Mochiromilon
Mochiromilon Cassius felix manualis mola qua teruntur medicinalia.
Apparatus:
Mochiromilon (-lõ AC) AC e | Mochioromilẽ f | Mochironulon B {‘mi’ misread as ‘nu’}
mola ABC e | viola f
qua BC f | q͊ {= qua} A | que ms. e
Translation:
Mochiromilon, says Cassius Felix, is a hand-mill with which medicinal ingredients are ground/shredded.
Commentary:
Greek χειρόμυλον /kheirómylon/ means “hand-mill" (LSJ). It is a compound noun consisting of χειρο- {compound form of “hand"} + μυλ- /myl-/ {root meaning “mill"} + -ον /-on/ {neuter noun ending} > “hand-mill". Simon offers the itacist pronunciation of χειρόμυλον /kheirómylon/ i.e. /khirómilon/.
The prefixed syllable “Mo-", present in all witnesses and therefore probably already present in Simon’s copy, remains unexplained. Note also that the word is listed under the letter “M".
Simon is alluding to Cassius Felix, De medicina, chapter XL Ad pthisicos {For the consumptive, phthisical}, p.103, § 4, or in Rose’s edition p.91, lines 18/19 [[1]], where he mentions a potion for whose preparation a number of ingredients are required, which: ... moles manuali mola, nam Graeci chiromylon vocant … - “{ingredients} you shall grind with a handmill, the sort the Greeks call chiromylon … “
Wilf Gunther 13/04/2014
