On Medical Matters

...silphium an extinct medicinal plant, and its juice, and the root, which they also called magydaris a plant related to silphium 36, sagapenum a resinous gum, opopanax a plant gum resin, juice of peucedanum hog fennel, long aristolochia birthwort, seed of wild rue, leaves of cestrus a plant, perhaps betony, which is called betony. Each is given with wine in the quantity of one drachma A unit of weight. A decoction of polium poley/germander [and seseli a medicinal herb] 37 is effective, as is liquid pitch 38 licked off. Antidotes, the preparations of which we shall describe at the end, also help most nobly. In general, aid should be rendered in this manner.

It is also possible for common remedies to be adopted based on the accompanying symptoms. For the powers of most drugs lead the body into similar conditions; for which reason common remedies are successful in most cases. For although poisonous drugs are various, the conditions arising from them are common and not numerous; for it is impossible for all symptoms to follow one type. If this were so, the handing down of instructions for each drug would be superfluous.

36) These are commonly read separately. Codex X does not have "root."
37) Missing in Paullus and the Paris codex at Goupyl. But Marcellus acknowledges it entirely.
38) "Smooth" was interposed by the common editions; neither Marcellus admitted it, nor does the nature of the matter support it.

...marrubium juice, silphium, its juice and root, which they also call magydaris, sagapenum, opopanax, juice of peucedanum, long aristolochia, seed of wild rue, and the leaves of cestrus, which is also called betony. Each is exhibited with wine in the weight of one drachma. A decoction of polium [and seseli] and liquid pitch licked off are also expedient. Antidotes, whose preparations we shall describe at the end of the work, opiate/aid remarkably. The common method of providing assistance, therefore, stands thus.

Moreover, common remedies can also be taken from the symptoms that accompany them. For the powers of most poisons lead the body into similar affections; for which reason common remedies are suitable for most. Indeed, the kinds of poisons are various; nevertheless, the affections that arise from them are common and not so many. In truth, it cannot happen that all symptoms follow one kind of poison. Otherwise, that teaching which is...