Book I

, 1, of this work), and their seeds seem to preserve clothes in a chest from being moth-eaten. (i, 166.) The Arabians treat very fully of the medicinal properties of the citron. See Serapion (De Simpl. i, 1), Avicenna (ii, 2, 116), and Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 219.) They all agree that its seed is alexipharmic, both when taken in hot water, and when the juice is applied to a poisoned wound. See particularly Avicenna (De Med. Cord. ii.) They also hold that it is an excellent cordial and stomachic; that it stops bilious purgings, fluxes, and vomiting; and that it dispels sorrow. They hold, however, that it is prejudicial to the lungs and nerves. They speak highly of the oil of citrons in paralysis and other affections of the nerves. We need scarcely remark that this preparation has been much celebrated in modern times (see Charras, l. c.), and is still retained in our Pharmacopœia. See Pereira, 1235.

Κιχόριον ἤ πικρὶς,

Cichorium, _Succory_, is, as it were, a wild endive, being cooling and desiccant in the first degree. It has also some astringency, and hence it agrees with hepatic dysenteries.

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COMMENTARY. It is the _Cichorium Intybus_. We have treated of it among the pot-herbs in the First Book. It occurs in the Flora Hippocratica. Dioscorides recommends both the garden and the wild succory as being astringent, cooling, and stomachic, in various cases, both internally and externally, for binding the bowels in dysentery, as a cataplasm in cardiac affection, and as a remedy for gout and ophthalmy. (ii, 159.) Celsus also ranks the intybus and ambubeia, which are the wild and garden succory, with astringents. (ii, 30.) Galen and the other Greek authorities give it the same general characters. The Arabians treat of the seris and intybus at greater length, and seem to confound the latter, or endive, with the taraxacon (Leontodon taraxacum?). See in particular Avicenna (ii, 2, 229, 683.) He recommends the latter most particularly as a deobstruent in obstructions of the liver and other viscera; he speaks favorably of it as a plaster in palpitations of the heart, and as a gargle along with Cassia fistula in inflammations of the throat. All the Arabians recommend both species as antidotes to the bites of venomous animals. See Avicenna (l. c.), Serapion (c. 143), and Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 266.) The wild succory (Cichorium Intybus) is still sometimes employed in medicine. Dr. Pereira says, “the medicinal properties of _Cichorium Intybus_ are analogous to those of Taraxacum Densleonis.” (Mat. Med. 698.) It occurs in the modern Greek Pharmacopœia.

Κλήματις,

Clematis, _Virgin’s-bower_, (called also Myrsonöides, Daphnöides, and Polygonöides,) has twigs as long as the thickness of a May-rush, (holoschænus,) and petals like the bay, and is of a desiccant nature; it, therefore, stops diarrhœas, dysenteries, and pains of the teeth, and is useful for the bites of venomous animals. The other species of clematis twines around trees like ivy, being of an acrid and caustic nature. Its fruit, when drunk with water, evacuates bile and phlegm downwards; and its leaves in a cataplasm, remove leprosy.

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COMMENTARY. The former species, distinguished by the synonyme of Daphnöides, is the clematis described by Dioscorides (iv, 179), and is the second species of Galen, who expresses himself contemptuously of Pamphilus for confounding the two species together. It is clearly a species of _Clematis_, either the _vitalba_ or _cirrhosa_. All agree in recommending it as a safe astringent. The other species described by Dioscorides (iv, 7), and which is the former species of Galen, may be decidedly determined to be either the _Vinca major_ or _minor_. It, according to Galen, is possessed of acrid and caustic powers. The Arabians would appear not to distinguish properly the _clematis_ from the _hedera_. See Serapion (c. 41), and Avicenna (ii, 2, 169.) The modern Greek Pharmacopœia contains the _C. erecta_.

Κλινοπόδιον,

Clinopodium, _Field Basil_, is possessed of heating and desiccative powers, not caustic however, but of the third degree.

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COMMENTARY. It may with considerable confidence be set down as being the _Clinopodium vulgare_, although doubts have been started on this head. See Parkinson (Theatre of Plants, 23), and Sprengel (Ad Dioscorid.) Our author follows Galen very closely. Dioscorides represents it to be diuretic and emmenagogue (iii, 99.) We have not been able to discover any traces of it in the Mat. Med. of the Arabians, nor in Hippocrates.

