Echeon
Echeon apud Plinium vocatur medicamen ad visum quod fit ex cinere vipere vive cinerate et melle et succo feniculi.
Apparatus:
Echeon AC efjp | cheon B {initial letter is missing}
vocatur | catur f
cinerate AC | cremate B ejp | cũ mace f
et succo feniculi om. B efjp
feniculi | finiculi C
Translation:
Echeon, described in Pliny, is a remedy for improving vision, which is made from the ashes of the incineration of a living viper with honey and feniculus {"fennel"} juice added.
Commentary:
Simon refers to Pliny, 29, 38, 119, ed. Rackham (1938-63: VIII.258), which is on "cures for eye diseases". He says: viperam vivam in fictile novo comburere addito feniculi suco ad cyathum unum et turis manna ... una, atque ita suffusiones oculorum et caligines inungere utilissimum est. medicamentum id echeon vocatur - "Burn a living viper in a new earthenware container adding one cyathus {i.e. cupful} of the juice of feniculum {"fennel"} and a grain of thus {"frankincense"}. With this anoint the eyes and it is most efficacious for opacity of the cornea or cataract and dim-sightedness. This preparation is called echeon".
Latin echeon, in Lewis & Short: echion < ἔχιον /ékhion/ < ἔχις /ékhis/ "viper, adder".
WilfGunther 08/11/2013
See Echisa
