Materia Medica

Dearest Areius, Although many reports have been made, not only in the past, but also recently about the production, effects, and testing of medicines, I nevertheless intended to instruct you, dear Areios,⁠a about them: the decisions to undertake such a thing is neither needless nor injudicious, for some of my predecessors have not completed their works, and others have written most things down from hearsay. Iolas from Bithynia and Hexa elides from Tarentum briefly considered the subject but they completely omitted any systematic discussion of herbs and ignored metals and spices. Crateuas the rhizotomist and Andreas the physician seem to have had greater knowledge of this particular area than most, but have ignored many extremely useful roots and gave meagre descriptions of many herbs. Still I must admit that although they told us little, the ancients applied great effort in their work. I am not completely in agreement with most modern writers, among them Julius Bassus, Niceratus and Petronius, Niger and Diodotus, who are all asdepiads [poets]. In a way they have condescended to describe commonplace information familiar to all but they have explained the strengths of medicines and their properties briefly, not considering their value by personal experience, but by worthless discussion created needless controversy regarding each medicine, and in addition they have mistakenly recorded one thing for another. So Niger, who it seems is a man of importance among them, declares euphorbion to be the juice of a chamelaia that grows in Italy; androsaimon is considered the same as hyper icon; and aloe is a mineral found in Judea; and in the face of contradictory evidence he reports an abundance of untruths, which proves that he obtained his information from erroneous gossip, not from personal experience. Additionally they have erred in the categorisation of medicines: some associate those of quite different powers, others establish an alphabetical system in their discussions and thus separate types and activities of materials that are similar, so that they become harder to remember. From my youth I have had an unceasing inquisitiveness regarding knowledge of this subject, and I have travelled widely (as you know, I was a soldier), so I have taken your advice and assembled all that I have discussed and have written it down in five books. I dedicate this collection to you, as a token of my grateful appreciation for the friendship you have shown me. You are always a ready friend to anyone obsessed by knowledge, particularly in this profession, and even more especially to myself. It is clear from the love that wonderful man Licinius Bassus has for you, that you express a loving benevolence that I experienced (I noticed when I stayed with you, the unsurpassing generosity that you shared). I ask that you and all who may read these discussions will not consider so much the value of my words as the effort and practical work that I have based the work on. With careful investigation — since I know many plants personally, and others from previous writings that are generally approved of — and patiently inquiring (by questioning the local inhabitants) about each type of plant, I will attempt a different classification, and also try to explain the varieties and uses of each one of them. Obviously we can agree that a systematic discourse on medicines is necessary, as this is the basis of the entire profession of healing and gives considerable aid to every discipline. So that the scope may fully cover methods of preparation, compounds, and tests on illnesses, and because information about each individual drug is necessary for this, I intend to assimilate things that are common knowledge and those that are somehow related so that the information will be exhaustive. First it is necessary to pay attention to storing and gathering plants, and only at the proper harvest time, for unless care is taken drugs can either be potent or become useless. Herbs should be collected on a sunny day, as it matters considerably if it is raining when the harvest is gathered. The places they grow also matter; specific medicinal herbs are stronger or weaker if found on hills and mountains; if exposed to winds; if their position is cool and arid — their strength can rest entirely on such conditions. Healing herbs located in the open or in bogs and dark places that do not permit the circulation of air are generally of poorer strength, particularly if they are collected at the wrong time, or are rotten and of inferior quality. We must remember that plants often mature sooner or are delayed depending on the peculiarities of the locale and the variability of the seasons, and although certain herbs by their very nature are winter-growing and -flowering, some may flower more than once a year. It is essential that someone wanting to be an accomplished herbalist should observe the first new growths of the herbs as well as their mature expression and their eventual decline. Otherwise a person seeing only a new shoot will be unable to identify the same flourishing plant, and having seen only its full growth will not know the seedling. Due to varieties in the forms of leaves, the proportions of stems, and the appearances of flowers and fruits and certain other familiar features, those who have neglected careful examination in the right manner have committed serious errors. This is why certain writers have erred grievously in their discussions of certain herbs — saying that they have no stalks, fruit or flowers — mentioning gramen, tussilago, and quinquefolium. So the individual who continually examines plants growing in different localities will learn the most about them. Furthermore, it is important to note that among medicinal herbs only black and white hellebore keep their potency for a long time. Most other plants are viable for up to three years. Branching plants such as stoechas, chamaidrus, potion, abrotanum, seriphium, absinthium and hyssopum etc., must be harvested when they are full of seed; flowers must be collected while still on the plant; fruits must be allowed to ripen; and seeds should be starting to dry, but still on the plant. To express the plant liquids, use stems and leaves that are new. To harvest saps and resins make incisions in the mature stalks. To collect roots for storage or to press out their liquids or to remove their coverings, wait until the leaves start to fall off the plant. Clean roots can be stored right away in places that are not damp, however any soil adhering to the roots should be rinsed off with water. Blossoms and perfumed materials must be kept in dry limewood boxes but certain plants are adequately stored in paper or leaf wrappings to protect the seeds. Preparations that contain moisture require substantial containers from materials such as silver, glass or horn. Even thick ceramic containers are acceptable, and even wood, especially boxwood. Brass receptacles are ideal for eye medicines, liquids, and preparations including vinegar, liquid pitch or cedria [oil of cedar]; but fats and marrow should be stored in tin boxes.