CHAP. XXXV. Of Errhines and Sternutatories.
* 1.1ERthines are medicines appointed to be put into the nose to purge the brain of its excre∣mentitious humors by the nostrils, or to deterge such excrements as are therein, by reason of an ozaena, polypus, or the like disease. Erthines are either liquid or drie, or else hard, and of the consistence of an emplaster. Liquid Erthines, which usually are to purge the head, are made of the juices of herbs; as beets, coleworts, marjarom, pimpernel, hyssop or balm, or of their decoctions taken alone, or mixed with wine, or syrup, as oxymel scilliticum, syrup of hyssop, roses, or mel anthosatum; sometimes powders are mixed with the liquors; as of pepper, euphorbium, pellitory of Spain, hore-hound, nigella Romana, castoreum, myrrh, white ellebore sow-bread, and, other like, in a small quantity, to wit, to ʒi. little more or less according to the vehemency of the disease. We will make this more plain by examples.
* 1.2℞ succi betae, majorum, brassic. an. ℥i. depurentur, & modice bulliant cum vini albi, ℥ii. oxymel. scillit. ℥ ss. fiat Errhinum. When as you desire to attract more powerfully from the brain, you may dissolve in Errhines some purging medicines; as agarick, diaphoenicon, senna, carthamus, and the like: hence doth arise the distinction of Errhines into such as are meet to purge phlegm, choler, and melan∣choly This following example is set down by Rondoletius.* 1.3 ℞. rad pyreth. irid. an. ʒi. puleg. calam. origan. an. m i. agar. trochisc. ʒiii. flor. anthos & staechad. an. p i. fiat decoctio in colatur. lbi. dissolve mellis anthosa∣ti & scillit. an. ʒiii fiat caputpurgium. But it is better to this purpose to make use of purging sim∣ples, as agarick, turbith, coloquintida, and the like, then of compositions, as diaphaenicon, for these make the decoction more thick, and less fit to enter the passages of the nostrils, and the sieve like bones, but apt rather there to cause obstruction, and intercept the freedome of respi∣ration.