0"T' LAERT> "! - USP

108 ANCIENT TIMES.
in addition to these things dyes for the hair, applications
to improve the complexion and other articles for the
toilet* But in general the doctors only cared to buy the
simple drugs required for making up their prescriptions.
The fear of being cheated by having damaged or adul- ,
terated goods sold them induced many to acquire drugs at
first hand or themselves to collect and prepare them. GALEN
undertook even long journeys for this purpose: he also
caused drugs to be sent to him from the countries which
produced them, through the hands of trustworthy friends
so as to be sure that they were genuine.f This care was
necessary, for the adulteration of drugs was systematically
carried out, and it was not even possible to get pure in
Rome the balsam-juice produced in the royal domain of
Engaddi in Palestine and which was a state monopoly.
The drugs for the Court were on this account collected
under the supervision of officials, packed in paper, furnished
with a label giving the name of the plant and sometimes
the place where it was found : they were then sent
to Rome and kept there in special storehouses. J These
contained such a stock of drugs that after satisfying the
needs of the Court, some could be sold thence to private.
persons. This however was by no means sufficient to
materially injure the trade in adulterated articles. The
adulterations, for the rest, were not effected so much by
the druggists as by the purveyors and simplers who
brought the plants from the mountains to the city.§ The
adulterations were effected so skilfully that the most
experienced connoisseurs, as GALEN says,|| were deceived
and considered the goods pure. He himself in his youth,
as he narrates,^ had received instruction from a man who
occupied himself with rectifying such adulterations, and
paid him a large fee for being initiated into these secrets.
Being well acquainted himself with the whole matter he
* PLINIUS op. cit."xxx\v, 25. t GALEN xii, 216. xiv, 7 et seq.
X GALEN xiv, 9, 25, 79. § GALEN xiii, 571. || GALEN xiv, 7.
*ft GALEN xii, 216.