N. 17

A slave girl, although having always been skinny and meager, became like a skeleton because she emaciated entirely. She ate and drank very well and never complained. A few times I purged her and I gave her an elixir of saffron, aloe and myrrh on a daily base. Since I feared that she might get diarrhea, I prescribed recipe 7 (prescription 7) of which I gave her half a dose everyday. But I did not see any improvements and she passed away on the 20th of this month.

Prescription 7

R/ Misce fac conditum [mix and make a viscous potion] in the morning and evening ʒ I in case of dysentery.

• Conserva rosarum rubrarum [rose hip conserve; against scurvy]: ℥ I
• Diascordium Fracastorii [diascord, is a kind of electuary, or opiate, first described by Fracastorius, and denominated from the dried leaves of scordium, which is an ingredient therein]: ℥ß
• Balzamum copaivae [copaiba is a certain Surinam type of wood; used in case of syphilis]: ʒ VI
• Sanguis draconis [dragon’s blood; a bright red resin that is obtained from different species of a number of distinct plant genera: Croton, Dracaena, Daemonorops, Calamus rotang and Pterocarpus; styptic]
• Pulvis cornu cervi usti [powder of burnt cornu-cervi]: ana ʒ III
• Laudanum opiatum [opium drops, analgetic]: gr: VIII
• Oleum menthae [mint oil]: gutta, plural guttaedropguttae X

• ℈ scruple = 20 grain, so approximately 1,3 g
• ʒ drachma = 3 scruple, so approximately 4 g
• ℥ uncia = ounce = 8 drachmae, so approximately 31 g
• ß = ½ of the given amount
• āā en ān: and ānn = ana (Gr.) take an equal amount of all