Pilulae Sine Quibus
‘Pills without which I would not be’

Tradition:

Western, Unani

Source / Author:

Nicholas

Herb Name	Latin	Amount *
Aloe Rosata *	Aloe Rosata	14 drams
Scammony prepared	Convovulus scammonia	6 drams
Chebulic Myrobalan	Terminalia chebula
Belleric Myrobalan	Terminalia bellerica
Emblic Myrobalan	Emblica officinalis
Black Myrobalan	Terminalia chebula (black)
Yellow Myrobalan	Terminalia chebula (yellow)
Rhubarb	Rheum palmatum
Mastic	Pistacia lentiscus
Senna	Cassia angustifolia
Wormwood	Artemisia absinthum
Rose	Rosa gallica
Violet	Viola odorata
Troches of Agaric	Fomitopsis officinalis
Dodder	Cuscuta europea	1 dram ea.

* Aloe prepared with Rose juice

Preparation:

Beat the Scammony and Mastic apart, then add them to the other herbs and roots (except Aloes) which have been powdered together. Depurate about 4 oz. of the Juice of Fennel, and boiled to an Electuary with Honey. Melt the Aloes in this, rubbing both together in a warm Brass Mortar, adding the other powders little by little, and beat them well to a Pill Mass, from which, form pills.

Function:

Purges Mixed Humors (Phlegm, Bile and Melancholy), especially from the Head Chest and Upper Body, but were also used for the Liver, Kidneys and Stomach

Use:

1. Headache
2. Arthritis
3. Poor or failing Eyesight, dimness of Sight
4. Deafness
5. Tinnitus
6. Chronic and stubborn Fever
7. Can be used periodically in the treatment of various chronic disease

Dose:

1 scruple–1 dram on an empty stomach

Comment:

‘These Pills are variously prescribed in several Dispensatories, especially as to the quantities of the Medicaments: But they that will take the pains to consider the Receipt, must acknowledge that it is not inferior to any of the rest, provided it be well prepared’. (The Royal Pharmacopeia [of France], Charras, 1678)
Regarded as a “detergent” formula, cleansing excess Humors from the Head in particular.

Cautions:

None noted

Modifications:

1. Some version omitted Scammony; others omitted Agaric and Dodder.
2. A reformed French Version omitted the Myrobalans, but doubled the amount of Agaric, Rhubarb and Senna to 2 drams; it also used seeds of Violet and Dodder.
3. Triphala (Three Myrobalans) could be used in place of 5 Myrobalans.
4. Gonorrhea, add Rhubarb, Camphor and form into pills with Turpentine.