ASTER-USES IN THE REGIMEN 241 
names, except Morella, line 350, the Maurella of Macer, our 
Solanum nigrum. Many plants, however, occur in its spurious 
aggiunta as edited by Renzi; verses 411-499 treat of edible herbs, 
and 600-782 ‘‘de Simplicibus virtutibus,”’ consisting of 90 para- 
graphs treating go plants, with some much-disguised or metrically- 
shortened plant names, as Me/angia for Melanthium, and Nastur 
for Nasturtium. 
But in the genuine Regimen Salerni, while Aster is not itself to 
be expected, there are a few items which relate to its history. Re- 
liance on Aster and other wild plants to cure bites of serpents and 
mad-dogs had now given place to confidence in the onion; the 
Regimen recommending against poisonous bites : 
Allia, ruta, pyra, et raphanus, cum Theriaca nux,* 
of which Arnald remarks: ‘Onions are potent against the stroke 
of the viper,” and again, ‘“‘ Against the mad-dog’s bite they avail 
much ; by rubbing on and in food.” 
Purple violet, to which the property of healing epilepsy had 
been transferred from Aster among the Greeks, still retained the 
power among the physicians sanctioning the Regimen, though 
they were careful to say that they knew of that efficacy only by 
hearsay : 
‘*Purpuream Violam dicunt curare caducos.” T 
More of the anciently reputed Aster virtues are here ascribed 
to elecampane ; including digestive use, and for hernia, and in time 
of Arnald, two centuries later, for serpent’s bites and sciatica. The 
Regimen treats elecampane in these three lines: 
Enula campana reddit praecordia sana,} 
Cum succo rutae succus si sumitur ejus, 
Affirmant ruptis quod profit potio talis. 
Rue itself had borrowed one of the Aster’s prerogatives, to 
clear the eyesight : 
Nobilitas ruta haec, quod lumina reddat acuta. 
: 3 we ” 
“Onions, rue, pear, radish, and with a Theriaca (antidote), walnuts. 
t See Sylvius’ edn., Pp. 294-5. 
t Or, as Holland has it, 
«It cheers the heart, expelling griefs away.” 
