ON ANTIDOTES

BOOK I

...nothing is lacking that comes from there, whether herbs original: βοτανῶν (botanōn), fruits original: καρπῶν (karpōn), seeds original: σπερμάτων (spermatōn), roots original: ῥιζῶν (rhizōn), or juices original: χυλῶν (chylōn). Generally, all these items are received in a pure state. Some juices are adulterated, but even this happens only rarely. Because of the great abundance of herbs growing on the island, the local herbalists there do not attempt to practice much deception. Furthermore, there is no great innovation in trickery as there is in other places. Instead of making a juice of pure wormwood original: ἀψινθίου (apsinthiou); a bitter plant used for digestive issues and as a component in various medicinal formulas., they might mix in some horehound original: πρασίου (prasiou); Latin: marrubium. This herb was often used as a cheaper filler for more expensive bitter extracts. or make some other small substitution.

For this reason, the Roman perfume-sellers original: μυροπώλας (myropōlas); Latin: unguentorum institores. These merchants were the primary pharmacists of the Roman world, dealing in raw herbs, processed oils, and complex medicines. buy full woven baskets of these medicines every year. First, they are taught to recognize each item individually, even if they have never seen it before. In addition to this, they learn to identify the finest quality through constant observation. Because they remember what they bought the previous year, they can recognize a superior batch when they see it. Among the herbs that are brought with the fruit still attached to the branches, they look for those that are more fruitful, more flourishing, and larger. They seek a substance that is firm in its own nature and does not decay as time passes.