Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-17

: - = - ~ = = 49, -. -
way, was used until the nineteenth
century. The ".theriac'' compounded
| by Andromachus was OF 81 constitu-
ents, dried ladders being among them.
But the dried adders were not the
only queer ingredients OF Roman
describes as "loathy. as bugs and CEN
tipedes." Xcnocrates recommended
human brains and flesh and liver and
blood as cures. although there vas
formal prohibition against.
Some so-called cures. being particular
~ nauseous, were reserved for sex
tons, mowers and people of no stand
ing, who were no better than donkeys
and might be similarly treated"
1t was the idea Of the time that the
dearest stuffs We're the most ef1icaci-
Gus. As the rich would have nothing
cheap. the apothecary did profitable
business with them.
Modern prescriptions are written in
drugstore Latin and sometimes in il
legible script that allows the druggist's
clerk play for his. creative genius, but
as Latin was the language of the an
cient Romans the doctors had to use
other means. The processes of popu-
lar drugs were kept secret One man
found in an Inheritance a parchment
book containing a remedy for prenia-
turc badness expressed in such sym
bolic language that even Galen had
trouble to guess its meaning. Anoth-
er man had a popular and profitable
remedy for pains In the breast, but he
prepared it behind locked doors and
had his assistants pound up lot OF
unnecessary powders In order to con-
found them.
There was a curiously modern sound
about some of the names affixed to
successful remedies. One was "a
drug Of Berytus, used by Strato for
watery eyes. instantaneous" another
was Eye salve tried by Forus on An.
tonia after the other doctors had near
~ blinded her.; again. For scabs.
Pamphilus found il very profitable in
Ron e when scab on the chin was rag
ing; ointment for govt. made TOR
patroclus. imperial freedman-safe
cure: Ointment 0he expensive) for
Pompeius Sabinus, for diseases OF the
hip. govt, trembling and nerves" 9th
ers were given breakfast food names,
so to speak, as "Ambrosia,' "Nectafi-
um,"' "Anicetum," Phoenix" Swan"
There are no pure-drug act in those
days, despite the great need. Many
doctors bought plasters and drugs
ready made and the dealers themselves
were victims of the collectors Of herbs
who brought the saps, flowers. roots
and sprouts into the towns. Pure ma
terials were hard to get. It was con-
sidered best to secure, If possible. sup
plies for ones whole lifetime from re-
liable friends in various lands. Galen
describes the journey he made far
afield to get the right materials for his
drugs.
Magic was inextricably mixed. up
with the theories of many doctors.
though of not all, and so many things
We're different in those days that it Is
easy to pick out a list of queer things
sufficient to make the whole profession
of Roman physicians look absurd. II
is easy but not scientific to judge all
by the worst and least progressive of
their class, and very likely there were
physicians and surgeons
who performed delicate operations and
got good results from their medicines.
In the matter of queerness many of
the Roman cures" were no more
strange than some Of those IN use to-
day. -.. a
Nevertheless, Pliny said of famous
of his time: THE, pa
ticnts were their pawns; the sickbed
the scene of their independent quarrel
ihgs: the tombstone which says that
death was due to too many doctors
science. Any voluble person has pow
ers of life and death over us, just as
though thousands of peoples did not
live on without doctorine. as Rome did
for GOO years.--Chicago News.