Delphi Complete Works of Pliny the Elder
Page 187
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CHAP. 22.
TRIPOLIUM : THREE REMEDIES.
Tripolium is a plant found growing upon cliffs on the sea-shore against which the waves break, springing up, so to say, neither upon dry land nor in the sea. The leaves are like those of isatis, only thicker; the stem is a palm in height and divided at the extremity, and the root white, thick, and odoriferous, with a warm flavour; it is recommended for diseases of the liver, boiled with spelt. This plant is thought by some to be identical with polium, of which we have already spoken in the appropriate place.
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CHAP. 23.
THE GROMPHÆNA.
Gromphæna is the name of a plant, the stem of which is covered with leaves of a green and rose colour, arranged alter- nately. The leaves of it are administered in oxycrate, in cases of spitting of blood.
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CHAP. 24.
THE MALUNDRUM : TWO REMEDIES.
For diseases of the liver the malundrum is prescribed, a plant which grows in meadows and corn-fields, with a white odoriferous flower. The stem is diminutive, and is beaten up in old wine.
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CHAP. 25.
CHALCETUM; TWO REMEDIES. MOLEMONIUM; ONE REMEDY.
Chalcetum also is the name of a plant, which is pounded with grape husks and applied topically, for the cure of liver complaints. Root of betony acts as a gentle emetic, taken in the same way as hellebore, in doses of four drachmæ in raisin wine or honied wine. Hyssop, too, is beaten up with honey for similar purposes; but it is more efficacious if nasturtium or irio is taken first.
Molemonium is used as an emetic, being taken in doses of one denarius; the same, too, with sillybum. Both of these plants have a milky juice, which thickens like gum, and is taken with honey in the proportions above-mentioned, being particularly good for carrying off bile. On the other hand, vomiting is arrested by the use of wild cummin or powdered betony, taken in water. Crudities and distaste for food are dispelled, and the digestion promoted by employing daucus, powdered betony taken in hydromel, or else plantago boiled like greens. Hiccup is arrested by taking hemionium or aristolochia, and asthma by the use of clymenus. For pleurisy and peripneumony, the greater centaury is used, or else hyssop, taken in drink. Juice of peucedanum is also good for pleurisy.
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CHAP. 26.
HALUS OR COTONEA: FIVE REMEDIES,
The plant halus, by the people of Gaul called “sil,” and by the Veneti “cotonea,” is curative of pains in the side, affections of the kidneys, ruptures, and convulsions. It resembles cunila bubula in appearance, and the tops of it are like those of thyme. It is of a sweet flavour, and allays thirst; the roots of it are sometimes white, sometimes black.
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CHAP. 27.
THE CHAMSHOPS: ONE REMEDY. THE STŒCHAS: ONE REMEDY.
The chamærops, also, is similarly efficacious for pains in the side. It is a plant with leaves like those of myrtle, arranged in pairs around the stem, the heads of it resembling those of the Greek rose: it is taken in wine. Agaric, administered in drink, in the same manner as for cough, assuages sciatica and pains in the vertebræ: the same, too, with powdered stœchas or betony, taken in hydromel.
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CHAP. 28. (8.)
REMEDIES FOR DISEASES OF THE BELLY.
