Vipers in Medicine

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Pietro Andrea Mattioli . Commentarii in P. Dioscoridis libros de materia medica. 1559. Illustration to the chapter «Vipera»

Vipers in Medicine . Body parts of the viper - also called otters - were used to treat and prevent diseases in the Mediterranean from ancient times until the 18th century. Presumably it was the species adder and / or aspic viper .

Andromachos the Elder , who was born in Crete - personal physician of the Emperor Nero - and his son Andromachos the Younger added viper meat to the antidote of Mithridates , which is composed of 36 ingredients . For preparation, the viper's head and tail were cut off first. It was then skinned, the entrails removed, the remaining meat washed, cut up and boiled with oil, wine, salt and dill. Eaten the viper meat should give a sharp look and be a good remedy for neuralgia and swelling of the glands. You should also reach old age through its enjoyment. Salt was also made from the viper . For this purpose, living vipers were roasted with salt, figs and honey in a closed saucepan until a mass of salt remained. The salt was used against the same diseases as the meat. The viper skin was boiled in wine and used as a washing-up liquid for ear problems and toothache. The viper skin was also mixed into the eye remedies.

In modern times, the use of viper remedies was widespread, especially in the 17th century, and associated with the names Francesco Redi , Moyse Charas , Pierre Bourdelot and Felice Fontana . In the 18th century, preparations from the viper were only used in folk medicine, primarily in the form of a broth made from viper and veal for “blood purification” and as protection against epidemic diseases.

Antiquity

  • Dioscurides . De Medicinali Materia libri quinque. In the translation by Julius Berendes . Stuttgart 1902, Book II, Chapter 18: Otter (digitized version) , Chapter 19 Snakeskin
  • Pliny . Naturalis historia , Book XXIX § 69–70: Head of the Viper - Viper meat in the Theriak. § 120: Eye ointment from the Viper and use of the Viper salt
  • Galen .
    • De simplicium medicamentorum temperamentis ac facultatibus liber XI (Kühn edition, Volume XII, pp. 311–323)
    • Ad pisonem de theriaca liber (Kühn edition, Volume XIV, pp. 233–255)
      • Cap. VIII: Cur Andromachus viperam potius quam serpentem alium theriacae admiscerit; deque Cleopatrae morte diligens historia (digitized version )
      • Cap. IX: Cur vipera thericae integra non ponatur, multaque ex animalibus remedia haberi (digitized version )
      • Cap. X: Quomodo noxia interdum prodesse queant; unamque in compositis medicamentis qualitatem ex omnibus resultare (digitized version )
      • Cap. XI: Asclepiadis Epicurique refutatio ... (digital copy )
      • Cap. XII: Singula quae theriacam ingrediuntur diligenter exploranda esse ... (digitized version )
      • Cap. XIII: Quo pacto componendi sint pastilli hedychroi, scillini et viperini (digitized version )
      • Cap. XIV: Theriacae compositio, repositio, aetas, probatio, dose (digitized version )

Arab Middle Ages

  • Avicenna . Canon of Medicine , Book II. Simple Medicines. Revision by Andrea Alpago. Venice 1555, p. 301 (Cap. 616): De vipera (digitized)
  • Abu Muhammad ibn al-Baitar . 13th century Kitāb al-jāmiʿ li-mufradāt al-adwiya wa al-aghdhiya. Translation by Joseph Sontheimer under the title Large compilation of the powers of the well-known simple healing and foodstuffs. Hallberger, Stuttgart Volume I 1840 pp. 66–69: Vipera (digitized version)

Latin Middle Ages

  • Hildegard von Bingen . 12th century Physica . Charles Victor Daremberg and Friedrich Anton Reuss (1810–1868). S. Hildegardis Abbatissae Subtilitatum Diversarum Naturarum Creaturarum Libri Novem. Migne, Paris 1855 after the Paris manuscript. Liber beate Hildegardis subtilitatum diversarum naturarum creaturarum et sic de aliis quam multis bonis. Paris. Bibliothèque Nationale. Codex 6952 f. 156-232. Complete handwriting. 15th century (1425-1450). Book 8, Chapter 11, (column 1342): De vipera (digitized version )
  • Konrad von Megenberg . Book of nature. Edition Franz Pfeiffer . Aue, Stuttgart 1861, III E, 37: Von der Vippern (digitized version )
  • Hortus sanitatis . Jacobus Meydenbach, Mainz 1491 De animalibus Cap. 154: Vipera (digitized version)

