Volume 1
A medicinal dictionary; including physic, surgery, anatomy, chymistry, and botany, in all their branches relative to medicine. Together with a history of drugs ... and an introductory preface, tracing the progress of physic, and explaining the theories which have ... prevail'd in all ages / By R. James.
- James, R. (Robert), 1703?-1776.
- Date:
- 1743-1745
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A medicinal dictionary; including physic, surgery, anatomy, chymistry, and botany, in all their branches relative to medicine. Together with a history of drugs ... and an introductory preface, tracing the progress of physic, and explaining the theories which have ... prevail'd in all ages / By R. James. Source: Wellcome Collection.
419/1128 (page 409)
![Egyptian the beft, and next that the Melian (that got in Melos). And in his Treatife on the Difeafes of Women, Lib. i. he orders burnt Alum as an Ingredient in an Application he di¬ rects for Ulcers ot the Uterus. And alterwards in the fame Treatife he advifes Egyptian Alum, with fome other Ingredi¬ ents, to be moiften’d with Goofe Greafe, and then with Wool to be made into a Peflary, and apply’d to the Os Uteri, with a View of promoting Fecundity. And in his Epidemics, Lib. i. he alfo advifes Egyptian Alum as a beneficial Application in painful Tumors ot the Gums. Celfus, Lib. 6. Cap. 19. recommends Melian Alum pre¬ pared in the following manner, as an effectual Application to Ulcers of the Fingers, which the Greeks call mi^yia.- Melt round Melian Alum in Water, till it acquires the Confiftence of Honey3 then mix with it a Quantity of Honey, equal in Weight to the Alum when dry, and ftir them about with a Spatula, till the Mixture is of a Saffron Colour. With this anoint the Ulcers. The Accounts of Alum we have from Diofcorides, Pliny, Oribanus and Adtius, are as follows: Almoft every Kind of Alum is found in Egypt, and among the fame Metals; for the Scijfile Alum is, as it were, the Flower of the Bolar. It is alfo produced in other Places, as in Melos, Macedonia, Lipara, Sardinia, Hierapolis in Phrygia, Libya, Armenia, and many other Countries, as well as Oker. There are very many Species of Alum 3 but the mod fervice- able for medicinal Purpofes, are the Scijjile, the Rounds and the Liquid3 and of thefe the beft is the Scijjile. Again, of this Scijfile Alum, the molt valuable is what is frefh, very white, free from Gravel, fmells ftrong, and is of an extraordinary Aftringency5 fuch as lies not dole compaded like a Clod, nor falls abroad into thin Slices like Chips: but when broken into Bits, and pulled afunder, runs out into Filaments, like grey Hairs. Such is the Sort called Trichites, [hairy] which grows in Egypt. There is a Stone very like this Alum, but diftinguifn’d from it by its Tafte, which has nothing of Aftringency. The round Species, that is fa&itious, is to be refufed as good for nothin? 5 you may know it by the Figure. Chufe what,has its Roundnefs from Nature, is lull of Bubbles, is of a white Colour, and powerfully aftringent; and has, befides thefe Properties, a fort of Palenefs, and is fomewhat fat, and comes from Aides or Egypt* The liquid Kind ought to be quite pellucid, milky, limple, and of equal Liquidnefs in all its Parts, clear of . Sand or Gravel, and exhaling a Warmth as from a Fire. Thefe Alums are of a heating and aftringent Nature, and have the Virtue of cleanfing the Eye, and clearing it of what¬ ever darkens the Pupil, and alfo of confuming flelhy or other Excrefcencies that grow about the Eyelids. The Sciftile is more to be valued than the Round. They are burnt or roafted like Chalcitis. They reftrain the Putrefaction of Ulcers, and flop Haemorrhages. They