320 Aster History ; Ortus SANITATIS 
The lineage of the Aster-chapter may be traced through Mat- 
teo Silvatico’s Pandectae to Serapion in Simon Januensis’ version. 
There is also a separate chapter on Yringus, 7. ¢., Eringium, ¢. 
429, on “ Yringus vel centum capita, /atine, grece byoman, arabice 
astaruticon vel secacul.”” Here Yringus in description and uses is 
properly based on Eryngium, until the chapter proceeds to cite 
Serapion. At this point the description of properties, the ‘‘ opera- 
tiones,” becomes a confused blending of a blue Centum-capita with 
Aster and with a white Eryngium. Serapion is quoted as saying 
of his Astaruticon, id est, Centum capita, “ that one kind is of coe- 
lestis coloris,” another,is white ; and continues in words derived from 
Aster, “Its flower is similar to that of the camomile ; the little 
heads resemble stars, but the leaves which are on the branches 
have their chief development in length instead, and are pilose. 
Serapion on authority of Dioscorides says it is useful for inflam- 
mations of the stomach, for apostems on the eyes; and others say 
the flower of that plant which is of purple color is useful against 
quinsy, if taken with water, and is potent against epilepsy of infants 
and against apostema lumborum.” 
Altogether, the long chapter in Ortus on Eryngium is derived 
as a whole from Serapion’s chapter “‘ Astaruticon td est Centum- 
capita,’ with a little from Avicenna on Secacul. Serapion by 
identifying Aster Atticus with Centum-capita led to the identifica- 
tion of Aster with Eryngium in the Pandects; and the blended 
description then passed on into this Eryngium chapter of Ortus. 
Aster as a name for the Samian or Lemnian earth does not 
occur in the Ortus, the name being replaced as in Circa instans 
(which is duly quoted) by a chapter, No. 400, on Zerra sigillata oF 
Lemnia fragida, 
—— 
a 
ws (using HS 
comparison of the last 20 chapters of the Ortus, citations occurring as follo 
German version) : 
“ Die meister’’ (without indicating who) 11; ‘* Das buch Pandecta,’” 4 times: 
“In dem buch Circa instans’’ 2, besides ‘< Platearius,’’ 6. 
** Paulus, 5 Plinius, 6 Platearius, 
‘*Serapio, 10 Galienus, 7 Diascorides, 7 
‘*Avicenna, 2 Mesue, I R. Moyses, 7 . 
The order in which the author esteemed these sources may be infe 
erence c. 422 to ‘‘ those very learned masters, Avicenna, Galienus, Serap! ‘op 
des.’’ The bulk of matter transcribed in these chapters is very largely fro 
and Plateario. 