16th Century

17th century

  • Francesco Redi . Redi assured that he had proven through more than a hundred experiments on different animals that no part of the viper, not even the yellow juice, was ingested internally poisonous and that animals that had been killed by vipers could be eaten.
    • Osservazioni intorno alle vipere . Florence 1664 (digitized) . - Observationes de viperis… ex italiaca in latinam translatae . S. l., Approx. 1670 (digitized version) .
Moyse Charas 1619-1698
  • Moyse Charas . Following the example of the Paracelsist Johann Zwelfer , who had criticized the Augsburg Pharmacopoeia , the pharmacist and doctor Moyse Charas dared to criticize the traditional regulations for the preparation of Theria without fundamentally questioning these regulations. In 1668 he published his proposed changes and criticized in particular the preparation process for the Theriak ingredient viper meat . This led to a controversy with Francesco Redi , which also included Pierre Bourdelot and Felice Fontana . Charas made a viper salt that sold well in Holland as a panacea, so he had difficulty getting enough vipers. He preferred vipers from the Lyon region and from the Poitiers region .
    • Histoire naturelle des animaux, des plantes, & des minéraux qui entrent dans la composition de la Thériaque d'Andromachus, dispensée et achevée publiquement à Paris, par Moyse Charas, l'un des Apoticaires de Monsieur le Duc d'Orléans Frère unique du Roy . Avec les reformations & les observations de l'auteur, tant sur l'élection, et sur la preparation, que sur le dernier mélange de tous les ingrédients de cette composition . Olivier de Varennes, Paris 1668 (digitized version) .
    • Thériaque d'Andromacus, avec une description particulière des plantes, des animaux & des minéraux employées à cette composition, et les reformations & observations nécessaires, tant sur leur élection & preparation, que sur leur dernier mélange. … Nouvelle édition, review & augmentée . Laurent d'Houry, Paris 1685 (digitized)
    • Nouvelles expériences sur la vipère, ou l'on verra une description exacte de toutes se parties, la source de son venin, ses divers effets, & les remèdes exquis que les artistes peuvent tirer de la Vipère, tant pour la guérison de ses morsures, que pour cells de plusieurs autres maladies . Olivier de Varennes, Paris 1669 (digitized version) .
    • Nouvelles expériences sur la Vipère, ou l'on verra une description exacte de toutes se parties, la source de son venin, ses divers effets, & les remèdes exquis que les artistes peuvent tirer du corps de cet animal. Avec une suite des nouvelles expériences sur la vipère, et une dissertation sur son venin, pour servir des réplique à une lettre que Monsieur François Redi Gentil-homme d'Arezzo a écrite à Messieurs Bourdelot & [Alexander] Morus [1616–1670], imprimée à Florence en l'année 1670 . Paris 1672 (digitized version) 2nd improved edition. Laurent Houry, Paris 1694 (digitized)
      • New experiments upon Vipers. With exquisite remedies, that may be drawn from them, as well for the cure of their bitings, as for that of other maladies. Also a letter of Francesco Redi, concerning some objections made upon his observations about Vipers: written to Monsieur Bourdelot and Mr. More. Together with the sequal of new Experiments upon Vipers, in a Reply to a letter written by Sign. Fredi . J. Martyn, London 1673 (digitized version)
      • Historia naturalis Theriacae Andromachi or description of the animals, plants and minerals which are described / taken from the composition of the Theriacae by Andromacho. In addition to the endorsements and comments of the author, as well as the recommendation and preparation / as well as the latter mixing of all ingredients of this great composition . Beyer, Frankfurt am Mayn 1679 (digitized) .
      • Newly experienced samples of the viper / dabey to see a proper description of all of her limbs / the origin of her poison / the different chafing of the same and the most exquisite artzney / which the art experts outside of the viper / as well as to cure the same bites / as well as many other diseases can bring . Joh.Beyers Erben, Frankfurt am Mayn 1679 (digitized version)
  • Pierre Bourdelot . Recherches et observations sur les vipères, faites par Mr. Bourdelot, répondant à une lettre qu'il a reçue de Mr. Redi, premier Médecin du Grand Duc de Florence. Claude Barbin, Paris 1671 (digitized version)
  • Felice Fontana . Ricerche fisiche sopra il veleno della vipera. Con alcune osservazioni sopra le anguillette del grano sperone . Jacopo Giusti, Lucca 1767 (digitized version) .
    • Felix Fontana personal physician to the Grand Duke of Toscana and supervisor of his natural history cabinet, treatise on the viper venom, the American poisons, the cherry laurel poison and some other plant poisons: together with some observations on the original structure of the animal body, on the regeneration of nerves and the description of a new eye canal . First and second volume. With lots of coppers . Himburg, Berlin 1787 (digitized version)
  • Nicolas Lémery . Cours de chymie . Paris 1675, pp. 502–513: De la Vipere (digitized version ) P. 514–521: Distillation de la Vipere (digitized version )
    • Johann Christian Zimmermann (editor). Nicolai Lemeri, Weyland Medicinae Doctoris and Königl. French court apothecary in Paris, Cursus Chymicus, or Perfect Chymist: who teaches the most sensible, easiest and safest way to produce the chymic praeparata and processus found in medicine ... Walther, Dresden 1754, pp. 863–877 Von der Otter ( Digitalisat) , pp. 877–878: General use of the otters (digitalisat) , pp. 878–888: Distillation of the otters (digitalisat)
  • Christophe Glaser . Novum laboratory medico-chymicum . Johann Marschalk, Nuremberg 1677, p. 356: Vippern / Distillation of their meat (digitized version )
  • Pierre Pomet . Histoire générale des drogues, traitant des plantes, des animaux, & des mineraux; ouvrage enrichy de plus de quatre cent figures en taille-douce tirées d'aprés nature; avec un discours qui explique leurs differens noms, les pays d'où elles viennent, la maniere de connoître les veritables d'avec les falsifiées, & leurs proprietez, où l'on découvre l'erreur des anciens & des modern ... par le sieur Pierre Pomet .... Jean-Baptiste Loyson & Augustin Pillon Paris 1694, pp. 60–62: De la Vipere (digitized version )
William Cullen 1710-1790