But it is the belly, for the gratification of which the greater part of mankind exist, that causes the most suffering to man. Thus, for instance, at one time it will not allow the aliments to pass, while at another it is unable to retain them. Sometimes, again, it either cannot receive the food, or, if it can, cannot digest it; indeed, such are the excesses practised at the present day, that it is through his aliment, more than anything else, that man hastens his end. This receptacle, more troublesome to us than any other part of the body, is ever craving, like some importunate creditor, and makes its calls repeatedly in the day. It is for its sake, more particularly, that avarice is so insatiate, for its sake that luxury is so refined, for its sake that men voyage to the shores even of the Phasis, for its sake that the very depths of the ocean are ransacked. And yet, with all this, no one ever gives a thought how abject is the condition of this part of our body, how disgusting the results of its action upon what it has received! No wonder then, that the belly should have to be indebted to the aid of medicine in the very highest degree
Scordotis, fresh-gathered and beaten up, in doses of one drachma, with wine, arrests flux of the bowels; an effect equally produced by a decoction of it taken in drink. Polemonia, too, is given in wine for dysentery, or two fingers’ length of root of verbascum, in water; seed of nymlphæa heraclia, in wine; the upper root of xiphion, in (loses of one drachma, in vinegar; seed of plantago, beaten up in wine ; plantago itself boiled in vinegar, or else a pottage of alica mixed with the juice of the plant; plantago boiled with lentils ; plantago dried and powdered, and sprinkled in drink, with parched poppies pounded; juice of plantago, used as an injection, or taken in drink ; or betony taken in wine heated with a red-hot iron. For cœliac affections, betony is taken in astringent wine, or iberis is applied topically, as alrealdy stated. For tenesmus, root of nymphæa heraclia is taken in wine, or else psyllion in water, or a decoction of root of acoron. Juice of aizoüm arrests diarrhœa and dysentery, and expels round tape-worm. Root of symphytum, taken in wine, arrests diarrhœa and dysentery, and daucus has a similar effect. Leaves of aizoüm beaten up in wine, and dried alcea powdered and taken in wine, are curative of griping pains in the bowels.
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CHAP. 29.
THE ASTRAGALUS: SIX REMEDIES.
Astragalus is the name of a plant which has long leaves. with numerous incisions, and running aslant near the root. The stems are three or four in number, and covered with leaves: the flower is like that of the hyacinth, and the roots are red, hairy, matted, and remarkably hard. It grows on stony local- ities, equally exposed to the sun and to falls of snow, those in the vicinity of Pheneus in Arcadia, for instance. Its properties are highly astringent; the root of it, taken in wine, arrests looseness of the bowels, having the additional effect of throw- ing downward the aqueous humours, and so acting as a diuretic; a property, in fact, which belongs to most substances which act astringently upon the bowels.
Bruised in red wine, this plant is curative of dysentery; it is only bruised, however, with the greatest difficulty. It is extremely useful, also, as a fomentation for gum-boils. The end of autumn is the time for gathering it, after the leaves are off; it being then. left to dry in the shade.
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CHAP. 30.
LADANUM: EIGHTEEN REMEDIES
Diarrhœa may be also arrested by the use of either kind of ladanum. The kind which is found in corn-fields is pounded for this purpose, and then passed through a sieve, being taken either in hydromel, or in wine of the highest quality. “Ledon” is the name of the plant from which ladanum is obtained in Cyprus, it being found adhering to the beard of the goats there; the most esteemed, however, is that of Arabia. At the present day, it is prepared in Syria and Africa also, being known as “toxicum,” from the circumstance that in gathering it, they pass over the plant a bow, with the string stretched, and covered with wool, to which the dewlike flocks of lada- num adhere. We have described it at further length, when treating of the perfumes.
This substance has a very powerful odour, and is hard in the extreme; for, in fact, there is a considerable quantity of earth adhering to it: it is most esteemed when in a pure state, aromatic, soft, green, and resinous. It is of an emollient, desiccative, and ripening nature, and acts as a narcotic: it prevents the hair from falling off, and preserves its dark colour. In combination with hydromel or oil of roses, it is used as an injection for the ears; with the addition of salt, it is employed for the cure of furfuraceous eruptions of the skin, and for runn
ing ulcers. Taken with storax, it is good for chronic cough; it is also extremely efficacious as a carminative.
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CHAP. 31.
CHONDRIS OR PSEUDODICTAMNON: ONE REMEDY. HYPO- CISTHIS OR OROBETHRON; TWO VARIETIES: EIGHT REMEDIES.