Κνίκος,

Cnicus, _Bastard Saffron_; its seed is used only for purgings, but if applied externally it belongs to the third order of calefacients.

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COMMENTARY. The preponderance of authority is decidedly in favour of its being the _Carthamus tinctorius_, a plant which held a place in our Dispensatory with its ancient characters down to recent date. (See Quincy, 167.) Dioscorides mentions of it that it is used as a potherb, and as a medicine for opening the bowels. Galen gives it exactly the same character as our author. The Arabians give rather a confused account of it by treating of it along with _Atractylis_, which they held to be the wild cnicus. See in particular Avicenna (ii, 2, 159.) All the Arabians hold that it is not only laxative, but also powerfully alexipharmic. They call it _Kartam_ or _Cartamus_. See further Serapion (c. 202), and Rhases (Cont. l. ult. iii, 46.)

Κογχύλια,

Conchylia; their powers resemble those of the buccinæ.

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COMMENTARY. This name was applied to various Testacea, or _Shell-fish_. See Harduin (Ad Plinii H. N. ix, 60); Athenæi Deipnos, iii; Aristotle, H. A. v, 14; and Gesner, De Aquat. Oysters are frequently called by this name, as in the following lines of Petronius Arbiter:

Lucrinis Eruta littoribus vendunt Conchylia, cænis Ut renovent per damna famem.—_Satyricon._

Dioscorides does not treat of this article, at least, under this name. The Arabians would appear to have identified them with the _Cochleæ_. See in particular Serapion (c. 434.)

Κοιλία,

Venter, _the Belly_ of the cormorant, either when boiled, fresh, or dried, is said to be stomachic if eaten; and in like manner, the inner coat of the stomach of hens when dried and taken in a draught. But Galen says, that he found upon trial both these statements false. Dioscorides relates that the stomach of a wood-pigeon, if drunk, gradually makes stones be expelled by urine. The stomach of a weasel, when drunk, is a preservative against all poisonous animals.

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COMMENTARY. Properly speaking _the Stomach_. Our author, as he acknowledges, borrows from Galen and Dioscorides. Serapion repeats the same characters of this article upon the authority of Dioscorides. (c. 469.) We may be allowed to mention that the inner membrane of the crop of a fowl is still a popular remedy for indigestion in the north of Scotland.

Κόκκος κνίδιος,

Granum Gnidium, is the fruit of the Thymelæa and not of the Chamelæa as some have supposed. Being possessed of acrid and caustic powers, when drunk, it purges water downwards.

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COMMENTARY. See under Θυμέλαια. All the authorities, from Hipprocrates downwards, describe it as an acrid purgative. Dr. Pereira says, “_Daphne Gnidium_ is the _Thymelæa_ of Dioscorides, whose fruit is the κόκκος κνίδιος, or _Gnidian-berry_, used by Hippocrates. Its properties are similar to those of D. Mezereum.” (Mat. Med. 807.) Dioscorides gives a full description of the thymelæa, and states, with excellent precision, its operation on the animal economy. He says it purges, bringing away a watery discharge, and kills the fœtus in utero when applied on a pessary. (iv, 170.) Galen and Aëtius and Oribasius state its characters in brief terms, like our author. It would appear, in fact, to have been little used in medicine. The Arabians confound the thymelæa, chamelæa, and chamæleon together, so that there is great difficulty in making out what were their exact views on the _Thymelaceæ_. Indeed, the genera of this tribe of plants are still with difficulty distinguished from one another. See Lindley’s Vegetable Kingdom, 530.

Κόκκος βαφικὸς,

Granum tinctorium, is desiccative without pungency. It agrees, therefore, with large wounds and wounds of the nerves when triturated with vinegar or oxymel.

