CHAP. XVIII. OF MALAGMAS.

1.
A cooling malagma for the hot gout.

These particulars being premised, I shall first subjoin malagmas, which are commonly contrived not with an intention to cool, but to heat. There is one however, which is cooling, adapted to the hot gout in the feet. It contains of galls both unripe, and otherwise, of coriander-seed, hemlock, poppy-tears, gum, of each an acetabulum, of washed cerate, which the Greeks call peplumenon[ DO ], half a pound.

The other malagmas are mostly heating. But some of them discuss matter, others draw it out, which are called epispastica[ DP ]: most of them are adapted to particular parts of the body.

2.
A drawing malagma.

If matter(35) is to be drawn out, as in a dropsical case, pleurisy, a beginning abscess, and even a moderate suppuration, that is proper, which consists of dry resin, nitre, ammoniacum, galbanum, each p. *. wax, p. *. Or that, which contains rasile verdigrease, frankincense, each p. ii. *. Sal ammoniac p. vi. *. copper scales, wax, each p. viii. *. dry resin p. xii. *. and vinegar a cyathus. The same end is obtained by the meal of cummin-seed with struthium(36) and honey p. ii. *.

3.
Malagma for the liver.

If the liver is pained, the proper malagma is that, which contains balsam-tears p. xii. *. costus, cinnamon, cassia bark, myrrh, saffron, round cyperus, balsam-seed, Illyrian iris, cardamom, amomum, nard, of each p. xvi. *. To these is added nard ointment(37), till it be of the consistence of cerate. And this must be used, while it is recent: but if it be to be kept for some time, turpentine resin p. xvi. *. wax p. x. *. must be beat up with mild wine, and mixed with it.

4.
Malagma for the spleen.

But if the spleen is pained, the bark of that acorn, which the Greeks call myrobalanus, and nitre are beat together in equal quantities, and are sprinkled over with the sharpest vinegar: when it comes to the consistence of cerate, it is spread upon a linen cloth first moistened in cold water, and thus applied, and over it is laid barley meal; but it ought not to lie there above six hours, lest it waste the spleen; and it is better to do it twice or thrice.

5.
Lysias’s ma­lag­ma for several parts.

Lysias composed a malagma, at once calculated for the liver, and spleen, and for abscesses, and the scrophula, and parotid swellings, and the joints, and heels suppurating, or otherwise painful, likewise to assist the concoction of the stomach, of the following materials: opopanax, galbanum, resin, of each p. ii. *. ammoniacum, bdellium, wax, beef suet, dry iris p. iv. *. with an acetabulum of cachrys(38) and forty grains of pepper: which being powdered are brought to a proper consistence by iris ointment.

6.
Apollophanes’s malagma.

The composition of Apollophanes is calculated for pains of the sides. It consists of turpentine resin, soot of frankincense, each p. iv. *. bdellium, ammoniacum, iris, suet from the kidneys either of veal or a goat, viscum(39), each p. iv. *. Now this relieves all pains, mollifies what is hard, and is moderately heating.

7.
Andreas’s malagma.

The malagma of Andreas also has the same effect; it likewise relaxes, draws out humour, maturates pus, and when that is ripe, it breaks the skin, and brings it to cicatrize. It does good applied either to small or large abscesses; also to pained joints, hips, and feet: it restores too any part, that has been damaged by bruises; softens hard and inflated præcordia; extracts bones; and in fine is efficacious in every case, where heat can be of service. It contains wax p. xi. *. viscum, sycaminum (which others call sycamore) tears, each p. i. *. pepper both round and long, ammoniacum thymiama(40), bdellium, Illyrium iris, cardamom, xylobalsam, male frankincense, myrrh, dry resin, each p. x. *. pellitory, gnidian berries, aphronitre, sal ammoniac, root of Cretan birthwort, root of wild cucumber, liquid resin of turpentine, of each p. xx. *. to these is added a sufficient quantity of iris ointment to soften and reduce them to a proper consistence.

8.
Malagma for Poly­arch­us.

The principal composition for relaxing what is bound, softening what is hard, and discussing any collection, is that, which is ascribed to Polyarchus. It contains of long cyperus, cardamom, soot of frankincense, amomum, wax, liquid resin, equal parts.

9.
Malagma of Nileus.

There is another by Nileus for the same purposes: of crocomagma(41), which is, as it were, the refuse of saffron p. iv. *. ammoniacum thymiama, wax, each p. xxx. *. the two first of these are rubbed down with vinegar, the wax is melted with oil of roses, and then the whole is mixed together.

