COMMENTARY. Dioscorides is the first author who gives a distinct account of this important article. He describes two varieties of the juice (gum-resin), namely, the arenaceous and the hepatic. He says that it closes up the mouths of veins in hemorrhoids; but, according to Avicenna and Mesue, it produces the contrary effect. Hence, says Mesue, it is hurtful in hemorrhoids and affections of the fundament. (De Simpl. i.) Galen properly remarks that it is at the same time stomachic and eccoprotic. Didymus mentions the hepatic aloe (Geopon. vi, 6), as do several of the medical authorities. It is marked by Dr. Pereira as being the _Aloe hepatica vera_ and _Aloe indica_ (Ph. Ed.), being the liver-coloured socotorine aloe. That is to say, the hepatic is merely a variety of the socotorine aloe. See also Dr. Royle (M. M. 598.) Isidorus says of aloes: “In India et Arabia gignitur, arbor odoris suavissimi et summi.” (Orig.) Averrhoes says it is an excellent purgative which evacuates the stomach and liver. He commends it as an application to apostemes. (Collig. v, 42.) Aloe was used in stimulant applications to ill-conditioned sores. See Aëtius. Avicenna forbids us to administer it during the prevalence of severe cold. (ii, 2, 64.) It was used in eye-washes (Cels. vi), as it is by the native doctors in India to this day. (Ainslie’s Mat. Ind. i, 10.) The aloe is not found in the Materia Medica of Hippocrates. Ἁλὸς ἄνθος, Flos salis, _the Flower of Salt_, is a humid medicine, consisting of more subtile particles than burnt salts, and is moderately acrid and discutient. Ἁλὸς ἄχνη, Spuma maris; this is a frothy efflorescence of salts, but consists of more subtile particles than salts, and discusses more, but contracts less. * * * * * COMMENTARY. (Ἁλὸς ἄνθος and Ἁλὸς ἄχνη, see Ἃλες.) Ἀλσίνη, or μυὸς ὂυς, Alsine, or Auricula muris, _Chickweed_, has powers like the pellitory of the wall, namely, cold and diluent. Wherefore it is applicable to hot inflammations. * * * * * COMMENTARY. This has been generally set down as the _Stellaria media_, but doubtfully. Dioscorides describes it as a _Myosotis_. (ii, 214.) See also Pliny (H. N. xxvii, 8), and Avicenna (ii, 2, 18.) Our old herbalists give a confused account of the chickweed. In fact, this is one of the articles in the Materia Medica of the ancients which we must set down as _lost_, from our inability to determine what it was. It seems to have been looked upon by the Arabians as an important article. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 18); Rhases (Contin. l. ult. i, 99.) Like our author, they copy closely from Dioscorides. We have not detected it in the works either of Hippocrates or Celsus. It does not occur in the modern Greek Pharmacopœia. Ἄλυπον, Alypon; the seed of it purges black bile downwards when taken in the same quantity as dodder of thyme, with salts and vinegar; but it occasions slight ulceration of the intestines.