GALEN ON THE COMPOSITION OF MEDICINES

BOOK 8

Edition of Chartier XIII. [530.]

Edition of Basel II. (258.)

...the amomum original: "amōmon." An aromatic spice from the ginger family, prized in antiquity for its warming and drying properties. strongly dries with a slight astringent original: "styptikon." A substance that causes tissue contraction, often used to dry up secretions or stop bleeding. quality. Honey belongs to the class of warming and cleansing original: "rhyptontōn" in Greek, "extersoriam" in Latin. These are substances used to wipe away or purge impurities. powers.

    Following the previously recorded compositions, Andromachus wrote a seventh. It is made of very many drugs that possess almost every type of medical property. For it contains substances that are astringent, biting, thinning, soothing, smoothing, sleep-inducing, dispersive original: "diaphorētikon." Medicines that help disperse or sweat out harmful humors through the skin or breath., and cleansing.

    Concerning all these complex mixtures of powers, the general reasoning is what I mentioned before. Someone wanted to compose a medicine from all of them in the hope of creating a single remedy for all conditions of the same type. Through experience, some of these ingredients were found to be harmful and were therefore set aside. Others turned out to be effective, matching the guess of the person who composed them, and were consequently accepted.

    Andromachus even wrote down the method for preparing this seventh remedy, although he was not usually accustomed to doing so. Because it is composed of medicines with the properties I have mentioned, it is better to remember...