Book XXIII. The Remedies Derived from the Cultivated Trees.

Chaps. 1-19.

Chap. 1. (1.)—Introduction.

We have now set forth the various properties, medicinal or otherwise, as well of the cereals as of the other productions which lie upon [In contradistinction to the fruits which hang from trees.] the surface of the earth, for the purpose either of serving us for food, or for the gratification of our senses with their flowers or perfumes. In the trees, however, Pomona has entered the lists with them, and has imparted certain medicinal properties to the fruits as they hang. Not content with protecting and nourishing, under the shadow of the trees, the various plants which we have [See B. xvii. c. 18.] already described, she would even appear to be indignant, as it were, at the thought that we should derive more succour from those productions which are further removed from the canopy of heaven, and which have only come into use in times comparatively recent. For she bids man bear in mind that it was the fruits of the trees which formed his first nourishment, and that it was these which first led him to look upwards towards the heavens: and not only this, but she reminds him, too, that even still it is quite possible for him to derive his aliment from the trees, without being indebted to grain for his subsistence.

Chap. 2.—The Vine.

But, by Hercules! it is the vine more particularly to which she has accorded these medicinal properties, as though she were not contented with her generosity in providing it with such delicious flavours, and perfumes, and essences, in its omphacium, its œnanthe, and its massaris, preparations upon which we have already [In B. xii. cc. 60 and 61.] enlarged. “It is to me,” she says, “that man is indebted for the greater part of his enjoyments, it is I that produce for him the flowing wine and the trickling oil, it is I that ripen the date and other fruits in numbers so varied; and all this, not insisting, like the earth, on their purchase at the cost of fatigues and labours. No necessity do I create for ploughing with the aid of oxen, for beating out upon the threshing-floor, or for bruising under the millstone, and all in order that man may earn his food at some indefinite time by this vast expenditure of toil. As for me, all my gifts are presented to him ready prepared: for no anxieties or fatigues do they call, but, on the contrary, they offer themselves spontaneously, and even fall to the ground, if man should be too indolent to reach them as they hang.” Vying even with herself, Pomona has done still more for our practical advantage than for the mere gratification of our pleasures and caprices.

Chap. 3.—The Leaves and Shoots of the Vine: Seven Remedies.

[All this passage is found in Dioscorides, B. v. c. 1, who probably borrowed it from the same sources as our author.] The leaves and shoots of the vine, employed with polenta, allay head-ache and reduce inflammations: [Fée remarks, that all the statements here made as to the medicinal properties of the vine are entirely unfounded, except that with reference to the bark of the vine: as it contains a small quantity of tannin, it might possibly, in certain cases, arrest hæmorrhage.] the leaves, too, applied by themselves with cold water, are good for burning pains in the stomach; and, used with barley-meal, are excellent applications for diseases of the joints. The shoots, beaten up and applied, have the property of drying up all kinds of running tumours, and the juice extracted from them is used as an injection for the cure of dysentery. The tears of the vine, which would appear to be a sort of gum, will heal leprous sores, lichens, and itch-scabs, if treated first with nitre: used with oil, and applied frequently to superfluous hairs, they act as a depilatory, those more particularly which exude from the vine when burnt in a green state: this last liquid has the effect, too, of removing warts. An infusion of the shoots in water, taken in drink, is good for persons troubled with spitting of blood, and for the fainting fits which sometimes ensue upon conception.

The bark of the vine and the dried leaves arrest the flowing of blood from wounds, and make the sores cicatrize more rapidly. The juice of the white vine, [This cannot be the bryony, Fée says, but simply a variety of the grape vine with white fruit. See further in c. of this Book.] extracted from it while green, effectually removes cutaneous [“Impetigines.”] eruptions. The ashes [Alkaline ashes, which would differ but very little, Fée says, from those of other vegetable productions.] of the cuttings of vines, and of the husks of the grapes, applied with vinegar, are curative of condylomata and diseases of the fundament; as also of sprains, burns, and swellings of the spleen, applied with rose-oil, rue, and vinegar. Used with wine, but without oil, they make a fomentation for erysipelas and parts of the body which are chafed; they act as a depilatory also. [This statement as to the caustic properties of the ashes is based upon truth.] For affections of the spleen the ashes of vine-cuttings, moistened with vinegar, are administered in drink, being taken in doses of two cyathi in warm water; after which the patient must take due care to lie upon the side in which the spleen is situate.

