The Complete Works of Claudius Galen, Vol. 14

BOOK I.

Charterius Edition Vol. XIII [867.]                                         Basel Edition Vol. II (424.)

...even after reading the works on antidotes for venomous bites original: θηριακὰ (thēriaka) by Heraclides of Tarentum original: Ἡρακλείδου τοῦ Ταραντίνου (Herakleidou tou Tarentinou); a famous physician of the Empiric school who specialized in pharmacology., Crateuas original: Κρατεύα (Krateua); an early herbalist and physician to King Mithridates VI., Dioscorides original: Διοσκορίδου (Dioskoridou); author of the most famous ancient work on medicinal plants., Niger original: Νίγρου (Nigrou); likely Sextius Niger, a first-century pharmacologist., Iollas original: Ἰόλλα (Iolla); a writer on plants from Bithynia., Rufus of Ephesus original: Ῥούφου τοῦ Ἐφεσίου (Rhouphou tou Ephesiou); a renowned anatomist and physician., and certain others, anyone who wishes to diagnose drugs needs much more personal observation original: αὐτοψίας (autopsias); literally "seeing for oneself.". This is necessary to accurately distinguish the quality and the defects of every medicine.

Indeed, those who sell these goods original: οἱ καπηλεύοντες (hoi kapēleuontes); merchants or retailers, often viewed with suspicion in antiquity. counterfeit some items so clearly that they deceive even those who are most experienced in them. In these cases, the best course is to have prepared them long ago, or to obtain the medicine through a sincere friend from the region where the finest variety is produced. Alternatively, one might travel there once to prepare those substances that are able to last for an entire lifetime, which includes almost all of the materials called metallic original: μεταλλικὰ (metallika); mineral substances derived from mining..

For this reason, I decided to visit Cyprus, as I had a powerful friend there who was an associate of the imperial procurator original: ἐπιτρόπου Καίσαρος (epitropou Kaisaros); the Roman official in charge of the emperor's financial interests and the mines. overseeing the mines. From there, I brought back a large quantity of cadmia original: καδμείαν (kadmeian); a zinc ore or furnace residue., along with diphryges original: διφρυγὲς (diphryges); a byproduct of smelting copper, literally "twice-roasted.", spodium original: σπόδιον (spodion); metallic ash from furnace chimneys., pompholyx original: πομφόλυγα (pompholyga); a high-quality zinc oxide., chalcitis original: χαλκῖτίν (chalkitin); a copper-bearing mineral., misy original: μίσυ (misy); a yellow mineral, likely an iron or copper sulfate., sory original: σῶρυ (sōry); a dark mineral substance., and chalcanthum original: χάλκανθον (chalkanthon); blue vitriol or copper sulfate.. Just as I also brought back high-quality balsam juice original: ὀποβάλσαμον (opobalsamon) from Palestine in Syria. Indeed, so that bitumen original: Bitumen; a natural mineral pitch. might not be adulterated...