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Opodeldoc is a sort of liniment invented, or at least named, by the physician Paracelsus. Paracelsus's opodeldoc was a mixture of soap in alcohol, to which camphor and sometimes a number of herbal essences, most notably wormwood, were added. Paracelsus's recipe forms the basis for most later versions of liniment.〔Michael Quinion, ''World Wide Words'', (May 27, 2006 )〕 Kurt Peters speculates that the curious name ''opodeldoc'' was concocted by Paracelsus from syllables from the words "''opo''ponax, b''del''lium, and aristol''och''ia." ''Opoponax'' is a variety of myrrh; ''bdellium'' is ''Commiphora wightii'', which produces a similar resin; and ''Aristolochia'' is a widely distributed genus which includes ''Aristolochia pfeiferi'', ''Aristolochia rugosa'' and ''Aristolochia trilobata'' that are used in folk medicine to cure snakebites. The name suggests that these aromatic plants may have figured in Paracelsus's recipe.〔Burton R. Pollin, "Poe’s Literary Use of 'Oppodeldoc' and Other Patent Medicines", Poe Studies, December 1971, vol. IV, no. 2, ( 4:30-32 )〕 The Pharmacopoeia of the United States (U.S.P.) gives a recipe for opodeldoc that contains: * Powdered soap, 60 grams; * Camphor, 45 grams; * Oil of rosemary, 10 milliliters; * Alcohol, 700 milliliters; * Water, enough to make 1000 milliliters The name ''Old Opodeldoc'' was formerly used as a standard name for a stock character who was a physician, especially when played as a comic figure. Edgar Allan Poe used "Oppodeldoc" as a pseudonym for a character in the short story "The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq."〔 Steer's Opodeldoc was a patent medicine that was widely promoted during Poe's life. As late as the early 1990s 'Epideldoc'(sic) was made up on demand by several pharmacists in the Northwest of England. Josef Švejk, protagonist of Jaroslav Hašek's novel ''The Good Soldier Švejk'', treats his rheumatism with Opodeldoc. ==References== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Opodeldoc」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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