Diamoschu, sweet

Statema, B. C. P.

Compound

Diamoschu, sweet

Diamoscho dolce

Known today as: A cordial powder of musk with saffron, aloeswood, coral, pearls, and spices.
Kind: Compound, in 2 older authorities
Constituents: muscone, amber, pearl and coral, and 2 more
Earliest authority here: Mesue (11th–13th century)
In the Canale glossary: On the Manner of Discerning and Healing the Bewitched, Appendix A: Part Three, Chapter 6: Remedies Given by Mouth After the Purge

Revised October 3, 2026: Tradition, lore, modern assessment, and sources extended. Checked against its sources, each read in full, in part, or in its abstract. Version 1, first published September 25, 2026.

Diamoschu, sweet: what did Canale use it for?

In a powder and in morsels (ch. 6).

Diamoschu, sweet: what does modern science say?

Aromatic. Its pearls and coral are calcium carbonate, an antacid; the rest is perfume and spice.

Pharmacognosy & Toxicology

Constituents

muscone ChEMBLthe musk
amberwhite amber
pearl and coralcalcium carbonate
saffron, cloves, nutmeg, galangalthe aromatics
sugar

Mechanism

Mesue’s sweet electuary of musk, later made up with sugar: an aromatic sweet with pearls and coral that are calcium carbonate, an antacid. Nutmeg taken in small amounts as a spice has no noticeable effect; in large doses it can bring delirium.

Toxic dose

Culpeper gave half a dram or two scruples of the powder, or less, by age and strength; of Mesue’s electuary, two drams, in the morning fasting.

Standing

In the London Pharmacopoeia of 1653.

Culpeper, N. (1653). Pharmacopoeia Londinensis, “Diamoschu dulce.” Read in part · the text read

Constituent names open the compound’s record at PubChem, and “ChEMBL” beside a name opens its record at ChEMBL, the European Bioinformatics Institute’s database of bioactive molecules. Where a mechanism line was checked against ChEMBL (ChEMBL 37, read 1 October 2026), the check is shown with the measured value and its source paper, or says plainly that nothing has been measured. Doses are as the references give them, for description only; this is not medical advice. Each source carries the result of its check against Crossref, PubMed, or the authority’s page: see Verification.

Diamoschu, sweet: what lore surrounds it?

Mesue had it made up with honey into an electuary, Culpeper reports, and Mesue’s Italian editor of 1589 notes that it was by then made in solid form with sugar.

The Recipe

The recipe: 6 ingredients, each linked to its entry. For Club members. Create a free account or sign in.

Diamoschu, sweet: what did the older authorities say?

Mesue: Gives the sweet electuary of musk (confectio de musco dulcis) and its bitter form: musk with saffron, aloeswood, pearls, burnt raw silk, amber, red coral, ginger, cubebs, and long pepper, made up with raw honey, for palpitation of the heart, melancholy and sadness without cause, and diseases of the brain such as vertigo and epilepsy; the bitter form adds wormwood, roses, aloes, castoreum, lovage, and cinnamon.
The cordial powders: These cordials, with their pearls and gems, were for the great: Mesue says that kings and great masters used his electuary of gems, which he tried for trembling of the heart, fainting, and sadness without cause; and Canale prescribes them to a patient whose heart the spirits have oppressed.

Sources

[28] Culpeper, N. (1653). Pharmacopœia Londinensis, or, The London Dispensatory [the Royal College of Physicians’ pharmacopoeia in English, with Culpeper’s commentary]. London: Peter Cole. Text Creation Partnership edition A35381. Read in part · the text read

Mesue, Grabadin. Read in part · the text read
Wikipedia, “Musk,” en.wikipedia.org (read 2 October 2026). Read in part · the text read
Wikipedia, “Nutmeg,” en.wikipedia.org (read 2 October 2026). Read in full · the text read
Wikipedia, “Pearl,” en.wikipedia.org (read 2 October 2026). Read in part · the text read
Wikipedia, “Precious coral,” en.wikipedia.org (read 2 October 2026). Read in full · the text read
Wikipedia, “Calcium carbonate,” en.wikipedia.org (read 2 October 2026). Read in part · the text read

Verification

Checked

October 1, 2026, and October 3, 2026

Passes

Every sentence read against its sources, in the pass over the remaining 343 entries
The Standing line checked against the authority it names (EMA, WHO, FDA, CITES, Commission E)
Every dated or regulatory claim checked by category across the database
Every source read, in full, in part, or in its abstract, and every sentence checked against what was read (October 3, 2026)

Sources

8 cited: 2 read in full, 6 read in part.

Corrections

None were needed.

What was checked, how, and what was found is set out on the Verification page. A checked source is one whose record was found; it does not make the entry medical advice.

Cite This Entry

Version 1 · first published September 25, 2026 · last revised October 3, 2026

Chicago: “Diamoschu, sweet.” In Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1. The Thinking Press, 2026–. Last modified October 3, 2026. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/diamoschu-sweet.
MLA: “Diamoschu, sweet.” Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema, version 1, The Thinking Press, 3 Oct. 2026, thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/diamoschu-sweet. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.
APA: Diamoschu, sweet. (2026, October 3). In B. C. P. Statema (Ed.), Materia medica (Version 1). The Thinking Press. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/diamoschu-sweet

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