Notes

Alyssum

Sumach, a remedy against madness in dogs (Pliny xxiv. 11 § 57).

alyssum

Distat ab eo qui alysson vocatur foliis tantum et ramis minoribus; nomen accepit quod a cane morsos rabiem sentire non patitur ex aceto potus adalligatusque; mirum est quod additur, saniem conspecto omnino frutice eo siccari.

The plant called alysson differs from the last [erythrodanum, called by some ereuthodanum, and rubia by the Romans] only in having smaller leaves and branches. It has received its name because it prevents persons bitten by a dog from going mad if they take it in vinegar and wear it as an amulet. The authorities add the wonderful marvel that the mere sight of this shrub dries up sanies. [Sanies is said by Celsus (V. 26, 20) to be thinner than blood, varying both in thickness and colour, while pus is the thickest and whitest of the three, more sticky than either sanies or blood. Pliny is thinking of the discharge from a dog-bite.]

alyssum

De α privatif et λύσσα, rage, plante qui préserve de la rage : « nomen accepit quod a cane morsos rabiem sentire non patitur, potus ex aceto, adalligatusque. » Pline, XXIV, 57. L’alysson de Pline — différent de celui de Dioscoride, lequel est autre que celui de Théophraste — partaît se rattacher à quelque Rubiacée : Rubia lucida, L., pour Sainéan (H. N. R., p. 117). Au XVIe siècle, Pena et Lobel appelaient Alyssum Italorum notre Alyssum maritimum, Lmk. L’Alyssum mentionné par Lémery comme antirabique serait, pour Mérat et de Lens, A. montanum, L. (Paul Delaunay)

alyssum

This alyssum, by philology and application a cure for hydrophobia…

nommés pas leurs vertus et operations

Sauf pour le lichen, tous les détails sont dans De latinis nominibus («Alysson … dicitur (ut ait Galenus) quod mirifice morsus a cane rabido curet. [gk] enim rabiem significat. Ephemerium… quo die sumptum fuerit (ut nominis ipsa ratio ostendit) intermit. Bechion autem appellatum est, quod [gk], id es tusses … juvet. Nasturtium, cresson alenois … dicitur a torquendis naribus. Hyoscame, faba suis, vulgo hannebane, … dicitur … quot pastu ejus convellantur sues ». R. a mal lu ses notes, faisant de hanebanes une plante différente de l’hyoscame.

Alyssum

De α- privatif et λύσσα, « rage », plante qui préserve de la rage (Pline, XXV,lvii).

alyssum

alyssum. [modern Latin for alysson (Pliny), adopted from Greek ausson name of a plant, perhaps neuter of alussoj `curing (canine) madness,’ formed on a’ priv. + lu´ssa madness.]

A genus of Cruciferous plants, a yellow-flowered species of which (A. saxatile) popularly known as Gold-dust, is a favourite spring flower in English gardens. The early herbalists used the name very vaguely.