GALEN ON ANTIDOTES

BOOK 1

Edition Chartier Vol. 13 [868.] Basel Edition Vol. 2 (425.)

...nothing is lacking from what comes from that island, whether herbs, fruits, seeds, roots, or juices. Everything else is obtained in a pure state. Some juices are adulterated, but this happens only rarely. Because of the vast abundance of herbs growing on the island, the local herbalists herbarii: professional plant collectors who gathered medicinal plants for sale do not try to deceive much. Indeed, there is not much innovation in fraud there as there is in other places. Instead of making a juice of pure wormwood absinthium: a bitter herb used to treat digestion and parasites, they might mix in a little horehound marrubium: a common herb used for coughs and respiratory issues or some other small substitution.

Therefore, the ointment sellers unguentarii: in Rome, these merchants sold perfumes, oils, and the base ingredients for medicines in Rome buy full woven baskets of these medicines every year. They are taught to recognize each item, even if they have never seen a particular specimen before. Through constant observation, they learn to identify the most beautiful examples. They remember what they bought the previous year. When they see a better specimen, they recognize it immediately.

Among the herbs brought with the fruit still attached to the branches, they look for those that are more fruitful and flourishing. They seek out plants that are larger and firm in their substance. They also prefer specimens that do not decay over time, noting...