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CHAP. 90.—REMEDIES FOR FEMALE DISEASES.

One great remedy for all female diseases in common, is the black seed of the herbaceous plant pæonia,1 taken in hydro- mel: the root also is an effectual emmenagogue. Seed of panaces,2 mixed with wormwood, acts as an emmenagogue and as a sudorific: the same, too, with scordotis,3 taken internally or applied topically. Betony, in doses of one drachma to three cyathi of wine, is taken for various affections of the uterus, as also directly after child-birth. Excessive menstruation is arrested by a pessary of achillea,4 or else a sitting-bath composed of a decoction of that plant. Seed of henbane in wine is used as a liniment for diseases of the mamillæ, and the root is employed in the form of a plaster for uterine affections; chelidonia,5 too, is applied to the mamillæ.

Roots of panaces,6 applied as a pessary, bring away the after-birth and the dead fœtus, and the plant itself, taken in wine, or used as a pessary with honey, acts as a detergent upon the uterus. Polemonia,7 taken in wine, brings away the after-birth; used as a fumigation, it is good for suffocations of the uterus. Juice of the smaller centaury,8 taken in drink, or employed as a fomentation, acts as an emmenagogue. The root also of the larger centaury, similarly used, is good for pains in the uterus; scraped and used as a pessary, it expels the dead fœtus. For pains of the uterus, plantago9 is applied as a pessary, in wool, and for hysterical suffocations, it is taken in drink. But it is dittany that is of the greatest efficacy in cases of this description; it acts as an emmenagogue, and is an expellent of the fœtus when dead or lying transversely in the uterus. In these cases the leaves of it are taken, in doses of one obolus, in water: indeed so active is it in its effects that ordinarily it is forbidden to be introduced into the chamber of a woman lying-in. Not only is it thus efficacious when taken in drink, but even when applied topically or used as a fumiga- tion. Pseudodictamnum10 possesses pretty nearly the same virtues, but it acts as an emmenagogue also, boiled in doses of one denarius in unmixed wine. Aristolochia,11 however, is employed for a greater number of purposes: in combination with myrrh and pepper, either taken in drink or used as a pessary, it acts as a powerful emmenagogue, and brings away the dead fœtus and the after-birth. This plant, the smaller kind in particular, used either as a fomentation, fumigation, or pessary, acts as a preventive of procidence of the uterus.

Hysterical suffocations and irregularities of the catamenia are treated with agaric, taken in doses of three oboli, in one cyathus of old wine: vervain is used also in similar cases, as a pessary, with fresh hog's lard; or else antirrhinum,12 with rose oil and honey. Root of Thessalian nymphæa,13 used as a pessary, is curative of pains in the uterus; taken in red wine, it arrests uterine discharges. Root of cyclaminos,14 on the other hand, taken in drink and employed as a pessary, acts as an emmenagogue: a decoction of it, used as a sitting-bath, cures affections of the bladder. Cissanthemos,15 taken in drink, brings away the after-birth, and is curative of diseases of the. uterus. The upper part of the root of xiphion,16 taken in doses of one drachma, in vinegar, promotes menstruation. A fumigation of burnt peucedanum17 has a soothing effect in cases of hysterical suffocation. Psyllion,18 taken in the proportion of one drachma to three cyathi of hydromel, is particularly good for promoting the lochial discharge. Seed of mandragora,19 taken in drink, acts as a detergent upon the uterus; the juice, employed in a pessary, promotes menstruation and expels the dead fetus. The seed of this plant, used with live sulphur,20 arrests menstruation when in excess; while batrachion,21 on the other hand, acts as an emmenagogue. This last plant is either used as an article of food, or is taken in drink: in a raw state, as already stated,22 it has a burning flavour; but when cooked, the taste of it is greatly improved by the addition of salt, oil, and cummin. Daucus,23 taken in drink, promotes the catamenia, and is an expellent of the after-birth in a very high degree. Ladanum,24 used as a fumigation, acts as a corrective upon the uterus, and is employed topically for pains and ulcerations of that organ.

