Pedanius Dioscorides, De Materia Medica
This image is from a 1554 copy of the first century pharmaceutical text De Materia Medica by the Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides. It catalogs 959 substances, including 141 to bring on menstruation, 49 to expel an embryo and nine others to expel a dead embryo, 18 to terminate an embryo, and six to cause abortion. This includes information on birthwort, which can be used to induce abortion. Dioscorides states that it can be taken by mouth or as a vaginal pessary with pepper and myrrh.