Mithridaticum and Mesir: The Story of an Antidote from Antiquity into Ottoman Times

The deadly and or beneficial effects of certain plants and animals were known from early times and in history possession of this knowledge was an element in the power struggles between ruling classes. King Mithradates VI Eupator of the Mithradatic Dynasty and his famous ‘antidote’ Mithridaticum against poisoning are frequently encountered and amongst the first to be mentioned in sources concerning medical history. After the occupation of the Mithradatic fortresses by the Romans, some books from Mithradates’ library were brought to Rome and translated into Latin. This enabled this antidote of 54 ingredients to become widely known. Because one of the primary sources of classical Ottoman medicine was based upon the studies of Ibn-i Sina, known in the West as Avicenna, and of other Muslim physicians, we find mithridaticum also mentioned in Ottoman medical books. Some medical historians claim that mithridaticum gradually evolved into “mesir”. In Ottoman folklore the mesir tradition was mostly associated with the personality of Merkez Efendi. When Hafize Sultan, Süleyman the Magnificent’s mother, fell ill during the time when he was a prince in Manisa, Merkez Efendi, a physician in the hospital, healed her with the mesir paste he had prepared. And then there was the tradition of distributing mesir paste composed of 41 ingredients to people at the annual Newroz celebrations so that everybody could benefit from it. Mesir festivals are still organized today and are celebrated every March, remaining popular over the course of more than five centuries.