] fresh gathered, with the mould shaken off, but not washed in water, a pinch in two fingers being taken in one hemina of old wine mulled; root of trefoil, taken in doses of two drachmæ in wine; the tithymalos[1406] known as “platyphyllos;” seed of the hypericon,[1407] otherwise known as “caros;” the plant called “acte”—the same thing as ebulum[1408] according to some—the root of it being pounded in three cyathi of wine, if there are no symptoms of fever, or the seed of it being administered in red wine; a good handful of vervain also, boiled down in water to one half. But of all the remedies for this disease, juice of chamæacte[1409] is looked upon as by far the most efficacious.
Morbid or pituitous eruptions are cured by the agency of plantago, or else root of cyclaminos[1410] with honey. Leaves of ebulum,[1411] bruised in old wine and applied topically, are curative of the disease called “boa,” which makes its appearance in the form of red pimples. Juice of strychnos,[1412] applied as a liniment, is curative of prurigo.