Album Graecum, White Dog Dung

Zoological name:
Canine spp.

Parts used:

White sun-bleached Dog Dung

Temperature & Taste:

Warm, dry

Uses:

1. Resists Poison, Resolves Inflammation:
-Sore Throat, Tonsillitis as a gargle
-Swelling or falling down of the palate of the mouth (gargle)
-used as a plaster to the neck, also used in gargles, or the powder blown directly onto the throat

2. Clears Heat, Settles the Uterus:
-occasionally used for Uterine diseases and Hysteria

3. Externally:
-in enemas for Gravel and Stones
-topically to Sore Throat, Tonsillitis, Pleurisy
-“The ashes of the said Album Græcum, mixt with the Oil of Roses cures Warts being applied to them”. (Medicinalis Hibernica, K’eogh, 1739)

Dose:

Usually only used externally.

Preparation:

1. It can be heated to 100 degrees C in an oven for an hour to sterilize. This will thoroughly dry and facilitate powdering.

Main Combinations:

1. Swollen Sore Throat, Tonsillitis:
i. “Take the excrement of a dog which is white and containeth many bones, pound it and reduce it to a powder, and apply by blowing, or work it up in honey and administer it in the form of a gargle, or apply it with a feather‘. (Syrian “Book of Medicine“, trans. by Wallis Budge, 1913)
ii. Album Graceum in powder (1 oz.), Black Pepper (1 dram), Honey (qs to form an Electuary). A small spoonful is a dose.
iii. Album Graecum, Pill Millipedes, make a plaster with Hungary Water and apply. (Medicinalis Hibernica, K’eogh, 1739)
iv. Album Graecum in powder, Honey to make a plaster. Apply to the neck. (Wirtzung)
v. form a Plaster of equal parts of Swallow’s Nest and Album Graecum, boiled in water (or decoction) of Betony. (Hartman)
vi. a gargle: Columbines (2 handfuls), Elm inner rind (1 oz.), Jews Ear, Licorice, Album Graecum (½ oz. each). Boil in Water (2.5 pints) down to 26 oz. In the strained decoction dissolve Sal Ammoniac (2 drams), Syrup of Raspberry, Honey of Rose (3 oz. each). (Fullers Pharmacopeia)
vii. as a plaster, Album Graceum, Black Pepper (1 oz. each), Camphor (2 drams), Oil of Juniper (1 dram), Honey (qs) form a Cataplasm for topically application to the throat.
viii. Figs (4 oz.), Album Graecum (½ oz.), Flowers of Sulphur, Long Pepper (1 dram), Brandy (2 oz.), Wormwood Essential Oil (16 drops), formed into a Cataplasm with Diacodium or Honey. (Fullers Pharmacopeia)
ix. Swallows nest, Album Graecum, Marshmallow root, White Lily root, Figs, Dates. Boil in water to form a poultice, adding Oil of Violet, Fenugreek meal.
x. A gargle: Marshmallow root, Violet leaf, Hyssop, Sage, Album Graecum, Calendula. Boil in Water and Vinegar, then strain and add Rob of Elder or Honey to taste. (Mynsicht)
xi. Another gargle: Album Graecum, Licorice, Alum decocted in waters of Plantain, Rose, Mallow and Bugle. (Mynsicht)
xii. White Dog Dung burnt to ashes (1 oz.), Pepper (2 drams), Burnt Galls (1 oz.), Pomegranate rind (1 oz.), Ashes Jawbones of a Pig (1 oz.), Costus (½ oz.), Myrrh (½ oz.). Powder and blow onto the throat, or mix with Honey and apply with a feather. (Syrian “Book of Medicine“, trans. by Wallis Budge, 1913)
2. ‘Of swelling, and falling down of the Palate through Cold: take Long pepper (3 drams), Ginger (1½ drams), Album Graecum (1 dram), Alum (4 scruples), Sal Gem [Rock Salt] (½ dram) … abhore not the Dogs turd, for in this extremity it has a marvellous operation’. (Wirtzung)
3. Pleurisy, Album Graecum (1 oz.), Cumin (2 drams), Goose or Hen fat (2 oz.), Cabbage juice (sufficient to form a plaster). Spread on a Cabbage leaf and apply warm to the area. (The Secrets of Alexis, 1615)
4. ‘For the Womb’: take Album Graecum, as much as a nut with Water of Lilies taken warm. (Gabelhover)
5. Enema for pain of the Stones:
i. Album Graecum (1 oz.), Figs (15). Decoct in white wine to 12 oz. Add Bitter Almond oil (1 oz.), Butter (1 oz.), Salt (1.5 drams), and the yolk of an Egg. This was accounted very effective. (Mynsicht)

Major Formulas:

Green Water of Hartman
Honey of Roses                   2 oz.
Sulphur
Alum
Verdigris (Copper acetate) 1 oz. ea.
Album Graecum
Savin leaf                              0.5 dram ea.
Elder Leaf               1 dram
Leaves of St. Johns wort
    Rosemary
    Rue
    Plantain
    Sage
    Pennyroyal                         0.5 handful ea.
Boil all (except the Alum and Verdigris) in 2 lbs. of Wine and Water, until it has boiled down an inch. The Verdigris and Alum are dissolved in the cooled, strained decoction, then filtered, and kept for use.
Applied to Abscesses, Sores and fetid Ulcers of the Mouth, Throat and Nose. Also applied to Syphilitic Ulcers. To use, the warmed water is painted on with a brush or feather.

Cautions:

This is generally not acceptable for modern use.