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COMMENTARY. It is _Vermilion_ or _Scarlet grain_, being the product of a little hemopterous insect called _kermes_ or _Coccus ilicis_. See Theophrastus (H. P. iii, 16), and Pliny (H. N. xvi, 12.) It was anciently used in dyeing, but is now superseded by the cochineal. An interesting account of kermes and cochineal is given by Beckmann. (History of Inventions.) Dioscorides and the other authorities, like Paulus, commend it as a vulnerary medicine, especially in wounds of the nerves. The Arabians, in treating of the kermes, merely repeat what Dioscorides and Galen had written on this head. See in particular Serapion (De Simpl. 321); Avicenna (ii, 2, 718); Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 740.)

Κοκκομηλέα,

Prunus, _the Plum_; its fruit loosens the belly, if fresh, in a greater degree, or if dried, in a smaller. The decoction of it in gargles, cures inflammations about the uvula. The gum of the tree has the powers of an incisive and attenuate substance, so that some relate that when drunk with wine it proves lithontriptic. With vinegar it is said to cure the lichen of children. The fruit of the wild plums is manifestly astringent, and constipates the belly. This plant in Asia is called _Prumnum_. The dried garden plums, now called damascenes, appear to be similar, as Galen says.

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COMMENTARY. Without doubt it is the _Prunus insiticia_ or _Bullace tree_, a well known species of plum. The _Damask-plums_ are much celebrated by ancient authors. We have treated of plums as an article of food in the First Book. Pliny and Marcellus Empiricus recommend them particularly in diseases of the tonsils and gums; but, indeed, all the ancient authorities prescribe them as astringents in such cases. There is a slight difference of opinion between Dioscorides and Galen regarding the virtues of the plum. Dioscorides says, “the fruit is esculent, but bad for the stomach, and loosens the bowels. But the dried fruit of the Syrian plums, and more especially those which grow about Damascus (damascenes?), are stomachic and astringent of the bowels.” Galen says, “the fruit of the plum tree loosens the bowels, the fresh in a greater degree and the dried in a less. I know not how it is that Dioscorides says that the dried damask-plums bind the bowels, for even these manifestly loosen, but in a less degree than the Spanish; for the damask are more astringent, and the Spanish more sweet, &c.” (De Simpl. vii.) This slight difference created a keen controversy in modern times between Brasavolus, who impugns, and Matthiolus, who defends the strictures of Galen. To us it appears that the only mistake committed by Dioscorides consists in stating his views too succinctly. He, no doubt, never meant to deny that the damask-plums have a certain purgative faculty mixed up with astringency, like plums in general. Galen’s language is more precise, but we do not see that there is much real difference between his views and those of Dioscorides. The Arabians gravely state this mighty controversy between the two ancient sages, but scarcely pretend “tantas componere lites.” See Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 565); Avicenna (ii, 2, 532); and Serapion (c. 139.) One of Rhases’s authorities says of plums, that they moisten the stomach and loosen the belly, purging yellow bile. Another of them, named Chuz, says the water of them is emmenagogue, and their gum, mixed with sugar, cures impetigo. Avicenna quotes this opinion with approbation. All agree that they are lithontriptic.

Κόλλα,

Gluten, _Glue_; that prepared from the similago and pollen is of an emplastic and digestive nature.

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COMMENTARY. _Gluten_ or _Paste_. Dioscorides mentions that the best kind is prepared from the hides of bulls in Rhodes. Galen makes mention of another kind prepared from flour, and used in binding books. (De Simpl. vii.) See further, Pliny (H. N. xiii, 26.) The Arabians, in treating of it, derive most of their information from the Greeks. See Serapion (c. 138); Avicenna (ii, 2, 202); and Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 336.) They treat of the ichthyocolla under this head.

Κολοκύνθη,

Cucurbita, _the Gourd_, is of a humid and cold temperament in the second degree. Hence, when applied entire in a cataplasm, it cools hot inflammations.

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COMMENTARY. We have stated the difficulty of determining this article in the chapter of the First Book on the summer fruits. It would appear to be sometimes put for the _Cucumis sativus_ or _Cucumber_, and sometimes for the _Cucurbita_ or _Gourd_. About the species, however, there is some doubt. On its medicinal properties, besides the medical authorities, see Geopon. (xii, 19.) Dioscorides recommends it raw, as a cooling application for various swellings and apostemes; also for the siriasis of infancy (See