Materia Medica in Arabic & Persian, Shirazy, 1793

Cordials and Cardiacs are medicines appropriated to the Heart. The term Cordial is derived from the Latin base Cor, meaning Heart. Cordials are generally medicines which soothe the Heart and settle the Spirit, whereas Cardiacs relate to all medicines for the Heart.

Aphorisms on Cardiacs, collected by Culpeper, (Composita, 1656):

• As the Brain is the seat of the senses, so is the Heart of the Affections [emotions], it is also the fountain of Life, and the original of Heat
• Its properties are two. 1. To give life to the body by its Heat. 2. To give vigor to the Will by its affections
• Such things as cheer the Mind, strengthen the Heart it self, or refresh the Spirits, are called Cordials.
• Yet are not the Cordials of one and the same nature, for whereas the Heart is variously troubled, either with anger, or love, or fear, or hatred, or sadness, or other affections, it is refreshed either by temperating or taking away the same.
• The Heart is afflicted by too much Heat, by Poisons, by filthy vapors.
• Against these the Heart is assisted in a three-fold manner, viz. by cooling the heat of Fever, resisting Poison, and strengthening the Heart by a peculiar property.
• Neither do they all operate after one and the same manner; for some strengthen the Heart against poison in general, others by a certain antipathy, are opposed to one particular kind of Poison.
• Such things as strengthen the Heart, do it either by planetary influence, which Doctors call a hidden [occult] way… Or else they do it by similitude of substance. Or else by a forcible drawing away of what offends it.

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Warming Cardiacs

Amomum	Cardamon
Cinnamon	Clove
Cubeb	Zedoary
Nutmeg	Mace
Galangal	Costus
Aloeswood	Doronicum
Calamus	Spikenard
Saffron	Calendula
Elecampane	Angelica
Scorzonera	Dittany
Red Behen	White Behen
Chebulic Myrobalan	Belleric Myrobalan
Butterbur	Basil
Frankincense	Avens
Indian Spikenard	Citron peel
Rosemary	Sage
Mint	Balm
Motherwort	Calamint
Lily of the Valley	Blessed Thistle
Benzoin	Storax
Orange peel confected	Confected Scorzonera
Amber	Musk

Warming Cardiac Compounds

Diambra	Electuary of Gems
Diamargariton Calidum	Electuary Regia
Diacinnamonum	Cordial Powder
Letificans Galenii	Powder of Crabs Claw
Dianthos	Confectio Alkermes
Aromaticum Rosatum	Pleres Arconticum
Rosata Nouvelle	Diamoschu Dulce
Electuary of Citron	Gallia Moschata
Diathamaron Magna	Alipta Muscata
Mithridate	Theriac

Cooling Cardiacs

4 Greater Cold Seeds
4 Cordial Flowers
5 Precious Stones

Basil seed	Poppy seed
Rose	Violet
Borage	Bugloss
Water Lily	Sandalwood
Chicory	Endive
Emblic Myrobalan	Sorrel
Myrtle	Plantain seed
Coriander	Pomegranate fruit
Quince seed	Cherry
Lemon	Currant
Apple	Camphor
Quince	Tabasheer
Pearl	Mother of Pearl
Amber	Red Coral
Sealed Earth	Red Earth
Ruby	Lapis Lazuli burnt
Gold	Silver
Burnt Deer horn	Bone of a Stags Heart
Ivory	Unicorn (Narwhal) horn
Silkworm Cocoon	Bezoar

Cooling Cardiac Compounds

Sugar & Syrup of Violet	Sugar, Syrup, Honey of Rose
Syrup of Lemon	Syrup of Pomegranate
Syrup of Apple	Syrup of Quince
Syrup of Water Lily	Syrup of Sorrel juice
Syrup of Vinegar	Vinegar of Rose
Diarrhodon Abbatis	Diamargariton Frigidum
Manus Christi Perlata	Diatrisantalum
Confection of Hyacinth	Troches of Red Earth
Troches of Spodium	Troches of Camphor

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