Book I

, 75. The medicinal asparagus of the ancients would appear to have been different from our garden asparagus, from the description of its root given by Dioscorides (ii, 151), and yet there seems to have been very little difference between them in properties, since both are used for the same culinary and medicinal purposes; the ancient, we suppose, must have been the _A. acutifolius_. From Dioscorides down to the present time, the asparagus has been celebrated as being possessed of deobstruent and diuretic powers, and hence it has been given in jaundice, nephritis, and many other diseases of a like kind. Celsus recommends it as a pickle in affections of the spleen. (iv, 9.) It occurs in the Hippocratic collection, and is fully treated of by the Arabians. See Avicenna (ii, 2, 603); Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 667.) Symeon Seth, after repeating from Galen that the asparagus acts upon the kidneys and imparts its odour to it, remarks that this need not surprise us, since, by holding a certain herb of a red colour in the hands, the urine is reddened. What herb he alludes to cannot be exactly ascertained. (V. Not. Bogdani.) At all events it is clear from this that the ancients believed in absorption by the cuticle. The Arabians held that it is antiseptic. Casiri (Bibl. Hist. Arab. 337.) The wild asparagus was called _Corruda_ (Cato de R. R.)

Ἀσπλήνιον,

Asplenium, _Spleenwort_, or _Ceterach_, has the properties of a substance which consists of subtile particles, but is not hot. It therefore breaks down stones and dissolves indurated spleens.

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COMMENTARY. The spleenwort, or _Asplenium ceterach_, held a place in the Materia Medica from the earliest times down to a very recent period. Dioscorides commends it in diseases of the spleen (whence it derives its name), in strangury, jaundice, and calculus. Galen briefly assigns it the same character, which is repeated by Aëtius and Oribasius, as well as by our author, and also by Avicenna (630.) We cannot find it mentioned by Serapion or Rhases. It held a place in our Dispensatory in the time of Lewis. (Materia Medica A.D. 1791.)

Ἀσταφὶς,

Uva passa, _the Raisin_; the cultivated is possessed of digestive, astringent, and slightly discutient powers; the wild is possessed of strongly acrid, so as to be strongly phlegmagogue and detergent.

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COMMENTARY. Dioscorides treats much more fully of the medicinal powers of raisins than Galen and our author, recommending them in affections of the windpipe, chest, kidneys, and bladder; for dysentery when eaten with their stones by themselves, or when fried along with millet flour, barley-meal, and eggs; in masticatories with pepper; in inflammation of the testicles, when applied in a cataplasm with the flour of beans and cumin; for epinyctis, carbuncle, fevers, putrid and gangrenous sores about the joints, without their stones, when pounded with rue; for gout in a cataplasm with opoponax, and for the removal of loose nails. (v, 4.) Avicenna and Rhases briefly quote Dioscorides, and supply nothing additional. They hold, like the Greeks, that in particular cases raisins prove injurious to the urinary organs. Symeon Seth mentions that the Egyptians prepared a very sweet wine from raisins and honey. (De Alimentis.)

Ἀστὴρ Ἀττικὸς,

Aster atticus, _Starwort_, is also called bubonium, because it is believed to cure buboes, not only when applied for this purpose but even when appended as a periapt. It is possessed of mixed powers, being discutient and cooling.

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COMMENTARY. Our author’s account of the starwort, _Aster amyllus_, is taken from Galen, who in his turn copies from Dioscorides. In the common editions of Dioscorides there is a passage under this head (which although quoted by Serapion (§ 96), is scarcely considered genuine by Sprengel, seeing it is not alluded to by Galen or Pliny), in which the _Aster atticus_ is recommended for ardour of the stomach, inflammations of the eyes, buboes, and quinsies. The Arabians in treating of the _Aster atticus_ copy from Dioscorides. See in particular Avicenna (ii, 2, 357); Serapion (De Simpl. 96); Rhases (Contin. l. ult. i, 95.) It is not found in the works of Celsus. It held a place in our modern Dispensatory down to a late date. See Quincy (116.)