Chondris, too, or pseudodictamnon, acts astringently on the bowels. Hypocisthis, by some known also as “orobethron,” is similar to an unripe pomegranate in appearance; it grows, as already stated, beneath the cisthus, whence its name. Dried in the shade, and taken in astringent, red wine, these plants arrest diarrhœa — for there are two kinds of hypocisthis, it must be remembered, the white and the red. It is the juice of the plant that is used, being of an astringent, desiccative, nature: that of the red kind, however, is the best for fluxes of the stomach. Taken in drink, in doses of three oboli, with amylum, it arrests spitting of blood; and, employed either as a potion or as an injection, it is useful for dysentery. Vervain, too, is good for similar complaints, either taken in water, or, when there are no symptoms of fever, in Aminean wine, the proportion being five spoonfuls to three cyathi of wine.
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CHAP. 32.
LAVER OR SION: TWO REMEDIES.
Laver, too, a plant which grows in streams, preserved and boiled, is curative of griping pains in the bowels.
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CHAP. 33.
POTAMOGITON: EIGHT REMEDIES. THE STATICE: THREE REMEDIES.
Potamogeton, too, taken in wine, is useful for dysentery and cœliac affections: it is a plant similar to beet in the leaves, but smaller and more hairy, and rising but little above the surface of the water. It is the leaves that are used, being of a refreshing, astringent nature, and particularly good for diseases of the legs, and, with honey or vinegar, for corrosive ulcers.
Castor has given a different description of this plant. According to him, it has a smaller leaf, like horse-hair, with a long, smooth, stem, and grows in watery localities. With the root of it he used to treat scrofulous sores and indurations. Potamogiton neutralizes the effects of the bite of the crocodile; hence it is that those who go in pursuit of that animal, are in the habit of carrying it about them.
Achillea also arrests looseness of the bowels; an effect equally produced by the statice, a plant with seven heads, like those of the rose, upon as many stems.
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CHAP. 34.
THE CERATIA: TWO REMEDIES. LEONTOPODION, LEU- CEORON, DORIPETRON, OR THORYBETHRON. LAGOPUS: THREE REMEDIES.
The ceratia is a plant with a single leaf, and a large knotted root: taken with the food, it is curative of cœliac affections and dysentery.
Leontopodion, a plant known also as “leuceoron,” “doripetron,” or “thorybethron,” has a root which acts astringently upon the bowels and carries off bile, being taken in doses of two denarii in hydromel. It grows in champaign localities with a poor soil: the seed, taken in drink, produces night-mare, it is said, in the sleep.
Lagopus arrests diarrhœa, taken in wine, or, if there are symptoms of fever, in water. This plant is attached to the groin, for tumours in that part of the body: it grows in cornfields. Many persons recommend, in preference to anything else, for desperate cases of dysentery, a decoction of roots of cinquefoil in milk, or else aristolochia, in the proportion of one victoriatus to three cyathi of wine. In the case of the preparations above-mentioned, which are recommended to be taken warm, it will be the best plan to heat them with a red-hot iron.
On the other hand, again, the juice of the smaller centaury acts as a purgative upon the bowels, and carries off bile, taken, in doses of one drachma, in one hemina of water with a little salt and vinegar. The greater centaury is curative of griping pains in the bowels. Betony, also, has a laxative effect, taken in the proportion of four drachmæ to nine cyathi of hydromel: the same, too, with euphorbia or agaric, taken, in doses of two drachmæ, with a little salt, in water, or else in three oboli of honied wine. Cyclaminos, also, is a purgative, either taken in water or used as a suppository; the same, too, with chamæ- cissos, employed as a suppository. A handful of hyssop, boiled down to one third with salt, or beaten up with oxymel and salt, and applied to the abdomen, promotes pituitous evacuations, and expels intestinal worms. Root also of peu- cedanum carries off pituitous humours and bile.
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CHAP. 35.
EPITHYMON OR HIPPOPHEOS: EIGHT REMEDIES.