The tendrils, too, which the vine throws out as it climbs, beaten up in water and drunk, have the effect of arresting habitual vomiting. The ashes of the vine, used with stale axle-grease, are good for tumours, act as a detergent upon fistulas, and speedily effect a radical cure; the same, too, with pains and contractions of the sinews, occasioned by cold. Applied with oil, they are useful for contusions, and with vinegar and nitre, for fleshy excrescences upon the bones: in combination with oil, they are good, too, for wounds inflicted by scorpions and dogs. The ashes of the bark, employed by themselves, restore the hair to such parts of the body as have suffered from the action of fire.

Chap. 4.—Omphacium Extracted from the Vine: Fourteen Remedies.

We have already [In B. xii. c. 60.] mentioned, when speaking of the composition of unguents, how omphacium is made from the grape, when it is just beginning to form: we shall now proceed to speak of its medicinal properties. Omphacium heals ulcerations of the humid parts of the body, such as the mouth, tonsillary glands, and generative organs, for example; it is very good, too, for the sight, for rough spots upon the eyelids, ulcers at the corners of the eyes, films upon the eyes, running sores on all parts of the body, cicatrizations [Saracenus, upon Dioscorides, B. v. c. 6, thinks that Pliny, in copying from the Greek, has made a mistake here, and that he has taken οὖλον, the “gums,” for οὐλὴ, a “cicatrix;” the corresponding passage in Dioscorides being οὖλα πλαδαρὰ, “flaccidity,” or “humidity of the gums.”] slow in forming, and purulent discharges from the ears. The powerful action of omphacium is modified by the admixture of honey or raisin wine. It is very useful, too, for dysentery, spitting of blood, and quinsy.

Chap. 5.—Œnanthe: Twenty-one Remedies.

Next to omphacium comes œnanthe, a product of the wild vine, described by us already [In B. xii. c. 61. See also B. xiii. c. 2, B. xiv. c. 18, and B. xv. c. 7. Œnanthe, or vine-blossom, possesses no active medicinal properties, and the statements made here by Pliny are in all probability unfounded.] when treating of the unguents. The most esteemed kind is that of Syria, the produce of the white vine [Not the white vine, or Bryonia alba of modern botany, but probably some variety of the cultivated vine with white fruit. The flower of the bryony is inodorous, and would be of no utility in the composition of perfumes.] in the vicinity of the mountains of Antiochia and Laodicea in particular. Being of a cooling, astringent nature, it is used for sprinkling upon sores, and is employed as a topical application for diseases of the stomach. It acts also as a diuretic, and is good for maladies of the liver, head-ache, dysentery, cœliac affections, and attacks of cholera: for nausea, it is taken in doses of one obolus in vinegar. It acts as a desiccative upon running eruptions of the head, and is extremely efficacious for maladies of the humid parts of the body; hence it is that it is employed, with honey and saffron, for ulcers of the mouth, and for diseases of the generative organs and the fundament. It arrests looseness of the bowels, and heals eruptions of the eyelids and runnings at the eyes: taken with wine, it cures derangements of the stomach, and with cold water, spitting of blood.

The ashes of œnanthe are highly esteemed as an ingredient in eye-salves, and as a detergent for ulcers, whitlows, and hang-nails; [“Pterygia.”] to obtain these ashes, it is put into an oven, and left there till the bread is thoroughly baked.

As to massaris, [See B. xii. c. 61. It was prepared from vine-blossoms gathered in Africa.] it is used as a perfume only. The renown attached to all these preparations is due solely to the innate greediness of mankind, which has racked its invention to gather the productions of the earth before they have arrived at maturity.

Chap. 6.—Grapes, Fresh Gathered.

As to grapes when allowed to gain maturity, the black ones have more marked properties [This remark is founded, in a great measure, upon fact. The skin of the black grape contains a colouring principle in considerable abundance, and a small proportion of tannin; that of the white grape possesses no colouring principle, but a considerable quantity of tannin. The white grape contains more saccharine matter than the black one, and they are both of them of a laxative nature.] than the others; and hence it is, that the wine made from them is not so agreeable. The white grapes, on the other hand, are sweeter, for, being transparent, the air penetrates them with greater facility.

