Senna corymbosa (Lam.)H.S.Irwin&Barneby Caesalpinaceae. Argentine Senna. Distribution: Argentine (other species from Europe). This beautiful shrub that flowers from midsummer until the frosts of winter, is the source of one of the best known of all herbal medicines – Senokot (and senna pods and senna tea), introduced to European medicine (as Senna alexandrina from Egypt) by the Arabians. Every part of the plant contains anthraquinones which, if taken internally, act as a powerful laxative to treat constipation by stimulating the nerve cells of the large bowel. Gerard (1633) notes ‘it is a singular purging medicine’ with over a page on its uses. When used regularly the nerves to the large bowel may be destroyed, leaving a permanently dilated large bowel that never functions properly again. This is a plant which causes the condition it treats to become permanent. Additionally, with prolonged use, the lining of the bowel turns black, serum potassium levels may fall, resulting in cardiac irregularities and sometimes death. Coma, neuropathy and hepatitis have also been reported. It is advertised on television (the actor involved is seen to be depressed and bloated until she takes Senokot, after which she is happy - Hippocrates would have attributed this antidepressant effect to the plant's ability to purge her of the black melancholic humour present in her bowel motions). It is available without prescription or health warning against long-term use. What do you think? Lyte (1578) recommends it strongly for depression, but one might claim to be cured rather than take it again. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.

Apollonii Citiensis, Stephani, Palladii, Theophili, Meletii, Damascii, Ioannis, aliorum scholia in Hippocratem et Galenum e codicibus MSS. Vindobonens. Monacens. Florentin. Mediolanens. Escorialens., etc / Primum Graece edidit.

The treasuri of helth : contaynynge many profytable medicines / gathered out of Hipocratz, Galen & Avicen by one Petrus Hyspanus & translated into Englysh by Humfre Lloyd ... W[yth] the Aphorismes of Hipocrates, and Jacobus de Partybus ... wyth an Epistle of Diocles unto Kyng Antigonus.

Lettre d'Hypocrate a Damagette / Traduction.

De morbis libri IV. De passionibus libri II. De sacro morbo comitialive, liber I. De glandulis per omnia membra, liber I. De locis in homine, liber I. De specie, acie, visuve, liber I. De humoribus liber I. De mariscis et haemorrhoidibus liber I. De furore insaniave, liber I. De atrae bilis agitatione melancholiave, liber I / Interprete M. Fabio Calvo Ravennate.

Libri omnes, ad vetustos codices summo studio collati et restaurati / [Edited by Janus Cornarius].

Opera quae hactenus ad nos extant omnia / Per Janum Cornarium ... Latina lingua conscripta. Recens per nos cura exactiore castigata, mendisque nonnullis repurgata.

Opera quae feruntur omnia / recensuit Hugo Kuehlewein. Prolegomena conscripserunt Ionnes Ilberg et Hugo Kuehlewein, adnexa est tabula phototypa. v. 1-[2].

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