Pilulae Aloephangine
Aromatic Pills of Aloes,
or Sweet Pills of Aloe
Western, Unani
Mesue
Purges Bile, cleanses the Head and Stomach
1. Promote good appetite and digestion
2. Stops Vomiting caused by Bile
3. Vertigo
4. Headache
5. Migraine
6. Lethargy
7. Obstructed Menstruation
2–4 scruples, up to 1 1⁄2 drams, taken a bedtime. (1⁄2 dram works mildly, 1 dram will work strongly the next day so that you should ‘keep the house’ [stay at home]– Culpeper)
They were only to be used in Winter by the young or those hot by nature.
1. The original version of Mesue had some expensive ingredients as well as some deemed unnecessary. Therefore, it was often reformed; a French version used the following herbs: Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Mace, Calamus, Juniper berries, Schoenanth, Yellow Sandalwood, Goat’s Rue and Roses. Some versions added Galangal but omitted Juniper berries and Goat’s Rue.
2. To promote Menstruation, add Savin
3. Dead Palsy, add Colocynth (Troches of Alhandal) and Troches of Agaric.
Golden Pills
‘Pills without which I would not be”
‘It purges Choler excellently, and cleanses the Head, Stomach and Bowels of gross and putrefied Humors: it strengthens the Ventricle, causes a good Digestion, excites Appetite, stays Vomiting, strengthens the Brain, and is excellent against Vertigo, Migraine, Lethargy, and other the like indispositions’.
Culpeper said ‘It cleanses both stomach and brain of gross and putrified humours, and sets the senses free when they are thereby troubled, it cleanses the brain offended by ill humours, wind, &c. helps Vertigo and Headaches, and strengthens the Brain exceedingly, helps concoction, and strengthens the Stomach, one dram taken at night going to bed, will work gently next day: if the party be weak, you may give less, if strong more. If you take but half a dram, you may go abroad the next day: but if you take a dram, you may keep the house; there can be no harm in that’.
Back to PILLS
Back to FORMULAS
How to Modify a Formula
Substitutes
Weights & Measures
Aromatic Pills of Aloes,
or Sweet Pills of Aloe
Tradition:
Western, Unani
Source / Author:
Mesue
Herb NameCinnamonCubeb Aloeswood Nutmeg Mace Calamus Clove Cardamon Asarabacca Balsam fruit Schoenanth Indian Spikenard Wormwood Rose |
|
Preparation:
Boil in 12 lbs. of water down to 3 lbs. To 3 lbs. of the strained decoction, add 1 lb. of Aloe in powder, mix well, and in the heat of the sun, evaporate the excess, then when most of the moisture has evaporated, add the following in fine powder: Mastic and Myrrh, of each 5 drams, Saffron 2 drams, and form Pills.Function:
Purges Bile, cleanses the Head and Stomach
Use:
1. Promote good appetite and digestion
2. Stops Vomiting caused by Bile
3. Vertigo
4. Headache
5. Migraine
6. Lethargy
7. Obstructed Menstruation
Dose:
2–4 scruples, up to 1 1⁄2 drams, taken a bedtime. (1⁄2 dram works mildly, 1 dram will work strongly the next day so that you should ‘keep the house’ [stay at home]– Culpeper)
Cautions:
They were only to be used in Winter by the young or those hot by nature.
Modifications:
1. The original version of Mesue had some expensive ingredients as well as some deemed unnecessary. Therefore, it was often reformed; a French version used the following herbs: Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Mace, Calamus, Juniper berries, Schoenanth, Yellow Sandalwood, Goat’s Rue and Roses. Some versions added Galangal but omitted Juniper berries and Goat’s Rue.
2. To promote Menstruation, add Savin
3. Dead Palsy, add Colocynth (Troches of Alhandal) and Troches of Agaric.
Similar Formulas:
Golden Pills
‘Pills without which I would not be”
‘It purges Choler excellently, and cleanses the Head, Stomach and Bowels of gross and putrefied Humors: it strengthens the Ventricle, causes a good Digestion, excites Appetite, stays Vomiting, strengthens the Brain, and is excellent against Vertigo, Migraine, Lethargy, and other the like indispositions’.
Culpeper said ‘It cleanses both stomach and brain of gross and putrified humours, and sets the senses free when they are thereby troubled, it cleanses the brain offended by ill humours, wind, &c. helps Vertigo and Headaches, and strengthens the Brain exceedingly, helps concoction, and strengthens the Stomach, one dram taken at night going to bed, will work gently next day: if the party be weak, you may give less, if strong more. If you take but half a dram, you may go abroad the next day: but if you take a dram, you may keep the house; there can be no harm in that’.
Back to PILLSBack to FORMULAS
How to Modify a Formula
Substitutes
Weights & Measures