50 AsTER HISTORY 
It hath not only a digesting but also no small cooling quality, ¢ 
and refreshing, being of a mixt property like the Rose.—Farkin- 
son, 1640. 
Temperate and dry in 1°.—Sa/mon, 1682. 
MODES OF USING ASTER REMEDIES 
PLASTERS AND SALVES 
Applied as a plaster, or “emplastron,” xataziacadpsvov, for 
the stomach, D., for buboes, Galen, Aétios, Ortus. 
exerhattopsvov, Paulus Aegineta; in cataplasmata impositus, 
Aetios, Lat. tr. of 1542; supplasmatum.. . cataplasmatum, 
Ortus; emplastri modo apposita, John Lonitzer ; impositum, 
Dodoens ; \aid to, Lyte. 
Externally the leaves in a cataplasm maturates and suppurates 
‘botches.—Sa/mon, 
The purple violet [2. ¢., Aster ?] leaves “per se imponuntur, et 
cum polenta.’’— Rue/, 
Rubbed on as a Salve-—Aster or Bubonium is believed to heal 
buboes if rubbed on as a salve,——i//itum.—Galen. 
Aster was prescribed #//itus in nearly all its uses by Ruel, 633. 
So the leaf of Argemonia, perhaps there confused with Aster, was 
a cure for inflammations if rubbed on.—Ruel, 420. 
Aster . . . used in oyle to anoint the place.—Parkinson. 
Pounded up with Hog’s grease.—The green growing plant, 
pounded up by itself and mixed with old axle-grease,* is a remedy 
* Pliny, 28, 37, Riley’s tr. 5: 324 +, remarks: “ Fat is held in highest esteem, 
that of swine in particular....The older it is, the better, The Greek writers have 
now given it the name of ‘ axungia’ [L. axis, an axle, and ungo, to anoint], or axle- 
ease, in their works....The distinguishing properties of swine’s grease are emol- 
of i 
litharge....The ancient physicians also set a high value on the medicinal properties 
of hog’s-lard in the unmixed State, to anoint ulcers with it, etc....The ancients used 
to employ hog’s-lard in particular for greasing the axles of their vehicles, that the 
wheels might revolve the more easily, and to this in fact it owes its name of ‘ axungia.’ 
When hog’s-lard has been used for this purpose, incorporated as it is with iron-rust, it is 
remarkably useful as an application for diseases of the rectum and of the pudenda.... 
It is still the usage for the newly-wedded bride, on entering her husband’s house, to 
touch the door-posts with it, that no noxious spells may find admittance.”’ 
