The Complete Works of Claudius Galen, Vol. 14

BOOK I. 5

Charterius Edition Vol. XIII [866]

Basel Edition Vol. II (424)

...that I should be present with him for all his medical preparations, and he ordered the antidote original: ἀντίδοτον (antidoton); a compound medicine used to counteract poisons or disease. to be prepared by me. Having been pleased with this version alone, upon his arrival in Rome, he inquired by what proportion of simple medicines original: ἁπλῶν φαρμάκων (haplōn pharmakōn); individual, unmixed medicinal ingredients like single herbs or minerals. I had prepared it. I told him the truth: I had neither left out nor added even the smallest thing to the ingredients traditionally used by the court physicians according to ancient custom. I also explained the reason why my particular preparation pleased him most. Since I intended to speak about this now, I recalled those events of that time. Because Antoninus took the medicine every day along with a large amount of honey, he was able to distinguish its faults and its virtues with the greatest accuracy.

Chapter 2. [How the finest theriac may be prepared.]

This medicine, and nearly all other such remedies, becomes excellent through two factors: the quality of the ingredients used and the proper proportion of their powers relative to one another. Most people do not even know how to begin testing each ingredient individually to see to what degree it is of poor or excellent quality. Consequently, they do not understand the proper proportion of their powers when mixed together. For this reason, when they add...