Diasebesten
In pre-modern medicine, diasebesten (from Greek dia "[made] with" + modern Latin sebesten, Arab. sabastān, from Persian sepestān, possibly from Persian sag-pestān سگپستان, literally "dog's teats"[1]), is a soft, purgative electuary, containing sebesten, the plum-like fruit of the tree Cordia myxa, as one of its ingredients.[1][2]
The other ingredients are prunes, tamarinds, juices of iris, anguria, and mercurialis, penide, simple diaprunum (made of damask prunes), violet seed, the four cold seeds (melon, gourd, purslane, and quince), and diagrydium. It was said to be good in intermittent and continued fevers, appease thirst, promote sleep, and expel morbid humours through urine.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "sebesten". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ a b
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)
