Dedicatory Letter

...who wrote about the study of medicinal substances original: "Medica materia" before us in this time. Artists who drew illustrations of plants. Giorgio Liberale, a man most skilled in the art of painting, also helped us in a wonderful way, and after him Wolfgang Meyerpeck of Meissen A town in Saxony, Germany, famous for its artists and later its porcelain., who while they were constantly drawing the likenesses of plants and animals, spared indeed no labor or diligence. I could have easily concealed all this and claimed the entire praise for myself alone, but let all desire for vain glory be far from me. For it is a mark of a kind spirit (as Pliny wisely says in his letter to Vespasian) and full of noble modesty, to acknowledge those through whom we make progress. Moreover, since Dioscorides not only handed down the entire Materia Medica The study of the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing, primarily plants.—which is comprised of plants, animals, and minerals—in five books, but also joined to these a text in which he discussed antidotes for human use, by which all poisons are warded off and the bites or stings of all poisonous animals are cured, we have therefore followed him and written commentaries on this as well, in which we have collected many things that we hope will benefit human life.

How easily poisonous animals kill humans. For besides the fact that not only all of humanity but especially Kings and Princes are exposed to the traps of wicked poisoners, there are also many kinds of animals that kill humans instantly by bite or sting. Indeed, Scorpions, Stelliones A type of spotted lizard or gecko, which ancient writers often believed to be venomous., and Phalangia A term used in antiquity for various types of venomous spiders. live and wander in our houses; these animals, having no regard for persons or places, take refuge everywhere and prepare their hiding places and nests. Thus it happens that sometimes, being disturbed by members of the household who are unaware of them, they inflict poison with a sting and drive those they strike to destruction. Furthermore, there lie hidden—now in gardens and parks, now in vineyards and meadows, and in other places among the flowers and herbs—asps, vipers, and other poisonous reptiles, which, if they are trodden upon even slightly or provoked, immediately inflict a deadly wound. From this, the victims die immediately or shortly after, unless they are aided as soon as possible by antidotes. There is also the Dog, which although it is a companion to man, nevertheless when it is driven to madness A reference to Rabies., usually leads those it has bitten into a horrific kind of death.

Antidotes invented by Kings. When many of the ancient wise men, whom we mentioned above, had carefully examined and rightly weighed these matters, having searched more deeply into the powers of plants, spices, and all other simples Medicines made from a single natural ingredient, usually a plant., they composed various antidotes against poisons and the bites of virulent animals. Following in their footsteps was Mithridates, that great King of Pontus and of various nations, whom we also mentioned before. He judged that he had not gained enough glory from the fact that he alone of mortals (as Pliny testifies) spoke twenty-two languages—so much so that he addressed no man among his subject nations through an interpreter—nor from the fact that he had won many victories. To achieve even greater and immortal glory, he was particularly curious about Medicine and devoted the greatest study to understanding the science of herbs. He seems to have clearly achieved both: for from his knowledge of herbs, he discovered types of antidotes, from which he composed one that retains his name even to our own times Mithridatium, a complex semi-mythical remedy used for centuries., and consecrates its author to immortal fame. By the use of this antidote, that King had so strengthened his body and rendered it safe from poisons that when he preferred to end his life rather than suffer Roman servitude, it is said he often tried poison in vain.

Andromachus, the inventor of Theriac. Andromachus, the equally learned and most elegant physician to the Emperor Nero, imitated Mithridates. He indeed invented the composition of Theriac original: "Theriaces." A famous ancient panacea or "universal" antidote containing dozens of ingredients, including viper flesh. which, by Galen’s testimony, saved not only many Roman Emperors and Princes from poisons, but also others who took it at the proper time. For this reason, in Galen’s time, this antidote was prepared by him magnificently and splendidly at the command of the Emperors. I will pass over Attalus, King of Pergamum, of whom we also spoke before; because the same zeal for making antidotes possessed him, he is celebrated with the highest praise by Galen himself.

Antidotes of our time are inferior to those of the ancients. Nevertheless, our own age does not gather the same fruit or utility from the use of these antidotes, and feels...