Grapes fresh gathered are productive of flatulency, and disturb the stomach and bowels; hence it is that they are avoided in fevers, in large quantities more particularly. Indeed, they are very apt to produce oppression of the head, and to bring on the malady known as lethargy. [Littré remarks, that under the name of “lethargus,” a febrile malady is probably meant, which belongs probably to the class of pseudo-continuous fevers.] Grapes which have been gathered, and left to hang for some time, are much less [Fée thinks that in reality there can be little or no difference in their effects, but that, being eaten in larger quantities at the vintage than afterwards, it stands to reason that the result will be different.] injurious, the exposure to the air rendering them beneficial even to the stomach, and refreshing to the patient, as they are slightly cooling, and tend to remove nausea and qualmishness.

Chap. 7.—Various Kinds of Preserved Grapes: Eleven Remedies.

Grapes which have been preserved in wine or in must are trying to the head. Next to the grapes which have been left to hang in the air, are those which have been kept in chaff; but as to those which have been preserved among grape husks, they are injurious [The fermentation, producing a certain amount of alcohol, would naturally produce this result.] to the head, the bladder, and the stomach, though at the same time they arrest looseness of the bowels, and are extremely good for patients troubled with spitting of blood. When preserved in must, they are worse even in their effects than when kept among husks; boiled [“Sapa:” must boiled down to one-third.] must, too, renders them injurious to the stomach. It is the opinion of medical writers, that grapes kept [This, as Fée remarks, is quite impossible; grapes put in rain-water would spoil immediately, and become totally unfit to eat.] in rain-water are the most wholesome of all, even though they are by no means agreeable eating; for the benefit of them is particularly experienced in burning pains of the stomach, biliousness arising from a disordered liver, vomiting of bile, and attacks of cholera, as also dropsy and burning fevers.

Grapes kept in earthen pots sharpen the taste, the stomach, and the appetite; it is thought, however, that they are rendered a little heavy [By the transformation, namely, of the juices into alcohol.] by the exhalations from the husks with which they are covered. [See B. xiv. c. 3.] If vine-blossoms are given to poultry, mixed with their food, they will never touch the grapes. [A notion quite unfounded, as Fée remarks. See B. xiv. c. 18.]

Chap. 8.—Cuttings of the Vine: One Remedy.

Such cuttings of the vine as have borne grapes, have an astringent effect, when they are preserved in earthen [A prejudice equally destitute of foundation.] pots, more particularly.

Chap. 9.—Grape-Stones: Six Remedies.

Grape-stones, also, have a similar [Grape-stones have an astringent effect, and Fée states that in modern times an oil is extracted from them of an agreeable flavour, and applicable to many economical purposes. They are no longer used in medicine.] property; it is through them that wine is so apt to produce head-ache. Parched and then pounded, they are beneficial for the stomach; and this powder is sprinkled, like polenta, in the beverage of patients suffering from dysentery, cœliac affections, and derangements of the stomach. A decoction of them is useful, also, as a fomentation for itch-scabs and prurigo.

Chap. 10.—Grape-Husks: Eight Remedies.

Grape-husks, used by themselves, are less injurious to the head and bladder than grape-stones are: beaten up with salt, they form an excellent liniment for inflammations of the mamillæ. A decoction of them, taken in drink, or employed as a fomentation, is good for inveterate dysentery, and cœliac affections.

Chap. 11.—The Grapes of the Theriaca: Four Remedies.

The grape of the theriaca, of which we have already made mention [In B. xiv. c. 22.] on the appropriate occasion, is eaten by way of antidote to the stings of serpents. It is recommended, too, to eat the young shoots of this tree, and to apply them topically. The wine and vinegar made from these grapes are productive of a similar salutary effect. [Hence the name “theriaca,” from θὴρ, a “wild animal,” and ἀκέομαι, “to cure.”]

Chap. 12.—Raisins, or Astaphis: Fourteen Remedies.

Raisins, the name given to which is “astaphis,” would be injurious to the stomach, abdomen, and intestines, were it not for the stones within them, which act as a corrective. [By reason, probably, of their astringent properties.] When the stones are removed, raisins, it is thought, are beneficial to the bladder, and good for cough: [Though no longer used medicinally, they are still considered to be good pectorals.] in the last case, the raisin of the white grape is considered the best. Raisins are good also for the trachea and the kidneys, and the wine made from them is particularly efficacious for the sting of the serpent called hæmorrhoïs. [See B. xx. cc. and.] In combination with meal of cummin or coriander, they are employed topically for inflammations of the testes. For carbuncles and diseases of the joints, the stones are removed, and the raisins are pounded with rue; if used for ulcers, the sores must be first fomented with wine.

