Antidotes, though seldom wanted, are sometimes extremely necessary, because they relieve in the most dangerous cases. They are properly exhibited, when bodies are bruised either by blows, or by falling from a height, or in pains of the bowels, sides, fauces, and more internal parts. But their principal use is against poisons either injected into our bodies by bites, or received with meat or drink.

There is one, which contains poppy tears p. *. z. acorum, malobathrum(58) p. v. *. Illyrian iris, gum, of each p. ii. *. anise p. iii. *. Gallican nard, dry rose leaves, cardamom, each p. iv. *. parsley p. *. iii. z. trefoil p. v. *. black cassia(59), silis, bdellium, balsam fruit, white poppy seed, each p. *. z. storax p. *. v. z. myrrh, opopanax, Syrian nard, male frankincense, juice of hypocistis, each p. vi. *. castor p. vi. *. costus, white pepper, galbanum, turpentine resin, saffron, flower of round cyperus, each p. vi. *. z. liquorice p. viii. *. z. these are incorporated with honey or passum.

Another antidote, which Zopyrus is said to have compounded for king Ptolemy, and called it ambrosia, consists of the following things: costus, male frankincense, of each p. v. *. white pepper p. *. z. flower of round cyperus p. ii. *. cinnamon p. iii. *. black cassia p. iv. *. Cilician saffron p. *. iv. z. the myrrh called stacte(60) p. v. *. Indian nard p. *. v. z. which being powdered separately, are incorporated with boiled honey: then when it is used, the bigness of an Egyptian bean must be diluted in a draught of wine.

But the most celebrated is that of Mithridates: by taking which every day, this king is said to have rendered his body secure against the danger or poisons. It contains the following things: of costus p. *. z. acorus p. v. *. hystericum, cummin, sagapenum, juice of acacia, Illyrian iris, cardamom, each p. ii. * anise p. iii. * Gallican nard, gentian-root, dry rose leaves, each p. iv. *. poppy tears, parsley, each p. *. iv. z. cassia, siler, darnel, long pepper, each p. vi. *. storax p. *. v. z. castor, frankincense, juice of hypocistis, myrrh, opopanax, each p. vi. *. malobathrum leaves p. vi. *. flower of round cyperus, turpentine resin, galbanum, seed of Cretan carrot, each p. *. v. z. nard, opobalsam, each p. *. vi. z. treacle mustard p. *. vi. pontic root(61) p. vii. *. saffron, ginger, cinnamon, each p. *. viii. These are powdered and mixed with honey, and against poison the bigness of a sweet almond is given in wine. In other disorders of the body, according to their violence, either the bigness of an Egyptian bean, or a vetch, will be sufficient.