Chaps. 17-35.

Chap. 17.—Hyoscyamos, Known Also as the Apollinaris or Altercum; Five Varieties of It: Three Remedies.

To Hercules also is attributed the discovery of the plant known as the “apollinaris,” and, among the Arabians, as the “altercum” or “altercangenum:” by the Greeks it is called “hyoscyamos.” [“Swine’s bean”—our henbane.] There are several varieties of it; one of them, [The Hyoscyamus reticulatus of Linnæus, reticulated henbane.] with a black seed, flowers bordering on purple, and a prickly stem, growing in Galatia. The common kind [The Hyoscyamus niger of Linnæus, black henbane.] again, is whiter, more shrublike, and taller than the poppy. The seed of a third variety is similar to that of irio [See B. xviii. c. 22, and B. xxii. c. 75. The Hyoscyamus aureus of Linnaæus, golden henbane.] in appearance; but they have, all of them, the effect of producing vertigo and insanity. A fourth [The Hyoscyamus albus of Linnæus, white henbane.] kind again is soft, lanuginous, and more unctuous than the others; the seed of it is white, and it grows in maritime localities. It is this kind that medical men employ, as also that with a red seed. [The third kind mentioned above.] Sometimes, however, the white seed turns of a reddish colour, if not sufficiently ripe when gathered; in which case it is rejected as unfit for use: indeed, none of these plants are gathered until they are perfectly dry. Hyoscyamos, like wine, has the property of flying to the head, and consequently of acting injuriously upon the mental faculties.

The seed is either used in its natural state, or else the juice of it is extracted: the juice also of the stem and leaves is sometimes extracted, separately from the seed. The root is sometimes made use of; but the employment of this plant in any way for medical purposes is, in my opinion, highly dangerous. For it is a fact well ascertained, that the leaves even will exercise a deleterious effect upon the mind, if more than four are taken at a time; though the ancients were of opinion that the leaves act as a febrifuge, taken in wine. From the seed, as already [In B. xv. c. 7, and B. xxiii. c. 49. This cannot have been a fixed oil.] stated, an oil is extracted, which, injected into the ears, deranges the intellect. It is a singular thing, but we find remedies mentioned for those who have taken this juice, as though for a poison, while at the same time we find it prescribed as a potion among the various remedies. In this way it is that experiments are multiplied without end, even to forcing the very poisons themselves to act as antidotes.

Chap. 18. (5.)—Linozostis, Parthenion, Hermupoa, or Mercurialis; Two Varieties of It: Twenty-two Remedies.

Linozostis [The Mercuralis annua of Linnæus, male and female; the herb mercury.] or parthenion is a discovery attributed to Mercury: hence it is that among the Greeks it is known as “hermupoa” [“Herb of Hermes.”] by many, while among us it is universally known as “mercurialis.” There are two varieties of this plant, the male and the female, the last possessing more decided properties than the other, and having a stem a cubit in height, and sometimes branchy at the summit, with leaves somewhat narrower than those of ocimum. The joints of the stem lie close together, and the axils are numerous: the seed hangs downwards, having the joints for its basis. In the female plant the seed is very abundant, but in the male [The male, as Fée suggests, bears no seed at all.] it is less so, lies closer to the joints, and is short and wreathed. In the female plant the seed hangs more loosely, and is of a white colour. The leaves of the male plant are swarthy, while those of the female are whiter: the root, which is made no use of, is very diminutive.

Both of these plants grow in cultivated champaign localities. A marvellous property is mentioned as belonging to them: the male plant, they say, [A mere absurdity, of course.] ensures the conception of male children, the female plant of females; a result which is ensured by drinking the juice in raisin wine, the moment after conception, or by eating the leaves, boiled with oil and salt, or raw with vinegar. Some persons, again, boil the plant in a new earthen vessel with heliotropium and two or three ears of corn, till it is thoroughly done; and say that the decoction should be taken in drink by the female, and the plant eaten for three days successively, the regimen being commenced the second day of menstruation. This done, on the fourth day she must take a bath, immediately after which the sexual congress must take place.

Hippocrates [De Nat. Mul. and De Morb. Mul. B. i. and B. ii.] has lavished marvellous encomiums upon these plants for the maladies of females, while at the present day no physician recognizes their utility for such purpose. It was his practice to employ them for affections of the uterus, in the form of a pessary, in combination with honey, rose-oil, oil of iris, or oil of lilies. He employed them also as an emmenagogue, and for the purpose of bringing away the after-birth; effects which are equally produced, according to him, by taking them in drink, or using them in the form of a fomentation. It was his practice also, to inject the juice of these plants in cases of fetid odours of the ears, and then to wash the ear with old wine. The leaves also were used by him as a cataplasm for the abdomen, defluxions of the eyes, strangury, and affections of the bladder; a decoction too, of the plants is prescribed by him, with frankincense and myrrh.