Used with the stones, raisins are a cure for epinyctis, honeycomb ulcers, [“Ceria;” known in modern medicine as “favus.”] and dysentery; and for gangrenes they are applied topically with radish rind and honey, being first boiled in oil. They are used with panax, [The Pastinaca opopanax of Linnæus. See B. xii. c. 57.] for gout and loose nails; and they are sometimes eaten by themselves, in combination with pepper, for the purpose of cleansing the mouth and clearing the brain.

Chap. 13.—The Astaphisagria, Otherwise Called Staphis or Taminia: Twelve Remedies.

The wild astaphis, otherwise called staphis, [Identified with the Delphinium staphis agria of Linnæus.] is by some persons erroneously called “uva taminia;” [“Taminian grape.”] for it is altogether a distinct plant from the other. It has a black, upright stem, with leaves resembling those of the labrusca, [Or wild vine.] and bears what we may call a pod, [The fruit is formed of three oblong capsules, containing a triangular seed of black brown colour, about the size of a kidney bean.] rather than a grape, green, similar to a chick-pea in appearance, and enclosing a kernel of triangular form. The fruit of it ripens with the vintage and turns black, while the berries of the taminia, [This is not the white vine or bryony, mentioned in c. 16 of this Book, but the Tamus communis of Linnæus.] as is well known, are red; this last, too, as we are aware, grows only in shaded spots, while the wild astaphis, on the other hand, loves a site that is exposed to the sun.

I would not recommend any one to use the kernels [The seeds, which are remarkably pungent and powerful in their effects, are only used, at the present day, in medicinal preparations for cattle.] of the wild astaphis as a purgative, as it is very doubtful whether they might not choke the patient; nor would I advise them to be employed for the purpose of attenuating the phlegm, as they are extremely irritating to the throat. Beaten up, however, and applied topically, they kill vermin [This is still done at the present day; to which it is indebted for its French name l’herbe pediculaire, or louse-plant.] in the head and other parts of the body, more particularly if they are used with sandarach; they are very useful, too, for itch-scabs and prurigo. A decoction of the kernels is made with vinegar, for the cure of tooth-ache, diseases of the ears, cicatrices [Pliny seems again to have fallen into the error of mistaking οὖλον, the “gums” for οὐλὴ, a “cicatrix;” the corresponding passage in Dioscorides, B. iv. c. 156, being “defluxions of the gums.”] that are slow in healing, and running sores.

The blossoms of the plant are beaten up and taken in wine for stings [They would be of no use whatever, Fée says, for such a purpose.] inflicted by serpents; but, as to the seed, I would strongly recommend its rejection, on account of its extremely pungent properties. Some persons give to this plant the name of “pituitaria,” [As tending to carry off “pituita,” or phlegm.] and use it as a common application for stings inflicted by serpents.

Chap. 14.—The Labrusca, or Wild Vine: Twelve Remedies.

The labrusca, too, produces an œnanthe, which has been described at sufficient length already: [In B. xii. c. 61.] by the Greeks the labrusca is known as the wild vine. [“Ampelos agria.” Fée observes, that this Chapter is full of errors, Pliny beginning by speaking of the wild vine, the variety Labrusca of the Vitis vinifera of Linnæus, and then proceeding to describe what is really the Bryonia dioica of modern botany, and applying its characteristics to the wild vine, or labrusca.] The leaves of it are thick and of a whitish colour, the stem is jointed, and the bark full of fissures: it bears grapes of a scarlet [This is not the case with the wild vine.] hue, like the coccus, which are made use of by females for the purpose of improving the complexion, and removing spots upon the face. Pounded with the leaves and the juice extracted from the tree, these grapes are usefully employed for the treatment of lumbago and sciatica. A decoction of the root [The root of the wild vine is not of a purgative nature.] in water, taken in two cyathi of Coan wine, promotes an alvine evacuation of aqueous secretions; for which reason it is prescribed for dropsy.

I am inclined to think that this is the plant that is commonly known as the “uva taminia;” [As already stated, this is not identical with the wild vine, but is the Tamus communis of Linnæus.] it is in great request as an amulet, and is employed, though as a gargle only, in cases of spitting blood; for which purpose, salt, thyme, and oxymel are added to it, care being taken not to swallow any of the mixture. It is generally looked upon as unsafe to employ it as a purgative.

