Examination of Officinal Medicines

§ 5.

If anyone were to reject the 4. Cosmetics original: "Cosmetica" of Croll Oswald Croll (c. 1563–1609), a famous practitioner of iatrochemistry or "chemical medicine." or others from the Pharmacopoeia The official list of approved medicinal drugs., they would find me easily in agreement. I am not unaware that there have been physicians at all times who have taken the care of such things upon themselves. What of it? Even the Chemists Alchemists promise themselves no less riches from the "Oil of Talc" than from the Philosopher's Stone itself, since a lady's rouge is valued in the court as dearer than any gold. Nevertheless, it seems beneath the dignity of Physicians and Pharmacists to insert into the catalog of official medicines those things which are commonly for sale at every perfumer's shop original: "myropolas". Such items are: small silk cloths soaked in red dye, called Pezette by the Italians, used for tinting the cheeks and lips; Talc, prepared however to provide a luster to the skin; Venetian and scented soap with a sea sponge, which is more useful to bath-house keepers for wiping away filth.

§ 6.

Let the same judgment be held 5. concerning Perfumes original: "Odoramentis" in general. Who uses Ambergris apples Scented pomanders, musk-scented lozenges, "French musk" tablets, benzoin with musk, rose with musk—whether for incense with or without musk, incense sticks with or without musk, incense candles with or without musk, or incense powders (both the common ones and those for the rich and poor)—in the actual care of the sick? Does anyone seek Cyprian powder from the Pharmacy? Barbers and those who devote their labor solely to curling and arranging hair for ornament scatter it almost for free and sell it at a tiny price. I will not mention that there are perfumers original: "seplasiarios" who make a profession of preparing and mixing excellent fragrances, from which singular and entirely new scents emerge, with which the old and worn-out compositions can in no way be compared. Therefore, even the balsams, as they are kept in the Pharmacies, are not of great value, if you except the anti-apoplectic balsam Used against strokes or "apoplexy" and perhaps the balsam of rue, which is sometimes desired in cases of necessity.

§ 7.

Truly, I do not see to what end 6. Sugared items original: "Saccharata" are kept in such great abundance. Eight species of sugar itself are named: Canary sugar, white and red sugar candy, powdered sugar, Maltese sugar, barley sugar penidi- The word is completed on the following page as "penidium."