10.
Moschus’s emollient malagma.

The malagma, that passes under the name of Moschus, has only the property of softening what is hard. It contains of galbanum one ounce, soot of frankincense p. iii. *. wax, ammoniacum thymiama, each a triens, dry pitch p. ii. *. vinegar three heminae.

11.
Medus’s discutient malagma.

Medus’s malagma is used to discuss any collection. This contains wax p. iii. *. panaces 1/2 p. *. copper scales, round alum, scissile alum, of each p. i. *. calcined lead p. i. *. and 1/2.

12.
Panthemus’s malagma.

Panthemus for the same intention made use of lime 1/2 p. *. mustard powdered, fenugreek, alum, each p. i. *. beef suet p. ii. *. and 1/2.

13.
Andreas’s malagma for the scroph­ula.

For the scrophula I find many malagmas. I believe indeed, that the more malignant that distemper is, and the more difficult to discuss, the greater number of remedies have been tried; which have succeeded variously in different persons. Andreas is the author of the following mixture: Nettle-seed p. i. *. round pepper, bdellium, galbanum, ammoniacum thymiama, dry resin, of each p. iv. *. liquid resin, wax, pellitory, long pepper, sea spurge-seed, crude sulphur, which is called apyron[ DQ ], equal parts.

14.
Mico’s for the same.

Mico’s malagma is this: of dry lees, vinegar, aphronitre, sal ammoniac, mustard, cardamom, wild cucumber-root, resin, each p. iv. *. which are beat up with mild wine.

15.
Three others.

A more expeditious for the same purpose is that, which contains of viscum, cat’s dung, resin, crude sulphur, equal parts. And another, in which are of sulphur p. i. *. pyrites-stone p. iv. *. of cummin an acetabulum. Likewise that, which consists of one part of pyrites, two of sulphur, and three of turpentine resin.

16.
Malagma of an Ara­bian for the scroph­ula, &c.

There is a malagma of a certain Arabian for the scrophula, and rising tubercles, which are called phymata, which discusses them. It contains myrrh, sal ammoniac, frankincense, resin both liquid and dry, crocomagma, wax, of each p. i. *. the pyrites-stone p. iv. *. to which some add sulphur p. ii. *.

17.
Another for the same.

There is another of service in the scrophula, and in those tubercles, which are with difficulty brought to maturate; and in those, that are called carcinodea[ DR ], which consists of these things: sulphur p. ii. *. nitre p. iv. *. myrrh p. vi. *. soot frankincense 1/2 p. *. sal ammoniac p. iii. *. wax p. i. *.

18.
Protarchus’s malagma.

Protarchus for parotid swellings, and those tubercles, which are called melicerides[ DS ], that is, honey-combs, or phymata, and for malignant ulcers, made this mixture: of pumice, liquid pine resin, soot of frankincense, aphronitre, iris, each p. viii. *. with wax p. ix. *. and to these he added a cyathus and half of oil.

19.
Malagma for a panus, &c.

But against the panus upon its first appearance, which the Greeks call phygethlon[ DT ], and any tubercle, which is called phyma, a mixture is made of attic ochre, with two parts of flour, and to these, while they are beat up, honey is now and then dropped in, till it acquire the consistence of a malagma.

20.
A ma­lag­ma against all phy­mata.

That also discusses all the tubercles, that have the name of phyma, which contains of lime, aphronitre, round pepper, each p. i. *. galbanum p. ii. *. salt p. iv. *. which are incorporated with cerate made of rose-oil.

21.
Malagma for begin­ning ab­scess­es.

That malagma suppresses all beginning abscesses, which is composed of galbanum, bruised beans, each p. i. *. myrrh, frankincense, bark of caper-root, each p. iv. *. And the murex burnt, and reduced to a fine powder, dropping in now and then a little vinegar, powerfully discusses all beginning abscesses.

22.
Malagma for blood.

But if in such tumours, too great a quantity of blood is extravasated, it is proper to use an application, which is also efficacious against tubercles. It has the following ingredients: bdellium, storax, ammoniacum, galbanum, pine resin both dry and liquid. Also mastich, frankincense, iris, of each p. ii. *.

23.
Malagma for cancers, &c.

Cancers and tubercles are in a good measure eased by this composition: galbanum, viscum, ammoniacum, turpentine resin, each p. i. *. beef suet 1/2 p. *. burned lees as great a proportion as may be, without making it drier than a malagma ought to be.