Chap. 15.—The Salicastrum: Twelve Remedies.

There is another plant, [The Solanum dulcamara of modern botany has been suggested; though there is but little resemblance between the leaves of that variety of nightshade and those of the wild vine.] similar to the labrusca, but found growing in willow-beds; for which reason it is known by a distinct name, though the uses to which it is applied are just the same. The name given to it is “salicastrum;” beaten up with oxymel, it displays marvellous efficacy in the removal of itch-scab and prurigo in men and cattle.

Chap. 16.—The White Vine, Otherwise Called Ampeloleuce, Staphyle, Melothron, Psilotrum, Archezostis, Cedrostis, or Madon: Thirty-one Remedies.

The white vine [The Bryonia alba of Linnæus; the bryony, white vine, or white jalap.] is known to the Greeks by the various names of ampeloleuce, staphyle, melothron, psilotrum, archezostis, cedrostis, and madon. The twigs of this tree are jointed, thin, and climbing, with considerable interstices between the knots. [This description, Fée says, is pretty correct, and the account of its properties sufficiently exact. It is a violent poison, and is no longer used in medicine.] The leaves, attached to the numerous shoots, and about the size of an ivy leaf, are jagged at the edges, like that of the vine. The root of it is large and white, and very like a radish [It is still called by the French navet du diable, or devil’s turnip.] at first; from it issue several stems, similar to asparagus in appearance. These stems, eaten boiled, are both purgative and diuretic. The leaves, too, as well as the stems, are possessed of caustic [“Exulcerant corpus.” Our author, Fée says, may here be taxed with some exaggeration.] properties; for which reason they are employed topically with salt, for phagedænic sores, gangrenes, and putrid ulcers of the legs. The fruit of the tree is in the form of grapes thinly scattered, the juice of which is red at first, and afterwards of a saffron colour. This fruit [The fruit is no longer used for this purpose.] is well known to curriers, who are in the habit of using it in preparing leather. It is employed also in the form of a liniment for itch-scabs and leprous spots; and a decoction of it with wheat, taken in drink, increases the milk in women when nursing. The root of this tree, so renowned for the numerous medicinal purposes to which it is applied, is pounded and taken in wine, in doses of two drachmæ, for the cure of stings inflicted by serpents: [It is a matter of extreme doubt if there is any foundation for this statement.] it has the effect, also, of removing spots upon the face, moles and freckles, as well as scars and bruises: a decoction of it in oil is productive of a similar effect. A decoction of it is given to drink for epilepsy, [It would be productive of no good effect in such case, nor, indeed, in most of the cases here mentioned.] and to persons troubled with a disordered mind or suffering from vertigo, the dose being one drachma daily, for a whole year: taken in larger quantities, it is apt sometimes to disorder [“Purgat” is the reading given by Sillig; but, judging from the corresponding passage in Dioscorides, ὑποταράττει, “turbat,” or “conturbat,” is the proper reading.] the senses. It is possessed, also, of one very remarkable property, applied with water in the same manner as bryonia, of extracting splintered bones, for which reason it is known to some persons by the name of white bryonia: the other kind, however, which is black, is found to answer the purpose better, in combination with honey and frankincense.

The white vine disperses incipient suppurations, ripens them when they are inveterate, and acts as a detergent: it operates also as an emmenagogue and diuretic. An electuary is prepared from it for asthma and pains in the sides, as also for convulsions and ruptures. Taken in drink for thirty days together, in doses of three oboli, it has the effect of reducing the spleen; and it is used, in combination with figs, for the cure of hangnails [“Pterygiis.”] on the fingers. Applied with wine, it brings away the after-birth, and, taken in hydromel, in doses of one drachma, it carries off phlegm. The juice of the root should be extracted before the fruit ripens; applied either by itself or with meal of fitches, it imparts an improved complexion and a certain degree of suppleness to the skin: it has the effect also of repelling serpents. The root itself, too, beaten up with a pulpy fig, will remove wrinkles on the body, if the person using it takes care to walk a couple of stadia immediately after the application; otherwise it would leave marks upon the skin, unless, indeed, it were washed off immediately with cold water. The black vine, too, is better for this purpose than the white one, as the latter is very apt to be productive of itching.

Chap. 17.—The Black Vine, Otherwise Called Bryona, Chironia, Gynæcanthe, or Apronia: Thirty-five Remedies.

