CHAP. 19.—MOLON OR SYRON. AMOMUM.
Molon1097 is a plant with a striated stem, a soft diminutive leaf, and a root four fingers in length, at the extremity of which there is a head like that of garlic; by some persons it is known as “syron.” Taken in wine, it is curative of affections of the stomach, and of hardness of breathing. For similar purposes the greater centaury is used, in an electuary; juice also of plantago, or else the plant itself, eaten with the food; pounded betony, in the proportion of one pound to half an ounce of Attic honey, taken daily in warm water; and aristolochia1098 or agaric, taken in doses of three oboli, in warm water or asses’ milk.
For hardness of breathing an infusion of cissanthemos1099 is taken in drink, and for the same complaint, as also for asthma, hyssop. For pains in the liver, chest, and side, if unattended with fever, juice of peucedanum is used. For spitting of blood agaric is employed, in doses of one victoriatus,1100 bruised and administered in five cyathi of honied wine: amomum,1101 too, is equally useful for that purpose. For liver diseases in particular, teucria1102 is taken fresh, in doses of four drachmæ to one hemina of oxycrate; or else betony, in the proportion of one drachma to three cyathi of warm water. For diseases of the heart, betony is recommended, in doses of one drachma to two cyathi of cold water. Juice of cinquefoil is remedial for diseases of the liver and lungs, and for spitting of blood as well as all internal affections of the blood. The two varieties of anagallis1103 are wonderfully efficacious for liver complaints. Patients who eat the plant called “capnos”1104 discharge the bile by urine. Acoron1105 is also remedial for diseases of the liver, and daucus1106 is useful for the thorax and the pectoral organs.