عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَسَّانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِهْزَمٌ فَقَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) ادْعُ لَنَا الْجَارِيَةَ تَجِئْنَا بِدُهْنٍ وَ كُحْلٍ فَدَعَوْتُ بِهَا فَجَاءَتْ بِقَارُورَةِ بَنَفْسَجٍ وَ كَانَ يَوْماً شَدِيدَ الْبَرْدِ فَصَبَّ مِهْزَمٌ فِي رَاحَتِهِ مِنْهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ هَذَا بَنَفْسَجٌ وَ هَذَا الْبَرْدُ الشَّدِيدُ فَقَالَ وَ مَا بَالُهُ يَا مِهْزَمُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ مُتَطَبِّبِينَا بِالْكُوفَةِ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ الْبَنَفْسَجَ بَارِدٌ فَقَالَ هُوَ بَارِدٌ فِي الصَّيْفِ لَيِّنٌ حَارٌّ فِي الشِّتَاءِ .
6. Ali ibn Hassan has narrated from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir who has said the following: “Once I was with abu ‘Abd Allah , when Mehzam came to visit him (the Imam) and abu ‘Abd Allah , said to me, ‘Call the slave-girl to bring for us oil.’ I called her, she brought a bottle of viola, and it was a cold day. Mehzam poured a certain amount on his palm, then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, this is viola and the day is very cold.’ He (the Imam) asked, ‘What about it, O Mehzam?’ He replied, ‘Our physicians in al-Kufah think that viola is of cold nature.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is cool in summer and it is soft and warm in winter.’” 