History

Greek text: M. Wellmann (ed.), Pedanii Dioscuridis De materia medica libri quinque, 3 volumes. Berlin, 1907-1914, vol. 1, pp. 216-217.

2.151. κρόμυον· δριμύτερον τὸ μακρὸν τοῦ στρογγύλου καὶ τὸ ξανθὸν τοῦ λευκοῦ καὶ τὸ ξηρὸν τοῦ χλωροῦ καὶ τὸ ὠμὸν τοῦ ὀπτοῦ καὶ ταριχηροῦ. ἔστι δὲ ἅπαντα δηκτικὰ καὶ πνευματωτικά, ὀρέξεως ἐκκλητικά, λεπτυντικά, διψώδη, ἀσώδη, ἀποκαθαρτικά, εὐκοίλια, ἀναστομωτικὰ ἐκκρίσεων τῶν τε ἄλλων καὶ αἱμορροίδων, ἀντὶ βαλάνου δὲ προστίθεται λεπισθέντα καὶ εἰς ἔλαιον ἐμβληθέντα. ὁ δὲ χυλὸς ἐγχριόμενος σὺν μέλιτι βοηθεῖ ἀμβλυωπίαις, ἀργέμοις, νεφελίοις καὶ ἀρχομένοις ὑποχεῖσθαι καὶ συναγχικοῖς διαχρισθείς· κινεῖ καὶ καταμήνια, ἔγχυτός τε διὰ ῥινὸς καθαρτικὸς κεφαλῆς, κυνοδήκτοις τε κατάπλασμα μεθ’ ἁλὸς καὶ πηγάνου καὶ μέλιτος. σὺν ὄξει δὲ ἐν ἡλίῳ καταχρισθεὶς ἀλφοὺς ἰᾶται, μετ’ ἴσου δὲ σποδίου ψωροφθαλμίας παύει, καὶ ἰόνθους σὺν ἁλσὶ στέλλει. σὺν ὀρνιθείῳ δὲ στέατι πρὸς ἐκτρίμματα ὑποδημάτων χρήσιμος καὶ πρὸς δυσηκοίαν καὶ συριγμοὺς καὶ πυορροοῦντα ὦτα ὁ χυλὸς καὶ ὕδατος <ἐν>απολήμψεις, καὶ πρὸς ἀλωπεκίας παρατριβόμενος· τάχιον γὰρ ἁλκυονίου προκαλεῖται τρίχας· ἔστι δὲ καὶ κεφαλαλγές. πλείονα δὲ βρωθέντα ἐν νόσοις ληθάργους ποιεῖ, ἑψηθέντα δὲ οὐρητικώτερα γίνεται.

English translation: based on LY Beck, Pedanius Dioscorides of Anazarbus, De materia medica. 3rd Hildesheim, 2017, pp. 153-154.

The onion: the long onion is sharper than the round, the yellow sharper than the white, the dry sharper than the fresh, and the raw sharper than either the cooked or the pickled. All onions are pungent and apt to cause flatulence; they stimulate the appetite, they attenuate, they are thirst-making, they cause nausea, they cleanse, they ease the bowel, they are good for opening outlets for various secretions as well as for hemorrhoids, and they are used as suppositories peeled and dipped in olive oil. Their juice smeared on with honey helps for dim­sightedness, albugo, cloud-like opacities that begin to become suffused, and for sore throats when daubed on. It moves menstruation, it clears the head when poured down the nose, and in combination with salt, rue, and honey, it is used as a poultice for people bitten by dogs. Rubbed on in the sun with vinegar, it cures dull-white leprosies; combined with an equal amount of ashes, it stops blepharitis, and with salt it checks pimples. Combined with chicken fat the juice is useful for abrasions caused by shoes, as well as for hardness of hearing, for singing in the ears, for purulent ears, for water in the ears, and for bald spots when rubbed on. For it challenges hair to grow faster than bastard-sponge. But it also causes headaches. Onions make the sick lethargic if they should eat too many. When boiled, they become more diuretic

Did you know?

It seems that if onions – as well as garlic, chives, or leeks – are planted near roses, the scent of the rose is enhanced!