The Complete Works of Galen, Vol. 14

Edition Chartier XIII. [866.] Basel Edition Vol. II. (424.)

...to have been appointed to those positions, he ordered that the antidote be prepared by me. Because he was pleased with this preparation alone, when he arrived in Rome, he inquired about the proportions of the simple drugs original: "simplicium medicamentorum"; these are individual medicinal ingredients, such as specific herbs or minerals, used as the building blocks for complex compound recipes like the theriac. I used for the mixture. I told him the truth: that I had neither omitted 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 specific method of preparation pleased him most. In deciding to speak about this now, I am reminded of what happened then. Because Antoninus took the medicine every day along with a great deal of honey, he could distinguish its faults and its virtues with the greatest accuracy.

Chapter 2. [How the finest theriac is prepared.]

This medicine, and nearly all others, becomes excellent through the quality of the ingredients and the proper proportion of their powers relative to one another. Most people do not even know how to test each ingredient individually to see to what extent it is of poor or excellent quality. Consequently, they do not understand the proper proportion of their powers relative to one another. For this reason, when they add...

...that I should always be present for him in all his medicinal compositions, and he ordered the antidote to be prepared by me. But because this alone had pleased him, when he set out for Rome, he inquired by what moderation of simple drugs I composed it, and I confessed the truth to him. For I left out nothing, nor did I add even the minimum, to those things which the court physicians are accustomed to include by ancient habit. I showed him the cause for which my preparation especially pleased me, and as I am now beginning to speak of this, I remember the things that were done then. For Antoninus, as one who took the medicine every single day together with a large amount of honey, could distinguish its defects and its virtues most exactly.

Chapter 2. [How the best theriac is composed.]

This medicine becomes most excellent, as do nearly all other medicines, both because of the integrity of the things that are put into it, and because of the proportion of their powers among themselves. Most people have no knowledge of how to test these individual items privately to see how much they might be defective or excellent. Therefore, they do not understand the proportion of their strengths...