Making a proper theriac takes months. The recipe calls for plants collected in season, and the distillation or fermentation of herbs, animal flesh and other ingredients. It's left to mature for years. Since the 1st century AD, theriac is an expensive potion available only to the rich.
The roots of theriac can be connected to the ancient Egyptian kyphi recipe, used for both ritual and medicinal purposes. This miracle potion or alexipharmic is antidote for a variety of poisons and diseases, similar to a panacea.
Theriac or theriaca gets its name from Greeks of the first century AD. The tonic is widely adopted in the ancient world. It travels as far as Persia, China and India on trade routes such as the Silk Roads.
Early ingredients are known to include:
honey
flesh of wild animals, esp. reptiles
dried scorpion
mashed viper
leaven (ie yeast)
According to physician Galen (130 - 210 AD), theriac reaches greatest potency six years after making, and preserves its benefits for 40 years. Galen is the one whose Four Humors theory leads to the popularity of bleeding with leeches up until the mid-1800s.
Due to length of time to make it, it's recommended to prepare large quantities. In 1712, 150 kg of theriac is made at one time in the Netherlands. By the Renaissance, theriac production is an official ceremony, especially in Italy. Pharmacists sell it up to end of the 19th century.
Legend traces the history of theriac back to King Mithridates VI of Pontus, south of the Black Sea. He experiments with poisons and antidotes on his prisoners. Through toxicology research, he claims to find a remedy for every venomous creature and toxic substance.
He then combines all the effective antidotes to create a concoction mithridatium or mithridate, which includes
... and more.
His medical records falls into Roman hands, and Romans start using them. Andromachus, the physician of Emperor Nero, enhances mithridatum by increasing the number of ingredients from forty to sixty-five.
Mithridate or mithridatum is also an antidote for poisoning. Its mystical history, complex recipe and suggested properties makes it one of the desirable drugs of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Especially in Italy and France mithridate is in continual use for centuries.
Roasted aged viper's flesh is a primary ingredient. Use of viper is due to the belief snakes have antitoxins within their bodies to protect from self-poisoning. In Chinese medicine, snake wine is an alcoholic drink made infusing venomous snakes in rice wine or grain alcohol.
Snake wine is first recorded in China during the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 1040 - 770 BCE). In traditional Chinese medicine it's believed to reinvigorate a person. In countries scorpions or sea horses may also be used. Sea horses are mildly venomous, not enough to hurt a human.
Roman Empress Agrippina takes a poisoning antidote in anticipation of her son Nero trying to poison her. She's right. He makes three attempts, but she either finds out about it, or the antidote works, as Nero has to go to extreme lengths to finally get rid of his mother.
Greek physician Galen devotes a whole book Theriaké to theriac. One of his patients, Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, takes the antitoxin on a regular basis. Marcus Aurelius dies suddenly at the age of 59 of suspected poisoning.
The Black Death popularizes theriac, especially due to its use of venomous snakes and contemporary religious views. Some feel the plague is sent by God as a punishment for sin, and the plague originates in pestilential serpents who poison the rivers.
During the Black Death, Gentile da Foligno recommends theriac aged for a year and applied as salve. In 1669, French apothecary Moyse Charas destroys the Venetian monopoly on theriac by publishing the Italian formula.
As the theriac often contains opium or similar substances, it gives a sublime feeling or boost of energy, common in Elixirs of Life. With some health properties a theriac can have beneficial effects against pain, coughing and other complaints.
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