24.
Malagma for the face.

But if there be a contusion in the face and a livor from an extravasation of blood, the following composition, applied night and day, removes it. Birthwort, thapsia(42), of each p. ii. *. bdellium, storax, ammoniacum thymiama, galbanum, dry resin, and liquid, resin of the mastich-tree, male frankincense, Illyrian iris, wax, of each p. iv. *. The application of a bean also will do good in the same case.

25.
Opening malagmas.

There are also some malagmas, which by the Greeks are called anastomotica[ DU ], because they have the power of opening. Such is that, which is composed of the following things: long pepper, aphronitre, of each p. ii. *. hedge mustard p. iv. *. which are mixed with honey: they are also proper for opening scrophulous tumours. Of the same kind with this, but stronger, is that, which contains lime p. iv. *. pepper six grains, nitre, wax, of each p. x. *. honey p. iii. *. and a hemina of oil.

26.
Mico’s re­lax­ing, &c. ma­lag­ma.

There is one of Mico’s, which is relaxing, opening, and cleansing. It contains of bastard sponge, sulphur, nitre, pumice, equal parts; to these is added of pitch and wax a sufficient quantity to make it the consistence of cerate.

27.
Aristogenes’s malagma for the bones, &c.

Aristogenes’s malagma for the bones consists of these ingredients: of sulphur p. i. *. turpentine resin, aphronitre, and the pulp of a squil, washed lead(43), each p. ii. *. soot of frankincense p. viii. *. the mellowest dry figs, beef suet, each p. viii. *. wax p. xii. *. Macedonian iris p. vi. *. sesamum toasted and acetabulum. And this malagma is very agreeable to the nerves and joints.

28.
Euthycleus’s malagma for the joints, &c.

That, which was invented by Euthycleus, is proper for the joints, and for all pains, particularly in the bladder, and any contraction of the joints from a recent cicatrix, which the Greeks call anchyla[ DV ]. It contains soot of frankincense an acetabulum, the same quantity of resin, galbanum without its stalks an ounce and half, ammoniacum, bdellium, of each p. *. wax 1/2 p. *——There is also another, which consists of iris, ammoniacum, galbanum, nitre, each p. xiv. *. liquid resin p. vi. *. wax p. xvi. *.

29.
Sosagoras’s for the same.

Sosagoras’s malagma for pains of the joints: of calcined lead, poppy-tears, bark of henbane, storax, hog’s fennel, suet, resin, and wax, equal parts.

30.
Chrysippus’s.

Chrysippus also composed one: of liquid resin, sandarach, pepper, each p. xii. * to these a little wax is added.

31.
Ctesiphon’s.

Ctesiphon’s: of Cretan wax, turpentine resin, the reddest nitre, each 1/2 p. *. three cyathi of oil. But the nitre is first rubbed for three days with water dropped in upon it, and boiled with a sextarius of it, till all the moisture be consumed.——This composition is also good for parotids, tubercles, and the scrophula, and for softening every collection of humour.

32.
For the joints.

To the joints one may properly apply a part of a dry fig mixed with cat-mint; or staveacre without the seeds, with penny-royal.

33.
Ariston’s for the gout in the feet.

The same composition is useful for the gout in the foot. But for that ailment Ariston has also composed one, containing of nard, cinnamon, cassia, chamaeleon, round cyperus, each p. viii. *. goat’s suet melted in iris ointment p. xx. *. iris p. i. *. which ought to lie in the strongest vinegar for twenty days. The same also discusses recent tubercles, and all pains.

34.
Theoxenus’s for pained feet.

But for pains of the feet Theoxenus mixed, of kidney suet a third part, of salt two parts, and applied them spread upon a piece of leather; then put over it ammoniacum thymiama dissolved in vinegar.

35.
Numenius’s for the gout, &c.

But Numenius mollified the gout in the feet, and other indurated joints with the following composition: southernwood, dry roses, poppy-tears, of each p. iii. *. turpentine resin p. iv. *. frankincense, aphronitre, each p. viii. * iris, birthwort, each p. xii. *. wax p. iii. * to these is added one cyathus of cedria(44), three cyathi of laurel oil(45), and a sextarius of bitter oil.

36.
Dexius’s malagma for a callus, &c.

For a callus formed upon the joints, Dexius directed the following application: of lime, p. iv. *. ceruss, p. viii. *. pine resin xx. *. pepper thirty grains, wax p. ii. *. And while these are beat up a hemina of mild wine is poured in.