SAFFRON. 19<) 



We are informed by the great Vemlam, 

 " that a certain Englishman who used to be 

 excessively sick at sea, had his usual nauseas 

 prevented by wearing a bag of saffron at the 

 region of his stomach." 



To enumerate all the good qualities that 

 have been attributed to saffron, by the most 

 able and learned physicians, would require a 

 separate volume : we shall therefore conclude 

 with warning the incautious. against the abuse 

 of this admirable drug, which does not differ 

 from the general principle in other medi- 

 cines, viz. " that, the more efficacious, the 

 more dangerous." 



Galen says*, when saffron is too liberally 

 used, it either destroys the patient's reason, 

 or procures his death. According to Geof- 

 froy, Costaeus informs us, that many who 

 have i*sed a small bag of saffron by way of 

 cushion, have been seized with a pain of the 

 head so intolerable as to put an end to their 



lives. 



Borelli gives an account of a merchant's 

 servant, who, using to lie down and sleep 

 near a large quantity of saffron, was seized 

 with such intense pain of the head, and 



* De Simplic, Medicament. Facultat. lib. v. cap. 19. 



