英国の大文豪,W. シェイクスピア(W. Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616)の三大悲劇の一つ.古代ブリテン王国を舞台にした『リア王』で,王位を娘たちの甘言に乗って失い,狂気の内に彷徨う王は失った冠の代りとして小麦畑に生育する雑草を頭にかぶっている.この雑草の王冠を構成する草のひとつが,Fumiter である.
”The
Tragedy of King Lear”
Act IV Scene IV
CORDELIA Alack, 'tis he: why, he
was met even now
As mad as the vex'd sea; singing
aloud;
Crown'd with rank fumiter and furrow-weeds,
With hardocks, hemlock, nettles,
cuckoo-flowers,
Darnel, and all the idle weeds that
grow
In our sustaining corn. A century send
forth;
この
Fumiter が,和名カラクサケマンと言われる
Fumaria officinalis L.(英俗名 Fumitory等, 希臘語名 Capno, καπνός 等,羅甸名 Fumus terraæ 等)で,欧州ではギリシャ・ローマ時代には既に薬草として知られ,15世紀の揺籃期本草書にも収載されている.16世紀,英国では,この15世紀の欧州本土の本草書を英訳した書が刊行された.(前記事参照)
その一つが,現在のドイツで
1500 年に刊行された Hieronymus Brunshwig (approximately
1450 - approximately 1512) 著 “Kleines
Distillierbuch”(1500)をLaurence Andrew (active
1510–1537) が英訳した “The
vertuose boke of distyllacyon”(1527)であり,この書は原典には無い場合,植物の画を追加しているが,その画はそれ以前の本草書『ドイツ本草Herbarius zu Teutsch』からのコピーが主であり,著者自らそれらの図が不充分なことを認識していた.というのは,前文で記述文の重要性を強調する一方,添付の図が「目を楽しませるだけのものであり,また,読み書きできない人たちのために参考になるだけにすぎない」ことを認めていた.
この書の第65 章に “Water of Fumitory(カラクサケマン水劑)” が記述されている.図は『ドイツ本草Herbarius zu Teutsch』に由来する(前々記事参照)が,より簡略化されている.本文には製造法,最適な採取時期,服用法,薬効が記載されている.なお,本文は読みやすいように,本文中の改行を
/ で,また薬効項目 B, C, --- P は項目ごとに独立して書き下した.
¶Water of fumitory Ca .lxv.
FVmus tetre in
latyn.
The best parte and tyme of his
dystyllacyon is / the herbe the stalke with all his substaunce chopped to gyder
/ and dystylled in the ende of may & Dronke of the same wa-ter in the
mornynge & at nyght at eche tyme an ounce & a halfe / or two ouces / is
good agaynst perbrakyn-ge
B Drōke of the same in the mor-nynge & at nyght at
eche tyme two oūce / four or fyue wekes cōtynuyn-ge / is good for all yll
fauoured faces & maketh it fayre & pale of colour.
C The same vsed in the maner a-forsayde
is / good for them that be fea-rig the lepce for his vertue is clēsyn-ge
D The same dryeth & easethall
scabbes / pryncypally whan there is taken a lytell tryacle in a good drawght of
the same water thā shal be swete oute all euyll & venomous moystnes in a
bath / but a body shal not be wasshed / not be made wette tyll the tyme that he
hath well sweted / for it withdryueth all skalde & scabbes of the body whan
therwith a body is wasshed and rubbed
E Of the same water in the morning
& at night drōke / at eche tune an ouce and a halfe / or two oūces is good
against outward & inward impostu mynge of the body
F Of the sa-me water
dronke in the mornynge fastynge / is very good agaynste the pestylence /
specyally whan it is dy-stilled per Alemvicum
G Foure oūces dronke of the same
about. Viii of the clocke cawseth laske
H The same water is good agaynst
eating of the mouth / whan it is often was-sed
therwith
I It is also good agaynste the
droppe and flode of the face twyse wasshed in a daye
K The same water is good against swellynge / whan it is rubbed ther with in the
mornyng and at nyght
L Dronke twyse in a daye at eue-ry
tyme two ounces / is good agaynste olde congeled blode / & agaynste
hurtynge / castynge or fallynge
M Of the same water dronke twyse in a
day / at eche tyme two ounces clen-seth the floure in women / whan it is vsed
in tyme of theyr floures
N It causeth a body to be fayre
whiches drynketh oftē of the same water & often therwith wasshed / and let
drye by hym selfe agayne
O It conforteth the stomake whan it
is dronke twyse in a day / at eche ty-me an ounce / or an ounce and a hal-fe
P The same dronke in the for-sayde maner is good
against all ma-ner of scabbes / for it resoluith colerā and sanguinem / and
clenseth them from the brennynge mater.
数多くの薬効のあるカラクサケマン水劑は,欧州で広く使われ,その保存のための陶磁器製のポットが製造・販売された.イタリアで17世紀初頭に製造されたポット(A)については,以下の様な説明が記されている.
The inscription painted on the side of this earthenware jar translates from Latin as “Smoke Water”. In this preparation, the dried herb, fumitory, is infused with water and drunk to cleanse the humours, which were thought to cause blockages in the body if unbalanced. Such blockages were believed to trigger a range of health problems, including leprosy, fevers, itches and skin conditions. When taken with the expensive and elaborate preparation theriac, the water was considered to be useful against plague. The handle of the jar is a snake entwined around a rod, a symbol traditionally associated with Asklepios, the Greek and Roman god of healing and medicine.
また,このような薬草水劑の自家製造は農家の主婦の必須技術であって,Thomas Tusser (1524 頃~80)著 “Five
Hundred Pointes Of Good Husbandrie.” 『農業で成功する500 の要点』(1573 年)の “The
good huswifelie. Physicke” 「良き主婦にとっての薬」の項には,以下の様な韻律詩が載っていて,カラクサケマン水劑は肝臓の薬として載っている.
Rose water and treacle to comfort the hart. ローズウォーターと糖蜜は心を慰める
Cold herbs in hir garden for agues that burne 庭の冷たいハーブは激しい悪寒の時に
that ouer strong heat to good temper may turne. 強い火にかければちょうど良い温度になろう
Get water of Fumentorie, Liuer to coole 肝臓を静めるカラクサケマン水劑を用意し、
and others the like, or else lie like a foole ほかも同じように、でなければ道化師のような嘘に
Conserue of the Barberie, Quinces and such バーベリー、マルメロなどのジャム
with sirops that easeth the sickley so much.” 病人をとても楽にするシロップを入れて