A PRAISE

Scordion Water Germander is a noble herb; those celebrated by Dioscorides are preserved.

Regarding Queens (for even women strove for this glory), let her be brought forward for the present.

In this way, there were also among the Arabs: Avicenna, Rhazes, Hali, Mesue, and Abraham—certainly men of princely rank, but such persistent practitioners of this discipline that, setting aside the glory of their kingdoms and rule, they were instead considered the leaders and foremost authorities in medicine. Clymenes and Lysimachia Loosestrife were herbs once very well known to Pliny, but these were named after kings of the same name: men who, though they might perhaps have lost their empires and names, because they were students of herbs, are preserved for posterity. Scordion Water Germander, a noble herb and not among the least, is also ascribed to King Mithridates as its first discoverer. Later, it was depicted by the hand of Crateuas the herbalist from a plant shown by the King, and finally at last it was also presented by Dioscorides. King Juba’s Euphorbia, which he named after his own physician—and the brother of his physician Musa (by whom they say Caesar Augustus was preserved)—he inscribed as such: it is perhaps more famous in the writings of Pliny than I need to bring up here. Regarding Queens (for even women strove for this glory), the wife of Mausolus Queen Artemisia II of Caria alone would be enough; she adopted the herb which we call Artemisia Mugwort or Wormwood. And similarly regarding Nymphaea Water Lily, which found its name from a Nymph who died out of jealousy toward Hercules. Otherwise, not even the names of these people would survive if it were not for these herbs.

Entire nations also discovered herbs. For Scythia gave the herb called Scythica Likely Liquorice, original: "Scythicæ", which grows around Boeotia. Thrace gave Ischneumon, by which they say blood is stopped, not only from an opened vein but even one that has been cut through. The Vettones in Spain discovered that which is called Betonica Betony in Gaul, but in Italy is called Serratula Saw-wort, and by the Greeks Cestron or Psychotrophon.

Animals which found and demonstrated herbs.

That animals also discovered, or rather demonstrated, the use of herbs is beyond doubt. By the kindness of God the Best and Greatest, this serves for me as a further praise of herbs: because although animals do not know of apothecaries original: "myropoliæ", sellers of ointments and perfumes and prepared concoctions, and they suffer from the same diseases as men, nevertheless, if any harm befalls them, they help themselves by their own efforts, and they do so only with herbs. It will not be wearisome to add the words of Pliny regarding this miracle, which are found in his Natural History, Book 8, Chapter 28:

The Hippopotamus, he says, has stood out as a master in one part of the healing art. For when it becomes obese from constant over-eating, it goes out onto the shore, having looked out for fresh cuttings of reeds; and when it sees the sharpest stalk, pressing its body against it, it wounds a certain vein in its leg. Thus, by the flow of blood, it unloads its otherwise diseased body, and covers the wound again with mud.

A bird in the same Egypt, called the Ibis, demonstrated something similar, washing itself out with its hooked beak through that part by which it is healthy for the burdens of food to be expelled A reference to the belief that the Ibis invented the enema. And these are not the only things discovered by many animals that would be of use to man.

Struck deer demonstrated the herb Dictamum Dittany of Crete for extracting arrows, for the weapon is ejected by eating that herb. These same deer, when bitten by a phalangium (that is, a type of spider) or something similar, heal themselves by eating crabs. There is also a herb especially for the bites of serpents, with which lizards refresh themselves whenever they have engaged in a fight with them and are wounded.

Swallows demonstrated that Chelidonia Celandine, from the Greek "chelidon" for swallow is most healthy for use, healing the troubled eyes of their chicks with it. The tortoise uses Cunila Savory or Marjoram, which they call Bibula...