For the purpose of relaxing [The medicinal properties of the Mercurialis are not by any means energetic, but it is still used, Fée says, as a gentle aperient.] the bowels, or in cases of fever, a handful of this plant is boiled down to one half, in two sextarii of water, the decoction being taken with salt and honey: if a pig’s foot or a cock is boiled with it, it will be all the more beneficial. Some persons have been of opinion, that as a purgative the two kinds of mercurialis ought to be used together, or else that a decoction should be made of the plant in combination with mallows. These plants act as a detergent upon the chest, and carry off the bilious secretions, but they are apt to be injurious to the stomach. We shall have to speak further of their properties on the appropriate occasions. [B. xxvi. cc,,,.]

Chap. 19.—The Achilleos, Sideritis, Panaces Heracleon, Millefolium, or Scopæ Regiæ; Six Varieties of It: Three Remedies.

Achilles too, the pupil of Chiron, discovered a plant which heals wounds, and which, as being his discovery, is known as the “achilleos.” It was by the aid of this plant, they say, that he cured Telephus. Other authorities, however, assert that he was the first [Both stories are equally improbable.] to discover that verdigris [See B. xxxiv. c. 45.] is an extremely useful ingredient in plasters; and hence it is that he is sometimes represented in pictures as scraping with his sword the rust from off a spear [The weapons in early time, it must be remembered, were made of copper or bronze.] into the wound of Telephus. Some again, are of opinion that he made use of both remedies.

By some persons this plant is called “panaces heracleon,” by others, “sideritis,” [The third Sideritis of Dioscorides is thought to be the same with the Heracleon siderion of c. of this Book. Pliny evidently confounds the Achillea and the Sideritis, totally different plants. The Achillea is identified by Fée with the Achillea tomentosa or abrotonifolia of Linnæus. As to the Sideritis, see B. xxvi. c.. The real Panaces heracleon has been mentioned in c. of this Book.] and by the people of our country, “millefolium:” [Or “Thousand leaves,” probably identical with the Achillea millefolium of Linnæus, milfoil or yarrow. See B. xxiv. c..] the stalk of it, they say, is a cubit in length, branchy, and covered from the bottom with leaves somewhat smaller than those of fennel. Other authorities, however, while admitting that this last plant is good for wounds, affirm that the genuine achilleos has a bluish stem a foot in length, destitute of branches, and elegantly clothed all over with isolated leaves of a round form. Others again, maintain that it has a squared stem, that the heads of it are small and like those of horehound, [“Marrubii.”] and that the leaves are similar to those of the quercus—they say too, that this last has the property of uniting the sinews when cut asunder. Another statement is, that the sideritis [“Ironwort.” The third Sideritis of Dioscorides, above mentioned. See c. 15 of this Book. See also B. xxvi. cc. 12 and 88.] is a plant that grows on garden walls, and that it emits, when bruised, a fetid smell; that there is also another plant, very similar to it, but with a whiter and more unctuous leaf, a more delicate stem, and mostly found growing in vineyards.

They speak also of another [Identified by Desfontaines with the Sanguisorba officinalis of Linnæus.] sideritis, with a stem two cubits in length, and diminutive branches of a triangular shape: the leaf, they say, resembles that of fern, and has a long footstalk, the seed being similar to that of beet. All these plants, it is said, are remarkably good for the treatment of wounds. The one with the largest leaf is known among us by the name of “scopæ regiæ,” [“Royal broom,” identified by many commentators with the Chenopodium scoparia of Linnæus.] and is used for the cure of quinzy in swine.

Chap. 20.—The Teucrion, Hemionion, or Splenion: Two Remedies.

At the same period also, Teucer discovered the teucrion, a plant known to some as the “hemionion.” [Or “mule-plant.” It is identified by Fée with the Asplenion ceterach, or Ceterach officinarum of Linnæus, the Ceterach, a fern, and a different plant from the Teucrium of B. xxiv. c. 80, or Germander.] It throws out thin rush-like stems, with diminutive leaves, and grows in rugged, uncultivated spots: the taste of it is rough, and it never blossoms or produces seed. It is used for the cure of affections of the spleen, [Hence its name, “Asplenium.”] and it is generally understood that its properties were discovered in the following manner:—The entrails of a victim having been placed upon this plant, it attached itself to the milt, and entirely consumed it; [“Exinanisse.” A fable, of course.] a property to which it is indebted for the name of “splenion,” given to it by some. It is said too, that swine which have fed upon the root of this plant are found to have no milt.

