Odontotrima
Odontotrima grece dentifricium Cassius felix capitulo de dentium vitiis.
Apparatus:
Odontotrima AC e | Odontatrima B | Odontorinia f {'ima’ misread as 'inia’}
dentifricium (-cium? f) C f | dẽtifriciũ AB | dentifrigiũ e
dentium uitiis B | dentium (-tiũ A) vitijs AC | dẽtium vicijs f | vitijs dentiuʒ e
Translation:
Odontotrima is Greek for Latin dentrifricium {"tooth-powder"}, cf. Cassius Felix in his chapter de dentium vitiis {"On afflictions of the teeth"}.
Commentary:
ὀδοντότριμμα /odontótrimma/ "tooth-powder" is a compound noun consisting of ὀδοντ- /odont-/ "tooth" + τρῖμμα /trîmma/ "that which is rubbed" < τρίβω /tríbō/ "to rub".
Simon is referring to Cassius Felix, De medicina, 32, ed. Fraisse (2001: 73-8). In 32, 10, ed. Fraisse (2001: 76) headlined: Dentrifricium quod Graeci odontotrimma vocant - "Tooth-powder which the Greeks call odontotrimma, where he gives a recipe for a preparation which is good for most afflictions of the teeth and takes away bad breath. It consists of:
corni cervini combusti et specularis assi uncias binas, {"burnt stag horn and roasted isinglass stone 2 ounces"}
salis ammoniaci dr. I, {sal ammoniac 1 drachma}
mastices dr. I, {mastic gum 1 drachma}
aluminis lipari sicci et folii dr. quaternas {dried alumen liparum and patchouli {?} 4 drachmae each}.
Nb.: alumen liparum < Gr. λιπαρός /liparós/ "fatty, oily, shiny", see Commentary Alumen (2).
folium, "leaf" is used by some authors as a name for different aromatic plants, cf. André (1985: 105).
Wilf Gunther 01/01/14
