Dioscorides

Pedanius Dioscorides of Anazarbus in Cilicia, a Greek physician who traveled widely, perhaps with the Roman army. His five books On Medical Material describe some six hundred plants and many animal and mineral drugs, each with its names, appearance, preparation, and uses. Copied, illustrated, translated, and commented on without a break, it remained the foundation of pharmacy into the seventeenth century, and gives this database its name.

57 Entries in the Materia Medica

1. A
   AlkanetAlkanna tinctoria (syn. Anchusa tinctoria). A Mediterranean relative of borage, grown for
2. B
   BorageBorago officinalis.
3. C
   CalamineZinc carbonate and zinc oxide.
4. C
   CantharidesThe dried blister beetle Lytta vesicatoria.
5. C
   Caraway brothA broth of caraway seed, Carum carvi.
6. C
   CardamomElettaria cardamomum, of the ginger family, whose seeds come in pale three-sided pods from
7. C
   Caterpillar fungusA fungus that fills and kills the buried larvae of ghost moths on the Tibetan plateau, sen
8. C
   ChamomileMatricaria chamomilla.
9. C
   Chaste treeVitex agnus-castus, a Mediterranean shrub with spikes of lilac flowers and peppery fruit.
10. C
    CinquefoilPotentilla reptans.
11. C
    ColtsfootTussilago farfara.
12. C
    ComfreySymphytum officinale.
13. C
    Coral, redPrecious red coral, Corallium rubrum, of the western Mediterranean, prepared as powder.
14. C
    Crow’s gallThe bile of a crow.
15. C
    Cuttlefish boneThe chalky internal shell of the cuttlefish, washed up on beaches.
16. E
    EyebrightEuphrasia officinalis and relatives.
17. F
    FeverfewTanacetum parthenium.
18. F
    FrankincenseThe resin of Boswellia sacra and related trees.
19. G
    GingerThe rhizome of Zingiber officinale.
20. G
    Glass powderPowdered glass.
21. G
    Ground cherryPhysalis, the ground cherries: nightshades whose five-cleft calyx swells after the flower
22. H
    HempCannabis sativa.
23. H
    HenbaneHyoscyamus niger, of the nightshade family.
24. H
    HyssopHyssopus officinalis; the hyssop of Scripture was probably a wild marjoram, Origanum syria
25. I
    Isinglass
26. I
    IvaAjuga iva; see Arthritica.
27. L
    LavenderLavandula angustifolia and French lavender, L. stoechas.
28. L
    LicoriceThe root of Glycyrrhiza glabra.
29. M
    MadderRubia tinctorum. A scrambling perennial grown since antiquity for the red dye in its root.
30. M
    MandrakeMandragora officinarum and its relatives, of the nightshade family.
31. M
    Marjoram and jasmineSweet marjoram, Origanum majorana; jasmine, Jasminum officinale.
32. M
    MasticThe resin of Pistacia lentiscus, gathered almost only on the Greek island of Chios, in pal
33. M
    Meadow saffronColchicum autumnale.
34. M
    Melon rootRoot of the melon plant, Cucumis melo.
35. M
    MulleinVerbascum thapsus.
36. O
    Opium poppyPapaver somniferum; opium is the dried latex of its unripe seed heads.
37. O
    OracheAtriplex hortensis, garden orache, a spinach-like plant.
38. O
    Oregano and squinanthOregano, Origanum vulgare; squinanth, Cymbopogon schoenanthus, a relative of lemongrass.
39. O
    OrrisThe dried root of Iris germanica ‘Florentina’ and I. pallida.
40. O
    Ox eyeProbably Buphthalmum salicifolium, yellow ox-eye; some read it as the ox-eye daisy, Leucan
41. O
    Oxymel, and oxymel of squillHoney boiled with vinegar; the squill version adds the bulb of sea squill.
42. R
    RhubarbThe root of Chinese rhubarb, Rheum officinale and R. palmatum, long brought to Europe over
43. R
    RocketEruca vesicaria, salad rocket.
44. R
    RoseChiefly the red or apothecary’s rose, Rosa gallica, and the damask rose, Rosa × damascena,
45. R
    RosemarySalvia rosmarinus (formerly Rosmarinus officinalis).
46. R
    RueRuta graveolens, garden rue.
47. S
    SaffronThe stigmas of Crocus sativus.
48. S
    Sorrel, syrup ofProbably the syrupus acetosus of the pharmacopoeias, syrup of vinegar, which the London Di
49. S
    SouthernwoodArtemisia abrotanum, “lad’s love.”
50. S
    SquillSea squill, Drimia maritima and its close relatives, large bulbs of the Mediterranean coas
51. S
    St. John’s wortHypericum perforatum.
52. S
    Storax calamiteThe resin of Styrax officinalis, packed in reeds (calami) for export.
53. V
    ValerianValeriana officinalis; the root is used.
54. V
    VerdigrisCopper acetate, the green rust of copper.
55. V
    Vine ashAsh of burnt vine wood.
56. W
    Walnut, middle bark ofThe inner bark of Juglans regia.
57. W
    Wormwood, oil ofArtemisia absinthium.

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