Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1921. 
Notes  on  Ancient  Medicine. 
787 
Bawm  was  considered  to  "help  concoction,  to  cleanse  the  braine, 
expell  all  careful  thoughts  and  anxious  imaginations." 
Milady  Nicotine  comes  in  for  extended  consideration :  "To- 
bacco, divine,  rare,  superexcellent  tobacco,  which  goes  so  far  be- 
yond their  panaceas,  potable  gold  and  philosopher's  stones,  a  sovrain 
remedy  to  all  diseases.  A  good  vomit  (emetic)  I  confess,  a  vertuous 
herb',  if  it  be  well  qualified,  opportunely  taken,  and  medicinally 
used  ■  but  as  it  is  commonly  abused  by  most  men  which  take  it  as  tink- 
ers do  ale,  'tis  a  plague,  a  mischief,  a  violent  purger  of  goods,  lands, 
health — hellish,  divelish,  and  damned  tobacco,  the  mine  and  over- 
throw of  body  and  soul." 
German  f rightfulness  pales  into  insignificance  before  the  story  of 
Solon  who,  while  laying  siege  to  a  certain  city,  "steeped  heTlebor  in 
a  spring  of  water  which  by  pipes  was  conveyed  into  the  town,  and 
so  poysoned  or  else  made  so  feeble  and  weak  by  purging  that  they 
were  not  able  to  bear  arms."  Paracelsus  also  speaks  of  this  drug1 
and  admired  particularly  the  extract  which  he  called,  "The  sole  and 
last  refuge  to  cure  this  malady,  the  gout,  leprosy,  etc." 
If  it  wTere  desired  to  marshal  authorities  on  the  use  of  wine  in 
medicine,  the  ancient  literature  contains  much  material  both  for 
and  against,  though  the  objections  were  chiefly  against  excesses. 
Rhasis  knew  no  better  physic  for  a  melancholy  man  and  "he  that 
can  keep  company  and  carous  needs  no  other  medicine."  Avicienna, 
also  an  Arabian,  goes  further  and  advises  the  melancholy  patient  to 
drink  and  to  "now  and  then  be  drunk;  excellent  good  physick  it  is 
for  this  and  many  other  diseases." 
Another  testimonial,  this  time  to  the  efficacy  of  borage  wine, 
will  conclude  this  section:  "My  conscience  bears  me  witness  that  I 
do  not  lye.  I  saw  a  grave  matron  helped  by  this  means;  she  was 
cholerick  and  so  furious  sometimes,  that  she  was  almost  mad  and 
beside  herself ;  she  said  and  did  she  knew  not  what,  scolded,  beat 
her  maids,  and  was  now  ready  to  be  bound,  'till  she  drank  ^f  this 
borage  wine  and  by  this  excellent  remedy  was  cured  which  a  poor 
forrainer,  a  silly  beggar,  taught  her  by  chance,  that  came  to  crave 
an  alms  from  door  to  door."  It  is  to  be  deplored  that  before  and 
after  taking  photographs  are  not  available  ! 
There  was  some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  value  of  precious 
stones  and  minerals,  and  their  application  to  the  prevention  and 
treatment  of  disease.   In  his  tract  against  Paracelsus,  Thomas  Eras- 
