Florum et coronariarum historia

DEDICATION ###

subdrawing original: "subducens" — in this context, the physician is withdrawing himself from the responsibility or the danger of his mistake himself from the danger, he was plainly ignorant of it. Another man recently wished to extract water from an herb which is called Thyrsus in Latin (for so indeed he had it written down in his notes). This man was both very arrogant and took a great deal of pleasure in his own pride; he was convinced that he surpassed all living physicians in judgment and learning, despite the fact that he had only begun to learn the medical art late in life, having been a physical trainer pædotriba: a teacher of gymnastics or a wrestling coach; here used as an insult to imply the man had no formal academic medical education before becoming a physician.

He ought to have remembered that a Thyrsus is not a specific species of herb, but properly refers to a staff or torch wrapped in ivy The "thyrsus" was the ritual staff carried by Bacchus (Dionysus) and his followers. Metaphorically, however, the name Thyrsos is used to describe the upper stalks of any herb upon which the flowers grow.

There was also once a certain physician who, having found the name Origanum Onitis Origanum Onitis: a species of wild marjoram or oregano used in ancient pharmacology in a certain recipe within the works of Galen Galen of Pergamon (129–c. 216 AD) was the most influential medical authority of the ancient world, soon prepared a composition for a sick patient which required this Onitis. When the Pharmacist Pharmacopœus: an apothecary or person who prepares medicines did not know what kind of herb Onitis was and asked for clarification, the physician had no answer to give. When the pharmacist suggested whether he might perhaps mean Ononis Ononis: commonly called "Restharrow," a tough-rooted plant very different from oregano, the physician quickly nodded and permitted Ononis to be substituted for Origanum Onitis; an herb which...