For there is also a black vine, properly known as the “bryonia,” [This is in reality not the modern bryony, or white vine, but the Tamus communis of Linnæus, the black vine, or taminier of the French, the uva taminia, probably, of Chapter 13.] though by some persons it is called the “chironia,” and by others the “gynæcanthe,” or “apronia.” It differs only from the one previously mentioned in its colour, which, as already stated, [In the last Chapter.] is black. The shoots of this tree, which resemble asparagus in appearance, are preferred by Diocles for eating to real asparagus, [The shoots of the Tamus communis are still eaten in Tuscany as a substitute for asparagus, to which, however, they are inferior in quality. It is there known by the name of tamaro.] as a diuretic and for its property of reducing the spleen. It is found growing in shrubberies or reed-beds more particularly. The root of it, which is black outside, and of the colour of box within, is even more efficacious for the extraction of splintered bones than the plant last mentioned; in addition to which, it has the property of being a specific for excoriations of the neck in cattle. It is said, too, that if a person plants it around a farm, it will be sure to keep hawks away, and to preserve the poultry-yard [An absurdity, as Fée remarks, not worthy of discussion. The same, too, as to the next assertion.] in perfect safety. Attached to the ankles, it tends to disperse the blood, congested or otherwise, which may have settled in those parts of the body, whether in human beings or in beasts of burden.

Thus much with reference to the various species of vines.

Chap. 18.—Must: Fifteen Remedies.

The various kinds of must [Of course there are as many varieties of must, or grape-juice, as there are of wines. Must is of a purgative and emollient nature, but is no longer employed in medicine.] have different properties; some of them being black, some white, and others of intermediate shades of colour. There is a difference, too, between the kinds of must from which wine is made, and those from which raisin wine is prepared. The various degrees of care and attention on the part of the maker, render the differences that already exist, quite innumerable; we shall therefore content ourselves with taking a general view only of their medicinal uses.

Every kind of must is unwholesome to the stomach, but of a soothing nature to the venous system. Taken off at a draught, immediately after the bath, must is fatal [See c. of this Book. Of course there is little or no truth in this assertion.] in its effects. It acts as an antidote [In reality it has no such effect.] to cantharides and stings inflicted by serpents, those of the hæmorrhois and the salamandra [See B. x. c. 86.] in particular. It is productive of head-ache, and is prejudicial to the throat, but it is good for the kidneys, liver, and inner coat of the bladder, by reason of its lubricating properties. It is particularly effectual also in cases of injuries inflicted by the insect known as the “buprestis.” [See B. xxii. c., and B. xxx. c. 10.]

Taken with oil as a vomit, it neutralizes the bad effects of opium, [In cases of poisoning by opium or hemlock, the use of it, Fée says, would be prejudicial.] milk that has curdled upon the stomach, hemlock, dorycnium, [See B. xxi. c..] and other poisons. [“Toxica.”] For all these purposes, however, white must is not so efficacious, while must prepared from raisins of the sun has a more pleasant flavour, and is productive of a less degree of oppression to the head.

Chap. 19.—Particulars Relative to Wine.

We have already [In B. xiv. cc. 8, 9, 10. It is impossible, with any degree of accuracy, to discuss the properties of these various wines, as they no longer exist.] described the various kinds of wine, the numerous differences which exist between them, and most of the properties which each kind possesses. There is no subject that presents greater difficulties than this, or, indeed, a more varied field for discussion, it being extremely difficult to pronounce whether wine is more generally injurious in its effects, or beneficial. And then, in addition to this, how very uncertain is it, whether, the moment we have drunk it, it will be productive of salutary results, or turn out no better than so much poison! However, it is only with reference to its medicinal properties, that we are now about to speak of it.

Asclepiades has composed a whole treatise (which has thence received its name [“Cognominatum” appears to be a better reading than “cognominatus,” which Sillig has adopted; as it is much more probable that the work received its name from the subject than that the writer did.]) on the proper methods of administering wine; and the number of commentators who have since written on this treatise, is almost innumerable. For my own part, with all that gravity which becomes a Roman, and one zealous for the furtherance of liberal pursuits, I shall enter into a careful examination of this subject, not, indeed, in the character of a physician, but as a careful investigator of the effects which wine is likely to produce upon the health of mankind. To treat, however, of the medicinal properties of each individual kind, would be a labour without end, and quite inexhaustible; the more so, as the opinions of medical men are so entirely at variance upon the subject.