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Philonium Nicolai,
or Philonium Romanum,
or Philonium Magnum
Roman Philonium,
or Greater Philonium,

or Philonium of Nicholas

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Picture

Tradition:
Western, Unani

Source / Author:
Nicholas

Herb Name
White Henbane seed
White Pepper

Opium
Cassia Wood
Cinnamon

Celery seed
Myrrh
Euphorbium prepared
Costus

Macedonian Parsley seed
Fennel seed
Cretan Carrot seed

Saffron

Pellitory
Indian Spikenard
Zedoary

Latin
Hyoscyamus alba
Piper album
Opium
Cinnamonum cassia
Cinnamonum zeylanicum
Apium graveolens
Commiphora molmol
Euphorbium resinifera
Saussurea lappa
Petroselinum macedonicum
Foeniculum vulgare

Daucus spp.
Crocus sativus
Anacyclus pyrethrum
Nardostachys jatamansi
Curcuma zedoaria

Amount

5 drams ea.
2
1⁄2 drams

1
1⁄2 drams ea.




1 dram ea.


2 scr., 5 gr. ea.
1 1⁄2 scruples


15 grains ea.

Preparation:
Powder and with three times their weight of clarified Honey, form an Electuary.

Function:
Relieves Pain, stops Cough, promotes Rest

Use:
1. Persistent Cough

2. Difficulty Breathing, Breathlessness
3. Hemoptysis
4. Pleurisy
5. Pneumonia

6. Consumption
7.
"all internal dolours [pain]"
including Kidney Stones, severe Colic, serious abdominal pain and organ pain.
8. Promotes rest and sleep
9. Applied topically to Toothache


Dose:

1⁄2–1 scruple; or a piece as big as a Pea, dissolved in a suitable decoction, or taken dissolved in wine.
Renodeus said "it must be assumed at the mouth only in small quantity, as the bigness of a Pea, or little more, according to the age and strength ... and it must be variously dissolved, for various purposes; sometimes in the decoction of plants; sometimes in wine".

Cautions:
Obsolete due to the narcotics.
If used, overdose should be avoided.


Modifications:
1. Poppy seed can substitute Henbane seed and Opium.
2. It was commonly made without Euphorbium. Some also omitted Costus.

3. In the 1746 London Pharmacopoeia, it was reduced to White Pepper, Ginger, Caraway, Opium and using Syrup of Poppy instead of Honey. This was called Philonium Londinense.

  • Comment
  • History
  • Research
<
>
The Philonium formulas are very powerful medicines and were important and highly regarded formulas in the past, being an early form of Opiate. It was advised to get the ‘counsel of a learned Physician’ before using this type of medicine.

They are largely obsolete today due to their heavy reliance on Henbane seed and Opium. Some of the Triphera formula are used similarly, but are far safer.


Philonium was a famous antidote invented by Philon of Tarsus who lived in the first century AD. Galen said by his time it had already developed a long and sound reputation, and that it was one of the earliest of this type of formula. Galen was responsible for translating the recipe out of obscure Greek poetry that would have been lost if not for him. It thus usually bared Galen’s name, although it was penned by Philon.

Renodeus said ‘No Medicament is so doubtful and various, as Philonium the Philosopher’s Antidote ... for as many as have written of Pharmacy, have retained its name, but nothing more ... Myrepsus [Nicholas] gave four Antidotes of that name’.
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