CHAP. 100. (24.)—THE COMPOSITION OF THERIACA.
But as we are now about to leave the garden plants, we will take this opportunity of describing a very famous preparation extracted from them as an antidote against the stings of all kinds of venomous animals: it is inscribed in verse1782 upon a stone in the Temple of Æsculapius at Cos.
Take two denarii of wild thyme, and the same quantity of opopanax and meum respectively; one denarius of trefoil seed; and of aniseed, fennel-seed, ammi, and parsley, six denarii respectively, with twelve denarii of meal of fitches. Heat up these ingredients together, and pass them through a sieve; after which they must be kneaded with the best wine that can be had, and then made into lozenges of one victoriatus1783 each: one of these is to be given to the patient, steeped in three cyathi of wine. King Antiochus1784 the Great, it is said, employed this theriaca1785 against all kinds of venomous animals, the asp excepted.
Summary.—Remarkable facts, narratives, and observations, one thousand, five hundred, and six.
Roman authors quoted.—Cato1786 the Censor, M. Varro,1787 Pompeius Lenæus,1788 C. Valgius,1789 Hyginus,1790 Sextius Niger1791 who wrote in Greek, Julius Bassus1792 who wrote in Greek, Celsus,1793 Antonius Castor.1794
Foreign authors quoted.—Democritus,1795 Theophrastus,1796 Orpheus,1797 Menander1798 who wrote the “Biochresta,” Pythagoras,1799 Nicander.1800
Medical authors quoted.—Chrysippus,1801 Diocles,1802 Ophelion,1803 Heraclides,1804 Hicesius,1805 Dionysius,1806 Apollodorus1807 of Citium, Apollodorus1808 of Tarentum, Praxagoras,1809, Plistonicus,1810 Medius,1811 Dieuches,1812 Cleophantus,1813 Philistion,1814 Asclepiades,1815 Crateuas,1816 Petronius Diodotus,1817 Iollas,1818 Erasistratus,1819 Diagoras,1820 Andreas,1821 Mnesides,1822 Epicharmus,1823 Damion,1824 Dalion,1825 Sosimenes,1826 Tlepolemus,1827, Metrodorus,1828 Solo,1829 Lycus,1830 Olympias1831 of Thebes, Philinus,1832 Petrichus,1833 Micton,1834 Glaucias,1835 Xenocrates.1836