Ἀστράγαλος,

Astragalus, _Wild Liquorice_, is a small shrub, having astringent roots, and is desiccative in no contemptible degree. It promotes the cicatrization of old ulcers, and when drunk with wine stops the discharges of the bowels. It is mostly produced in Phæneum of Arcadia.

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COMMENTARY. That the astragalus belongs to the vetch tribe can admit of no doubt, but the particular genus and species have never been determined. All the authorities, both ancient and modern, recommend it as an astringent both externally and internally. We cannot find it in the works either of Hippocrates or Celsus. Our author manifestly borrows from Dioscorides. (iv, 62.) The Arabians do not appear to treat of it.

Ἄσφαλτος,

Bitumen; it is desiccant and calefacient in the second degree: it is therefore agglutinative of fresh wounds.

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COMMENTARY. The asphaltus, or _Bitumen judaicum_, held a place in the Materia Medica from the days of Hippocrates down to a very recent period. It got the name of Jew’s pitch, from its having been principally procured from Judæa, where it is found floating on the surface of the Dead Sea, or Lacus Asphaltites. Some commentators have been puzzled by Dioscorides representing the colour of the finest asphaltus as purplish, but it is to be borne in mind that the ancients applied this term not to a scarlet red but to any rich dark-blue colour, such as that of the sea. All the authorities, ancient and modern, represent it as being emollient, discutient, and emmenagogue. Serapion gives a very interesting account of it. (§ 177.) See also Avicenna (ii, 2, 114); Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 88); also Celsus (v, 6.)

Ἀσφόδελος,

Asphodelus, _Kingspear_; its root is possessed of detergent and discutient powers. When burnt its ashes become more calefacient, desiccative, and attenuate. It therefore cures alopecia.

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COMMENTARY. All the ancient authorities, including Hippocrates and Celsus, treat of the _Aspodelus ramosus_, or Kingspear, and in general are agreed in recommending it internally as being emmenagogue and diuretic, and externally as an application to alopecia or _porrigo decalvans_. The author who treats of it most elaborately is Dioscorides, who recommends it for the purposes we have mentioned, and as an alexipharmic, as a cure for toothache, and many other cases. (ii, 199.) Our author follows Galen. For the Arabians, see Avicenna (ii, 273); Serapion (c. 221); Rhases (Cont. l. ult. i, 26.) They all copy from Dioscorides and Galen. It was sometimes used as a culinary herb. See Vol. I, p. 118. Our old herbalists repeat its ancient characters as a medicine. See Gerard (i, 70.) It has been discarded from the Pharmacopœia for some time past.

Ἀτρακτυλὶς,

Atractylis, _Wild Cnicus_, or _Distaff-thistle_; it is of the thorny tribe, being possessed of desiccative and moderately heating powers.

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COMMENTARY. In another place (Vol. I, p. 113) we have treated of the atractylis as a culinary herb, agreeing with Sprengel in referring it to the _Carlina lanata_. The commentators on Dioscorides, however, are greatly at variance with regard to it; most of the old herbalists agree with Belon and Fuchsius in holding it to be the _Carduus benedictus_, or blessed thistle. See Gerard’s Herbal (ii, 489.) We cannot help remarking, however, that the virtues of the _Carduus benedictus_ as given by Quincy (English Dispensatory, i, 2) by no means agree with those assigned to the atractylis by Dioscorides; he holds it to be alexipharmical. (iii, 97.) Our author copies from Galen. The Arabians supply no additional information. See in particular Avicenna (ii, 2, 159.)

Ἀτράφαξις,

Atriplex, _Orache_, moistens in the second degree and cools in the first. It therefore opens the belly. Its fruit is possessed of detergent powers, whence it is useful in jaundice and obstructions of the liver.

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COMMENTARY. We have treated of the orach (_Atriplex Hortensis_) as a culinary herb in