VLVL2 (1): Thapsia

[Dave Monroe]

Thapsia
Botanical: Thapsia garganica 
Family: N.O. Umbelliferae
Description 
Medicinal Action and Uses 
---Synonym---Drias. 
---Habitat---Southern Europe, from Spain to Greece,
also Algeria. 

---Description---The plant was well known to the
Ancients who gave it its peculiar name, believing it
to be obtained originally from the Isle of Thapsus. It
is considered by the Algerians to be a specific
against pain, every part of the plant being
efficacious, though deadly poisonous to Camels. The
root is a strong purgative. Thapsia Silphion is
thought to be identical with Thapsia Garganica, is
found on the mountains near the site of Ancient
Cyrene, and is said to have yielded the gum resin to
the Ancients as Laser Cyrenaicum or Asa Dulces, the
Greek name being Silphion. Representations of it occur
on Cyrene coins. 

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Theophrastus speaks of
the purgative and emetic properties of the root, and
modern French doctors recognize its value and include
it in their Codex as Resin Thapsiae. An extract is
made from the bark of the root with alcohol, the
moisture is evaporated and made into a plaster with 7
per cent of the resin combined with yellow wax, turps
and colophony. Great caution has to be exercised in
unpacking the commercial bales of the roots because
the dust or powder arising in the process causes
itching and swelling of the face and hands. The French
Thapsia plaster is a very drastic counter-irritant,
creating much inflammation with an eczematous eruption
(and intolerable itching) which leaves scars. Another
variety, T. Villosa, also contains in its root a
vesicant resin which acts more gently than T.
Garganica. 

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/t/thapsi10.html

Gaius Plinius Secundas, Historia Naturalis, Bk. XIII
(77) ...

Semen ferulae thapsian quidam vocavere, decepti
quoniam ferula sine dubio est thapsia, sed sui
generis, foliis feniculi, inani caule nec excedente
baculi longitudinem. semen quale ferulae, radix
candida. incisa lacte manat et contusa suco, nec
corticem abdicant. omnia ea venena: quippe etiam
fodientibus nocet, si minima aspiret aura; intumescunt
corpora, faciemque invadunt ignes sacri; ob id cerato
prius inlinunt. 
 
quibusdam tamen morbis auxiliari dicunt medici
permixtam aliis, item alopeciis suggillatisque ac
liventibus, ceu vero remedia desint, ut scelera non
tractent. sed ista praetexunt noxio instrumento,
tantumque inpudentiae est, ut venenum artis esse
persuadeant. thapsia in Africa vehementissima. quidam
caulem incidunt per messes et in ipsa excavant radice,
quo sucus confluat, arefactumque tollunt.
(xliii.124-5)

http://www.ku.edu/history/index/europe/ancient_rome/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/13*.html
 
And see as well ...

http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/thapsia.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/ellingwood/thapsia.html

http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/chaney/191/id120.htm

http://members.tscnet.com/pages/omard1/t.htm#thapsia


Thapsus

A titular see in Byzacene Africa. It was a Phoenician
market on the coast of Byzacium in Africa Propria,
established near a salt lake on a point of land eighty
stadia from the Island of Lopadussa, confronting it,
between Leptis Minor and Sullectum, and had both
military and trading ports. In 46 B.C. it was the
scene of the defeat by Caesar of the generals of
Pompey and King Juba. He exacted of the vanquished a
payment of 50,000 sesterces. Thapsus then became a
Roman colony. Vigilius, the only known bishop,
assisted at the assembly convoked at Carthage in 484
by King Huneric and was exiled by the latter with his
colleagues. He is the author of several controversial
works against the Arians and the Eutychians (see
VIGILIUS). The ruins of Thapsus are located at Ras
Dimas, near Bekalta in Tunisia. They consist of the
remains of a mole, a fortress, and amphitheater, and
large cisterns; in the neighbourhood there is a Punic
necropolis. 

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14556a.htm

Ancient N African seaport, c.100 mi (161 km) SE of
Carthage in what is now Tunisia. The last stronghold
of Pompey’s party, the town was besieged in 46 B.C. by
Julius Caesar. There Metellus Pius Scipio and the
Numidians under Juba I offered battle, but were
defeated, with a tremendous loss of men. Their defeat
marked the end of opposition to Caesar in Africa.

http://www.bartleby.com/65/th/Thapsus.html


Theophrastus (372-288 BCE)

Theophrastus was born at Eresos about 372 B.C., the
son of a fuller and died about 288 B.C. He came early
to Athens to sudy under Plato and presumably at that
time became acquainted with Aristotle and apparently
they became very good friends. When Aristotle was
forced to leave Athens about 322, Theophrastus was
appointed his successor. It was at this time that all
the manuscripts and writings of Aristotle were
bequeathed to Theophrastus. Theophrastus became head
of the school, reorganized and enlarged it ....

Two hundred and twenty-seven treatises are attributed
to Theophrastus dealing with religion, politics,
ethics, education, rhetoric, mathematics, astronomy,
logic, meterology, natural history and the like.

The botanical works of Theophrastus are the earliest
of their kind in world literature. They are excellent
and he has been termed the "father of botany." The two
books are listed as follows:

Historia de Plantis (History of Plants or Inquiring
into Plants).
De Causis Plantarums (The Causes of plants).

The first is largely descriptive while the second is
more physiological in nature.

Theophrastus had a tremendous amount of knowledge,
accumulated for him by students and staff of the
Lyceum. His knowledge of foreign plants was likewise
outstanding. Alexander the Great, while carrying on
his military expeditions as far as the Indus River in
India, sent him many plants.

Theophrastus was concerned with 500-550 species and
varieties of plants, most of which were cultivated. He
stated that wild plants were largely unknown and
unnamed. He discussed some of these wild plants and
indicated that attempts had been made to acclimatize
some - not always with success. He was handicapped by
insufficient terminology and in consequence he
introduced some new technical terms....

http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hort/history/009.html

http://www.pantagruelion.com/p/s/10045.html

http://classics.rutgers.edu/proj_theophrastus.html

http://www.ceth.rutgers.edu/projects/theophrastus/theophr.htm

Theophrastus Paracelsus (1493-1591)

Celebrated physician and reformer of therapeutics ...

[...]

His teaching, as well as his opposition to the
prevailing Galeno-Arabic system, the burning of
Avicenna's writings in a public square, the polemical
tone of his discourses, which, contrary to all custom,
were delivered in German, his dissensions with the
faculty, attacks on the greed of apothecaries, and to
a certain extent, also, his success as a
practitioner--All drew upon him the hatred of those in
authority. In February he fled from Basle to Colmar. A
typical vagrant, his subsequent life was spent in
continual wandering, surrounded by a troop of
adventurers, with the reputation of a charlatan, but
all the while observing all things with remarkable
zeal, and busied with the composition of his numerous
works....

[...]

Paracelsus is a phenomenon in the history of medicine,
a genius tardily recognized, who in his impetuosity
sought to overturn the old order of things, thereby
rousing bitter antagonists. He sought to substitute
something better for what seemed to him antiquated and
erroneous in therapeutics, thus falling into the
mistake of other violent reformers, who, during the
process of rebuilding, underestimate the work of their
contemporaries....

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11468a.htm

http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/Catalog/Files/paracels.html

--- Tim Strzechowski <dedalus204 at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> 1.  Is there a basis (classical or otherwise) for
> the name "Thapsia" (3.18)?

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