The two kinds of anagallis, taken in hydromel, are purgative; the same, too, with epithymon, which is the blossom of a sort of thyme similar to savory; the only difference being that the flower of this plant is nearer grass green, while that of the other thyme is white. Some persons call it “hippopheos.” This plant is by no means wholesome to the stomach, as it is apt to cause vomiting, but at the same time it disperses flatulency and gripings of the bowels. It is taken also, in the form of an electuary, for affections of the chest, with honey, or in some cases, with iris. Taken in doses of from four to six drachmæ, with honey and a little salt and vinegar, it relaxes the bowels.
Some persons, again, give a different description of epithymon: according to them, it is a plant without a root, diminutive, and bearing a flower resembling a small hood, and of a red colour. They tell us, too, that it is dried in the shade and taken in water, in doses of half an acetabulum; and that it has a slightly laxative effect upon the bowels, and carries off the pituitous humours and bile. Nymphæa is taken for similar purposes, in astringent wine.
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CHAP. 36.
PYCNOCOMON; FOUR REMEDIES.
Pycnocomon, too, is a purgative. It is a plant with leaves like those of rocket, only thicker and more acrid; the root is round, of a yellow colour, and with an earthy smell. The stem is quadrangular, of a moderate length, thin, and surmounted with a flower like that of ocimum. It is found growing in rough stony soils. The root, taken in doses of two denarii in hydromel, acts as a purgative upon the bowels, and effectually carries off bile and pituitous humours. The seed, taken in doses of one drachma in wine, is productive of dreams and restlessness. Capnos, too, carries off bile by the urine.
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CHAP. 37.
POLYPODION: THREE REMEDIES.
Polypodion, known to us by the name of “filicula,” bears some resemblance to fern. The root of it is used medicinally; being fibrous, and of a grass green colour within, about the thickness of the little finger, and covered with cavernous suckers like those on the arms of the polypus. This plant is of a sweetish taste, and is found growing among rocks and under trees. The root is steeped in water, and the juice extracted; sometimes, too, it is cut in small pieces and sprinkled upon cabbage, beet, mallows, or salt meat; or else it is boiled with pap, as a gentle aperient for the bowels, in cases of fever even. It carries off bile also and the pituitous humours, but acts injuriously upon the stomach. Dried and powdered and applied to the nostrils, it cauterizes polypus of the nose. It has neither seed nor flower.
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CHAP. 38.
SCAMMONY; EIGHT REMEDIES.
Scammony, also, is productive of derangement of the stomach. It carries off bile, and acts strongly as a purgative upon the bowels; unless, indeed, aloes are added, in the proportion of two drachmæ of aloes to two oboli of scammony. The drug thus called is the juice of a plant that is branchy from the root, and has unctuous, white, triangular, leaves, with a solid, moist root, of a nauseous flavour: it grows in rich white soils. About the period of the rising of the Dogstar, an excavation is made about the root, to let the juice collect: which done. it is dried in the sun and divided into tablets. The root itself, too, or the outer coat of it, is sometimes dried. The scammony most esteemed is that of Colophon, Mysia, and Priene. In appearance it ought to he smooth and shiny, and as much like bull glue as possible: it should present a fungous surface also, covered with minute holes; should melt with the greatest rapidity,
have a powerful smell, and be sticky like gum. When touched with the tongue, it should give out a white milky liquid; it ought also to be extremely light, and to turn white when melted.
This last feature is recognized in the spurious scammony also, a compound of meal of fitches and juice of marine tithy- malos, which is mostly imported from Judea, and is very apt to choke those who use it. The difference may be easily detected, however, by the taste, as tithymalos imparts a burning sensation to the tongue. To be fully efficacious, scammony should be two years old; before or after that age it is useless. It has been prescribed to be taken by itself also, in doses of four oboli, with hydromel and salt: but the most advantageous mode of using it is in combination with aloes, care being taken to drink honied wine the moment it begins to operate. The root, too, is boiled down in vinegar to the consistency of honey, and the decoction used as a liniment for leprosy. The head is also rubbed with this decoction, mixed with oil, for head-ache.