I.a drug, medicament, in a good and a bad sense, meaning both a healing substance, remedy, medicine, and, as also medicamentum and the Gr. φάρμακον, a poisonous drug, poison (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; only once in Cic.; cf., on the contrary, medicamentum).
I. Lit., a remedy, antidote, medicine: violentis medicaminibus curari, * Cic. Pis. 6, 13: “agrestia medicamina adhibent,” Tac. A. 12, 51: “facies medicaminibus interstincta,” plasters, id. ib. 4, 57: “medicamen habendum est,” Juv. 14, 254: “medicaminis datio vel impositio,” Cod. Just. 6, 23, 28: “potentia materni medicaminis,” Pall. 3, 28: “tantum (ejus) medicamina possunt quae steriles facit,” Juv. 6, 595.—
B. Trop., a remedy, antidote (poet.): “iratae medica mina fortia praebe,” Ov. A. A. 2, 489 sq.. quasso medicamina Imperio circumspectare, Sil. 15, 7, 1.—
II. Transf.
A. A poisonous drug, poison: “infusum delectabili cibo boletorum venenum, nec vim medicaminis statim mtellectam,” Tac. A. 12, 67: “noxium,” id. ib. 14, 51: “impura,” Flor. 2, 20, 7; Val. Fl. 8, 17.—
2. In partic., a paint, wash, cosmetic: est mihi, quo dixi vestrae medicamina formae, Parvus, sed cura grande libellus opus, i. e. the treatise Medicamina faciei, Ov. A. A. 3, 205: “facies medicamine attrita,” Petr. 126.—
C. In gen., an artificial means of improving a thing: “qui (caseus) exiguum medicaminis habet,” i. e. rennet, Col. 7, 8: “vitiosum, i. e. conditura,” id. 12, 20: “vina medicamine instaurare,” Plin. 14, 20, 25, § 126: “seminum,” i. e. manure, id. 17, 14, 22, § 99.
