De anodinis medicamentis eorumque causis et usibus Physica & Medica consideratio in Theses aliquot digesta

The cause of the sleep-inducing faculty. If it is referred to the predominance of elementary qualities, it must be determined to which one in particular. If to humidity and coldness, the seed of chaste tree, wine, and its oil disprove it. If to dryness and heat, lettuce opposes it. It remains, therefore, that from the sole conjunction of form with matter, mandrake, opium, nightshade, henbane, wine, and all other sleep-inducing things obtain such a power.

XXV.

But as regards the peculiar anodynes, which are adverse to this or that specific pain, and not every one, and which do not accomplish this through a sleep-inducing or sensible quality, we refer their cause to that hidden antipathy of things.

XXVI.

Galen, On the Composition of Medicines, book 2.

Fernel, On the Hidden Causes of Things, 2, chapter 8.

Cardano, On the Variety of Things.

Gesner, In medical letters, fol. 112 & fol. 27 d.

Mattioli, In a letter to Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria.

Such are these: garlands of knotgrass, rose flowers, or wall-rue against headache from wine; a small bone from a hare’s hough against flatulent spasm; the intestine of a wolf for colic pain; small bones of certain fish for kidney stones; teeth of the dead for soothing toothaches. Coral bracelets for the pains and ardors of fevers; rings made from buffalo horns for the weariness of muscles; a swallow's nest for the pain caused by a fatal quinsy; powder of the testicles of castrated horses for the pains of women in labor and to expel their afterbirth. And also that remedy approved by Mattioli in a paroxysm of strangury; namely, that the sufferer should extinguish burning tamarisk wood with his own urine.