1. Surugen.-The Arabic writers introduced a new term, "Surugen", with many variations of spelling. John Mesue (928-1018), in his "De re medicina libri tres" (Ruegg, 1936), spoke of "the Hermodactyl or Surugen", making the two synonymous. Mesue recommended it particularly for diseases of the joints and was the first to mention that the corm must be dried for 6 months before being used, fresh corms being "extremely poisonous"
2. Abu Mansur (10th cent. A. D.) spoke of "Surindschan" (Riiegg, 1936). Avicenna (980-1037) referred to "Hermodactyl or Surengian" and stated that it was a root with white or yellow flowers, was good for podagra, and, as recommended by Alexander of Tralles, was best given with carminatives and cathartics
3. Other Arabic writers are mentioned by Ruegg (1936); Ibn-El-Beithar (1197-1248), for example, considered Hermodactyl and Surugen to be identical, but Serapion Junior (11th cent. A. D.) is most notable for our purpose because he made all the terms synonymous. Serapion said that "Surugen is Hermodactyl" and that "Hermodactyl, which is also called Achimeron"
4. Hieronymus Brunschwig (1450-1539), an Alsatian army surgeon, in his "Distillierbuch", for example, said that "wild saffron is the corm of Hermodactyl or Zeitlose". He followed Mesue in stressing the fact that it is dangerous if not dried long enough. The "Hortus Sanitatis" (Ruegg, 1936), a herbal with many wood-cuts, published in Mainz in 1485, made the problem appear quite simple by stating that the zeitlose was the hermodactyl of the Latins, the achimeron or colinticon of the Greeks, and the sturagen or Surumen of the Arabs, and that it was good for gout and dropsy and might be used externally with benefit in a number of conditions. Other authors, including Otto Brunfels (1488-1534), one of the fathers of botany, who wrote an "Herbarium or Lexicon of Medical Simples"
5. Thus we see that the Arabs apparently accepted sertations on the subject (Lewis, 1761; Home, 1780; the opinion that the terms were synonymous, while Blackmore, 1726; Hill, 1769; Cadogan, 1772; during the early mediaeval period the Western world Heberden, 1802; and Kinglake, 1804), but none seemed silent on the subject. From the 15th mentioned colchicum or hermodactyl. Horace century, however, the argument raged vigorously as Walpole wrote endlessly on gout and its treatment, to the identity of these terms. Unless new evidence but never on colchicum. Benjamin Franklin had is uncovered it seems doubtful whether the congout himself and refers to its treatment, but makes troversy will ever be settled. It is the author's no mention of the drug. Stephen Francis Geoffroy opinion that the circumstantial evidence is in favour considered colchicum, Herbstzeitlosen knollen, and of the terms being identical