Pharmaceutical Art and Peculiarities in the Latin Dissertation De phthisi (On Tuberculosis) from 1679 by Slovak Physician Matúš Palumbini

Overview

The objective of the article is to present and analyse one part of the printed dissertation De phthisi (On Tuberculosis) by Matúš Palumbini, namely chapter VIII, Curatio perfecta (Perfect Treatment). Treatment of diseases in the 17^th century was solely dependent on and linked to the medicinal products, many a time of exotic origin, prepared by pharmacists. In this regard our main research contribution is that it provides the then description of tuberculosis and elucidates the use and pecularities in its treatment. Simultaneously, we also present the author’s view over the treatment methods, which he identified as the most effective in tuberculosis. As follows from the text, all conceivable treatments and medications to treat tuberculosis in the 17th century were widely used and prescribed. Many abbreviations and alchemical symbols were mentioned in the dissertation, especially in the prescriptions. Each prescription contains drug components, their amount expressed in apothecary measures and weights, and finally instructions for drug preparation and use, including designation of the prepared drug and dosage instructions. The combinations of drug components in prescriptions (from herbal to animal and mineral ones) might currently seem bizarre, e.g. looh de pulmone vulpis – thick syrup from fox lungs, or lapides cancrorum – crayfish stones.

Keywords:

Matúš Palumbini – printed dissertation – tuberculosis – pharmacy in the 17th century – medical prescriptions