18th century

  • Richard Mead . A mechanical account of poisons in several essays. Ralph Smith, London 1702. 2nd edition 1708, pp. 1–35: Of the Viper (digitalisat) , pp. 37–49 Some Anatomical Observations on the Viper … (digitalisat)

“So I can't see that the viper should have any special nutritional properties, but that it has some special medicinal powers, I don't find the slightest reason to assume. I am therefore compelled to regard the delusion of the nutritional and medicinal powers of the same as a characteristic, among several, of the weakness and folly of the ancients and their new followers. "

- William Cullen : William Cullen's… treatise on the materia medica… translated and with notes by Samuel Hahnemann . Schwickert, Leipzig 1790. Volume I, p. 421 (digitized version)

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Walter Frieboes (translator). Aulus Cornelius Celsus . About medicine science. In eight books . F. Vieweg, Braunschweig 1906, pp. 252-253 (lib V, cap. XXIII, § 3): Antidote of Mithridates (digitized version)
  2. ↑ Pliny . Naturalis historia , book XXIII, chap. 77, § 3: "After the defeat of Mithridates ..." (digitized version) ; Book XXV § 6: Mithridates (digitized version)
  3. ↑ Galen . Cap. VIII (Kühn edition, Volume XIV, pp. 233-237): Cur Andromachus viperam potius quam serpentem alium theriacae admiscerit; deque Cleopatrae morte diligens historia (digitized version )
  4. ↑ Julius Berendes . The Pedanius Dioscorides Materia Medica in five books. Enke, Stuttgart 1902, Book II, Chapter 18: Otter (digitized version) , Chapter 19: Snake skin
  5. ^ Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal : Vipera. In: Dietrich Wilhelm Heinrich Busch , Johann Friedrich Dieffenbach , Justus Hecker , Ernst Horn , Johann Christian Jüngken , Heinrich Friedrich Link and Joseph Müller (1811–1845) (Eds.) Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medical Sciences . Veit et Comp, Berlin, Volume 35 (1846), pp. 402-403 (digitized version )
  6. ^ Johann Zwelfer. Animadversiones in Pharmacopeia Augustana et annexam ejus mantissam. Endter, Nuremberg 1657 (digitized version)
  7. ↑ Moyse Charas. Histoire naturelle des animaux, des plantes, & des minéraux qui entrent dans la composition de la Thériaque d'Andromachus… Paris 1668, pp. 29–56 (digitized version )
  8. ↑ Moyse Charas: Histoire naturelle des animaux ... , 1668, p. 42 (digitized version)