Scammony, taken in drink or used as a pessary, is an expellent of the dead fœtus. Either kind of hypericon,25 used as a pessary, promotes menstruation: but for this purpose it is crethmos,26 according to Hippocrates, that is the most efficacious, the seed or root of it being taken in wine.27 of the outer coat brings away the after-birth. This plant, taken in water, is good for hysterical suffocations; root of geranion28 also, which is peculiarly useful for the after-birth, and for inflation of the uterus. Hippuris,29 taken in drink or applied as a pessary, acts as a detergent upon the uterus: polygonos,30 taken in drink, promotes menstruation; and the sane with root of alcima.31 Leaves of plantago,32 and agaric in hydromel, have a similar effect. Artemisia,33 bruised and applied as a pessary, with oil of iris,34 figs, or myrrh, is curative of diseases of the uterus; the root, too, of this plant, taken in drink, is so strongly purgative as to expel the dead fœtus even. A decoction of the branches, used as a sitting-bath, promotes menstruation and brings away the after-birth; the same, too, with the leaves, taken in doses of one drachma in drink. The leaves, if applied to the lower regions of the abdomen with barley-meal, will prove equally efficacious.

Acoron35 is very useful for internal complaints of females; as also the two varieties of conyza,36 and crethmos.37 Either kind of anthyllis,38 taken in wine, is remarkably good for uterine affections, griping pains in that organ, and retardations of the after-birth. Callithrix,39 applied as a fomentation, is curative of affections of the vagina: it removes scaly eruptions40 also of the head, and, beaten up in oil, it stains the hair. Geranion,41 taken in white wine, or hypocisthis42 in red, arrests all uterine discharges. Hyssop modifies hysterical suffocations. Root of vervain, taken in water, is a most excellent remedy for all accidents incident to, or consequent upon, delivery. Some persons mix bruised cypress seed with peucedanum43 in red wine. Seed, too, of psyllion,44 boiled in water and taken warm, has a soothing effect upon all defluxions of the uterus. Symphyton,45 bruised in wine, promotes menstruation. Juice of scordotis,46 in the proportion of one drachma to four cyathi of hydromel, accelerates delivery. Leaves of dittany are given for the same purpose, in water, with remarkable success. It is a well-known fact, too, that these leaves, to the extent of a single obolus even, will bring away the fœtus instantaneously, even when dead, without the slightest inconvenience to the patient. Pseudodictamnum47 is productive of a somewhat similar effect, but not in so marked a degree: cyclaminos,48 too, attached as an amulet; cissanthemos,49 taken in drink; and powdered betony, in hydromel.

1 See B. xxv. c, 10.

2 See B. xxv. c. 11, et seq.

3 See B. xxv. c. 27.

4 See B. xxv. c. 19.

5 See B. xxv. c. 50.

6 See B. xxv. c. 11, et seq.

7 See B. xxv. c. 28.

8 See B. xxv. c. 31.

9 See B. xxv. c. 39.

10 "Bastard dittany." See B. xxv. c. .53.

11 S B. xxv. c. 54.

12 See B. xxv. c. 80.

13 See B. xxv. c. 37.

14 See B. xxv. c. 67.

15 See B. xxv. c. 68.

16 See B. xxv. c. 88.

17 See B. xxv. c 70.

18 See B. xxv. c. 90

19 See B. xv. c. 94.

20 See B. xxxv. c. 50.

21 See B. xxv. c. 109.

22 In B. xxv. c. 109.

23 See B. xxv. c. 64.

24 See B. xii. c. 37, and c. 30 of this Book.

25 See Chapters 53 and 54 of this Book.

26 See B. xxv. c. 96.

27 Probably the word "juice," or "decoction," is lost here.

28 See c. 68 of this Book.

29 See Chapters 20 and 83 of this Book.

30 See B. xxvii. c. 91.

31 The same as "Alcea" probably; see Chapters 79 and 81 of this Book. Also B. xxvii. c. 6.

32 See B. xxv. c. 39.

33 See B. xxv. c. 36.

34 See B. xiii. c. 2, and B. xxi. cc. 19. 83.

35 See B. xxv. c. 100.

36 See B. xxi. c. 29.

37 See B. xxv. c. 96.

38 See B. xxi. c. 103.

39 See B. xxii. c. 30, and B. xxv. c. 86.

40 "Albugines."

41 See c. 68 of this Book.

42 See c. 31 of this Book.

43 See B. xxv. c. 70.

44 See B. xxv. c. 90.

45 See B. xxvii. c. 24.

46 See B. xxv. c. 27.

47 See B. xxv. c. 63.

48 See B. xxv. c. 67.

49 See B. xxv. c. 68.

The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.

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