comprefs the flaccid Gums, and fallen loofe Teeth, if ufed with Vinegar or Honey 5 mixed with Honey, they cure the Aphthae3 ufed with the Juice of Knot- grafs, they are good for Exanthemata and Rheums in the Ears. With Cabbage Leaves, or boil’d Honey, they are effectual in the Leprofy 3 and are good in warm Water to make a Fomen¬ tation for the Itch, Paranychia, Pterygia, and Kibes. Mix’d with Lees of Vinegar and burnt Galls, of each an equal Quan¬ tity, they are good to anoint phagedenic Ulcers 3 and with a double Quantity of Salt reftrain the fpreading of Nomse. Mix’d with Ervum and liquid Pitch, they abfterge all Kinds of Scurf anointed with them 3 and, ufed in Water, fcour away all Nits and Lice, and are good for Scalds or Burns. They are ufed to anoint cedematous Tumours, and to take off the rank Smell of the Alas and Pudenda. What comes from Aielos promotes Conception in Women, Try tTk avdoH ora^-Tidiiaa, ad 5-o[xa]t ™ Cdi&s, and expels the Fcetus. In fhort, the Alums are, all of them, proper for Excrefcences of the Gums, and for the Uvas and Tonfillai 3 and alfo for the Mouth, Ears, and Pudenda When ufed with Honey to anoint the Parts. Diofcorides, Lib. 5. Cap. 123. Alum is fuppofed to be a faline Humour of the Earth [ fal- fugo Terra]. There are feveral Kinds of it: In Cyprus they have the White and the Black, where the Difference in Colour ts mconftderable, but in the Ufe very remarkable ; for the White and Liquid are very ufeful in dying Wool of a bright Colour 3 and the Black, on the contrary, in giving it a lad and dark one 5 the latter is alfo ferviceable in refining Gold ?Tis all, however, generated of Water and Mud, that is, from the Nature of the Exfudation of the Earth. What the Winter brings together by uniting Streams, is maturated by the Summer buns, and what comes to Perfection fooneft, is the whiteft. It is produced in Spain, Egypt, Armenia, Macedonia, Pontus Africa, and the Ill and s of' Sardinia, Melos, Lipara, and Strongyle. The choiceft is to be had in Egypt, the next in Melos. There are two Kinds of this, namely, the Liquid and fhe bolld > the is prefumed to be good, if it be limpid, and have a Milkinefs, may be rubbed without emitting an oftenfive Vapour but a fort of fiery Sparkles, with a fenhble Heat: This tiiey call Phorimon, [ufefulj and try whether it be adulterated bv the Juice of a Pomegranate, which turns the true Alum black. There is another Kind* which is pale and rough, and dy’d with Galls 3 for which Reafon they call itParapborcn [good for nothing]. The liquid Alum is of an aftringent, hardening, and corroding Quality. Mixed with Honey, it heals Ulcers in the Mouth, Pimples* and Itching. For thefe Purpofes, they mix two Parts of Honey with one Part of Alum, and manage the Cure in a Bath. It is taken in Pills for Diforders of the Spleen, and to remove an Itching, and for pilling of Blood. Adixed with Nitre and wild Fennel Flowers, it cures the Itch. T here is one Kind of concrete Alum, which the Greeks call Schijlon, that cleaves, and when pulled afunder, runs into a fort of grey. Hairs, whence fome chufe to call it Trichitisi I his is made out of a Stone, whence it is called Chalcitis, fo that it is a fort of a Sweat of this Stone coagulated into a fpu- meous Subftance; A his Kind is drving, and not fo aftringent as the othei 3 but it is very proper for the Ears, either put into them, or the Part anointed 3 and alfo for Ulcerations of the Mouth, and for the Teeth, if the Spittle be retained with it. It is alfo an Ingredient in Collyria, and Medicines adapted to the Pudenda of both Sexes. They boil it in Pans till it will 'melt no longer. There is another Kind, of an inferior Nature, which they call Strongyle, round. Of