Of Medicine, in Eight BooksCelsus, Aulus Cornelius
History
Of Medicine, in Eight Books
Celsus, Aulus Cornelius
Medicine, Greek and Roman
There are many collyriums proper for this purpose, invented by
different authors; and new ones may still be made; since lenient and
gently repelling medicines may be easily mixed in various proportions.
I shall mention the most celebrated of them.
[Sidenote: _Philon’s collyrium._]
The collyrium of Philon contains of washed ceruss, spodium, gum, each
p. i. *. poppy tears toasted p. i. *. It is fit to know, that all the
ingredients must first be powdered separately, after that mixed and
beat up again, dropping in from time to time, either water or some
other liquid. Gum, as it possesses some other qualities, so has this
peculiar effect upon collyriums, that when they have been long made,
and are grown dry, they continue firmly united, and are not friable.
[Sidenote: _Dionysius’s._]
Dionysius’s collyrium: of poppy tears toasted till tender p. i. *.
toasted frankincense, gum, each p. ii. *. spodium p. iv. *.
[Sidenote: _Cleon’s._]
Cleon’s is a very famous one: of poppy tears toasted p. i. *. saffron
p. i. *. gum p. *. v. to these, while they are powdered, is added juice
of roses. Another, by the same, stronger; of iron scales, which is
called stomoma[FV] p. i. *. saffron p. ii. *. spodium p. iv. *. lead,
both washed and calcined p. i. *. and the same quantity of gum. There
is still another of the same author’s, chiefly useful where there is
a great flux of gum: of castor p. *. i. aloes p. *. i. myrrh p. *.
ii. prepared cadmia p. viii. *. a like quantity of antimony, juice of
acacia p. xii. *. the mixture may be kept in a small box. But Theodotus
added to this composition toasted poppy tears p. *. i. copper calcined
and washed p. ii. *. date kernels toasted p. x. *. gum p. xii. *.
[FV] στόμωμα.
[Sidenote: _The acharistum of Theodotus._]
But Theodotus’s own, which by some is called acharistum[FW], is thus
made: of castor, Indian nard, each p. i. *. lycium p. *. poppy tears
the same quantity; myrrh p. ii. *. saffron, washed ceruss, aloes, each
p. iii. *. cadmia botryitis washed, calcined copper, each p. viii. *.
gum p. xviii. *. juice of acacia, p. xx. *. antimony the same quantity;
to these is added rain water.
[FW] ἀχάριστον.
[Sidenote: _The cythion, or tephrion._]
Besides these, amongst the most common collyriums is that, which some
call cythion, others from its ash colour, teprion. It contains of
starch, tragacanth, acacia juice, gum, each p. i. *. poppy tears p. ii.
*. washed ceruss p. iv. *. washed litharge p. viii. *. these in the
same manner are beat up with rain water.
[Sidenote: _The trygodes of Euelpides._]
Euelpides, who was the greatest oculist in our age, made use of one,
which he had composed himself, and called it trygodes. It contains of
castor p. ii. *. lycium, nard, poppy tears, each p. i. *. saffron,
myrrh, aloes, each p. iv. *. calcined copper p. viii. *. cadmia and
antimony, each p. xii. *. acacia juice p. xxvi. *. gum the same
quantity.
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