14 Introduction 



dred of them, but in no classified form. His work 

 stood for long, and the Greeks added but little to 

 it; but the Arabians, more especially Ebn Baithar, 

 added camphor, senna, nux vomica, and other drugs. 

 Aetius finally classified the materia medica. 



The seventh century A. D. gave to medicine the 

 works of Paulus Aegineta. 2 His writings are a won- 

 derful record, commenting literally upon hundreds 

 of botanic remedies, among which may be noted 

 aconite, aloes, bryonia, belladonna, colchicum, can- 

 nabis, colocynth, elaterium, gentian, hyoscyamus, 

 lactucarium, male fern, nux vomica, opium, pulsa- 

 tilla, ricinus, rhubarb, squill, senna, triticum, thyme, 

 valerian, and a host of familiar plants, as well as 

 many long since forgotten ones. 



But it is of passing interest to note that he de- 

 scribed many again brought to notice in the cen- 

 turies-later writings of Hahnemann, of Homeopathic 

 fame, and of Scudder, the principal writer of the 

 Eclectic School. Among these botanic drugs may 

 be noted boletus, agnus castus, populus nigra, 

 urtica dioica, sambucus, plantago, asclepias, carduus 

 benedictus, helleborus niger, avena, gnaphalium, 

 eupatorium, senecio, eryngium, bursa pastoris, iris, 

 equisetum, juglans, cistus, corallium, allium, coniuin, 

 corydalis, xanthium, oenanthe, polygonatum, rhus, 

 achillea, solanum, symphytum, hypericum, cheli- 

 donium, berberis, anacardium, and a host of others. 

 In fact, from Aegineta and the medieval European 

 writers Hahnemann took the greater part of his 

 remedies, accepting their nomenclature and much 

 of their data. 



'"The Seven Books of Paulus Aegineta," translated into English by 

 the Sydenham Society at the hand of Francis Adams, 1847. 