this there aretwoSorts, the Fungous, which readily imbibes Moifture, and is counted good for nothing ; and the Pumicous, which is better than the other, and lax and porous like a Sponge, naturally round, bearing pretty much upon the White, has a fort of b atnefs, is friable without Sandi- nefs, and will not give a black Colour. They burn it by itfelf, over a clear h ire, till it turns to Afhes. All the Kinds of Alum are of an aftringent Quality, from whence they have their Greek Name. Pliny, Lib. 25. Cap. 15. ' All forts of Alum have a remarkable Tartnefs, and are of grofs Parts 3 the fineft is the Sciflile, and next to this the Round, and the Aftragaline. The Liquid confifts of Parts remarkablv grofs, as well as that Sort called Placitis, and the P lint hit is. Oribaf Med. Col. 15. Cap. 1. All Alums are extremely aftringent, drying, and conglu- tinating: the fineft is the Scijjile 3 it is ufually added to other ngredients in Aledicines after they are boiled 3 for there is no Rule to dired us in the boiling of it. When it changes Co¬ lour, it commonly takes a Green. JEtius Tetr.A.. Serm. 2. Cat 25. P. 697. C. . There are three Sorts of Alum Commonly ufed ; the firft is the J Alumen rupeum, Offic. Aiumen rupeum five Cryjlallinum, Ind. Med. 7. Alumen faditium, Mer. Pin. 217. Alumen, Schw. 362. Alumen faditium pcllucidum. Calc. Muf, 169. Alumen rupeum candidum & pellucidum, Aldrov. Muf. Aletalh 334. Commune vulgo, COMMON ALUM. Dale. A he fecond SortofAIum is the Alumen Rochi Galhs, Offic. Alumen Romanum five rubrum, Ind. Med. 7. Alumen Rocha, Aldrov. Muf. Metall. 3-22. orm. 23. Alumen rupeum feu Rocha, Charlt. Foff. o. Alumen faditium ex praduro lapide fubrubro confedum, Calck Aluf. 169. Alumen Romanum quibujaam. ROCH-ALUAL L is like the common Alum, only of a pale-red Colour. We have it imported from Italy, Smyrna, See. They make it after the fame manner as they do the common Alum, but with¬ out the Addition of Urine and Kali, as I am informed by a Letter from the learned Dr. Tunered Robinfon, M. D. It agrees in Virtues with the preceding. Dale. The third Sort of Alum is foe Alumen plumafum, Offic. Ind. Med. 7. Alumen plumeum fue TnJutes, Schrod. 3.477. Alumen plumee, quad SciJTile Latims, Aldrov. Muf. Metall. 331. PLUMOSE or FFA THER’D ALUM. Dale. ’ °r It is fometimes called Alumen Iamenum. Alumen Catenum is a Name for the Cinures clavellati, Pot-afti. In order to the undei ftanding what the. modern Alum, which we make ufe of, is, with Exadnefs, it will beneceffary to give an Account of its Production 3 and by this it will appear, that our Alum differs confiderably from the Alum of the Antients • fpr theirs was found naturally, without the Help of Art, where¬ as ours is factitious, and confifts of other Ingredients’ befides the concreted Juice, which the Antients called Alum’ Alum is made of a Stone, of Sea-weed and Urine. The Stone is found .in moft of the Hills between Scarborough and the River of Tees, in foe County of York 3 as alfo near Prefon m LancaJhire. It is of a bluifo Colour, and will ejeave like Lornijh Slate. The Mine, which lies deep in the Earth, and is indifferently well moirten d with Springs, is the beft. The dry Mine is not good 3 and too much Moifture cankers and corrupts the Stone, making it nitrous. In this Mine are found feveral Veins of Stone call’d Doggers, of the fame Colour, but not fo good. Here are alfo found thofe, that are commonly call’d Snake Stones: The People have a A radition, that the Country thereabouts being very much annoyed with Snakes, by the Prayers of St. Hilda, there inhabiting,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30455625_0001_0420.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
