Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
If you would like to write a summary for this topic, email phil [at] gyford [dot] com
Venice treacle, also called Andromachi theriaca, Theriacum Andromachi or treacle of Andromachus, in pharmacy, was a honey- or molasses-based alexipharmic composition once thought to be good against venom. It was first developed in Italy, then exported throughout Europe from Venice.
The following ingredients for the theriac were taken from d'Amsterdammer Apotheek 1683 and translated from the old Latin names into the Latin names now used where possible [1][citation needed]. Not all ingredients are known.
Roots: Iris, Balsamorhiza deltoidea, Potentilla reptans (creeping cinquefoil), Rheum rhabarbarum (garden rhubarb), Zingiber, Angustafolia odorata, Gentiana, Meum Athamanticum (spignel), Valeriana, Corydalis cava (hollowroot), Agaricus, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon), Cinnamomum aromaticum (cassia)
Leaves: Teucrium scordium (water germander), Franxinus excelsior, Clinopodium calamintha (lesser calamint), Marrubium vulgare (white or common horehound), Cymbopogon citratus (West-Indian lemongrass), Teucrium chamaedrys (wall germander), Cupressasae, Laurus nobilis (bay laurel), Polium montanum, Piper nigrum (black pepper), Piper longum (long pepper), Juniperus (juniper), Syzygium aromaticum (clove)
Flowers: Rosa, Crocus sativus, Lavandula stoechas (French lavender), Cenetaurii minoris
Seeds: Brassica napus (rapeseed), Petroselinum (parsley), Nigella sativa, Pimpinella anisum (anise), Elettaria cardamomum, Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort), seseli, thlaspi, Daucus carota (carrot), Lavandula angustifolia (common or English lavender), Papaver somniverum (opium poppy), glycyrrhiza, Cytinus hypocistis, Acaciae (acacia), Styrax benzoin, Gummi arabicum, Sagapeni (wax of an unknown tree probably some kind of Ferula), Gummi Opopanax chironium, Gummi Ferula foetida, Dead sea bitumen, Commiphora (a tree from which myrrh is derived), incense, Turpentine from Cyprus, Boli armen. verae, Chalciditis (copper containing substance), Castoreum, oil from Myristica fragans (nutmeg), Trochisci Viperarum, Magmatis Hedychroi, Canary Island wine, Narbonne white honey
There is a mention of Venice treacle in the Book of Days with the interesting story of Thomas Parr
…Till the age of eighty, he continued a bachelor, and then married his first wife, with whom he lived for thirty-two years. About eight years after her death, when he himself was a hundred and twenty years old, he married for the second time…
…When presented to Charles I at court, that monarch observed to him: ‘You have lived longer than other men, what have you done more than other men?’ Parr’s reply was: ‘I did penance when I was a hundred years old.’
The Olde, Olde, very Olde Man; or The Age and Long Life of Thomas Parr. By John Taylor, the ‘Water Poet
…Else he had little leisure-time to waste,
Or at the ale-house huff-cap ale to taste;
His physic was good butter, which the soil
Of Salop yields, more sweet than candy oil;
And garlick he esteemed above the rate
Of Venice treacle, or best mithridate…
For full account…