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Pilulae Aggregative Majores,
or Pilulae Polychrestae
Pills of Many Virtues
or Greater Polycrest Pills


Tradition:
Western, Unani

Source / Author:
Mesue

Herb Name
Turbith
Aloe
Scammony prepared
Rhubarb
Yellow Myrobalan
Agrimony juice thickened
Wormwood juice thickened
Agaric
Troches of Colocynth
Polypody
Chebulic Myrobalan
Black Myrobalan
Mastic
Rose
Rock Salt
Dodder
Aniseed
Ginger

Latin
Operculina turpethum
Aloe spp.
Convovulus scammonia
Rheum palmatum
Terminalia chebula
(yellow)
Agrimonia eupatoria
Artemisia absinthum
Fomitopsis o
fficinalis
Troschisci Alhandal
Polypodium vulgare
Terminalia chebula
Terminalia chebula (black)
Pistacia lentiscus

Rosa gallica
Sal Gem
Cuscuta europea
Pimpinella anisum
Zingiber o
fficinalis

Amount

6 drams ea.
5 drams

4 drams ea.







2 drams ea.





1 dram ea.

Preparation:
Powder all the dry ingredients together, except for the Mastic, Scammony, and Aloe which should be powdered apart then added. With a little Syrup of Damask Roses, form a pill mass.

Function:
Purges all Humors from the Head, Stomach, Liver and Bowels, Opens Obstructions

Use:
1. Scrofula
2. Tumors
3. Leprosy
4. Chronic Arthritic diseases, Sciatica, Gout
5. Used periodically in the treatment of various obstinate and chronic diseases.
6. Chronic and Complex Fevers
7. Anasarca type of Edema (excess Phlegm)
8. Hypochondriac Melancholy


Dose:
1⁄2 dram–2 scruples, rarely up to 1 dram, taken in the morning on an empty stomach

Cautions:
None noted

Modifications:
1. Some version omitted Chebulic and Black Myrobalans
2. Spleen obstruction, add Gum Ammoniac.
3. Gonorrhea, form pills with Turpentine
4. Erysipelas, combine with Pills of Rhubarb and form pills with Syrup of Violet.


  • Comment
  • History
  • Research
<
>
They were called Aggregative or Polycrest ‘because they congregate and purge several bad Humors together, drawing them from all parts of the body’.

Mesue had several version of these, but only these remained in common use.

Culpeper said ‘It purges the head of Choler, phlegm and melancholy, and that stoutly: it is good against Quotidian Agues, and faults in the Stomach and Liver, yet because it is well corrected if you take but half a dram at a time, and keep yourself warm, I suppose you may take it without danger’.

Used similarly to Pills of Eight Things, Pills of the Five Kinds of Myrobalans, Imperial Pills and Arabian Pills.
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