AETIOs’ ASTER MEDICAMENTS 91 
wool before the eyes, for flux of blood in myrtle wine ; for old or 
recent cough, diluted in wine ; for phthisis with Marrubium ; for 
dysentery, etc., with ‘“‘ Sanguinaria”’; for reptile bites with Rue ; for 
rheumatism, as Gentian ; etc., etc. 
Make it with myrrh, styrax, Savas Indica, Cassia fistula, cor- 
tex Mandragora, and with terra Lemnia. Or add Seseli Massilien- 
sis, seeds of Daucus, etc.—Galen, 13: 164-6. 
Aster-remedies of Aétios—Another long series of compounds 
entitled Aster or using Aster Samius as a base were used and 
described by Aétios, c. 540 A. D., the Greek physician probably 
of Justinian’s court ; who called most of these preparations by the 
term collyrion, xoAdpzov ; as his Magni collyrion composed with a 
base of Aster Samius ; and as the following to which he gave the 
name Aster : 
Asclepiades' Aster.— Asclepiadae, aster inexsuperabilis, do- 
lorum eximens.” This is a modified form of Galen’s ulcer-curing 
Aster inexsuperabilis. Aétios states its purpose in Galen’s words 
and prescribes nearly the same ingredients, adding “gummi, 6 
drachmae, cineris pompholygis lotae, 8 drachmae,” and omitting 
Galen’s cerussa, amylum, spodium, plumbum, and his terra samia, 
omitted here, but forming, under the name Terra Asteris, a base 
of the most of his numerous collyrions ; Aétios adds, Excipe aqua, 
take in water, most time honored of medical formularies. 
Aster Magni.—Aliud collyrion, Aster Magni, quod preparari 
solet...; it contains the “terrae quae aster appellat.”’ 
be Asdiediades Aster jesiact, waslcercinl is still another similar col- 
lyrion of Aétios. 
Aétios’ Terra-Asteris collyrions —Numerous compounds re- 
corded by Aétios include Aster Samius, his Terra Asteris, as a 
base, and are chiefly directed against ulcers. Each one he calls a 
collyrion, xoddipcov, a word evidently cognate with zdjia, glue, and 
used by Hippocrates for a poultice, and in later writers interpreted 
as an eye-salve, as a pessary, etc. Aétios and others use itas a 
compound medicament of viscous consistency, to be applied as a 
poultice, salve or plaster, or to be taken internally, in food or drink. 
Aétios usually gives each collyrion a distinctive name, from a 
former physician or from an ingredient. Among those with Aster 
Samius as a base are three from Oribasius, two from the medical 