Some authors give this name also to a ligneous plant, [The Teuerium lucidum of Linnæus: though, as Fée says, there is little similarity between it and hyssop, or between its leaves and those of the bean. See B. xxiv. c..] with branches like those of hyssop, and a leaf resembling that of the bean; they say too, that it should be gathered while in blossom, from which we may conclude that they entertain no doubt that it does blossom. That which grows on the mountains of Cilicia and Pisidia is more particularly praised by them.

Chap. 21.—Melampodium, Hellebore, or Veratrum: Three Varieties of It. The Way in Which It Is Gathered, and How the Quality of It Is Tested.

The repute of Melampus, as being highly skilled in the arts of divination, is universally known. This personage has given a name to one species of hellebore, known as the “melampodion.” Some persons, however, attribute the discovery of this plant to a shepherd of that name, who remarked that his she-goats were violently purged after browsing upon it, and afterwards cured the daughters of Prœtus of madness, by giving them the milk of these goats. It will be the best plan, therefore, to take this opportunity of treating of the several varieties of hellebore. The two principal kinds are the white [Identified by Fée with the Veratrum album and Veratrum nigrum of Linnæus, species between which there is little difference.] and the black; [Identified by Tournefort with the Helleborus niger of Lamarck. Littré mentions the Helleborus orientalis of Linnæus.] though, according to most authorities, this difference exists in the root only. There are some authors, however, who assure us that the leaves of the black hellebore are similar to those of the plane-tree, only darker, more diminutive, and more jagged at the edges: and who say, that the white hellebore has leaves like those of beet when first shooting, though at the same time of a more swarthy colour, with reddish veins on the under side. The stem, in both kinds, is ferulaceous, a palm [The stem of white hellebore is much longer than this.] in height, and covered with coats like those of the bulbs, the root, too, being fibrous like that of the onion. [This comparison with the onion, Fée says, is altogether inexact.]

The black hellebore kills horses, oxen, and swine; hence it is that those animals avoid it, while they eat the white [If he would imply that they do this without inconvenience, the statement, Fée says, is incorrect.] kind. The proper time, they say, for gathering this last, is harvest. It grows upon Mount Œta in great abundance; and the best of all is that found upon one spot on that mountain, in the vicinity of Pyra. The black hellebore is found growing everywhere, but the best is that of Mount Helicon; which is also equally celebrated for the qualities of its other plants. The white hellebore of Mount Œta is the most highly esteemed, that of Pontus occupying the second place, and the produce of Elea the third; which last, it is generally said, grows in the vineyards there. The fourth rank is held by the white hellebore of Mount Parnassus, though it is often, adulterated with that of the neighbouring districts of Ætolia.

Of these kinds it is the black hellebore that is known as the “melampodium:” it is used in fumigations, and for the purpose of purifying houses; cattle, too, are sprinkled with it, a certain form of prayer being repeated. This last plant, too, is gathered with more numerous ceremonies than the other: a circle is first traced around it with a sword, after which, the person about to cut it turns towards the East, and offers up a prayer, entreating permission of the gods to do so. At the same time he observes whether an eagle is in sight—for mostly while the plant is being gathered that bird is near at hand—and if one should chance to fly close at hand, it is looked upon as a presage that he will die within the year. The white hellebore, too, is gathered not without difficulty, as it is very oppressive to the head; more particularly if the precaution has not been used of eating garlic first, and of drinking wine every now and then, care being taken to dig up the plant as speedily as possible.

Some persons call the black hellebore “ectomon,” [“Cut off,” and “With many roots.”] and others “polyrrhizon:” it purges [Hellebore is no longer used, except in veterinary medicine.] by stool, while the white hellebore acts as an emetic, and so carries off what might otherwise have given rise to disease. In former days hellebore was regarded with horror, but more recently the use [Petronius Arbiter says that the philosopher Chrysippus used it.] of it has become so familiar, that numbers of studious men are in the habit of taking it for the purpose of sharpening the intellectual powers required by their literary investigations. Carneades, for instance, made use of hellebore when about to answer the treatises of Zeno; Drusus [M. Livius Drusus. See B. xxviii. c., and B. xxxiii. c. 6.] too, among us, the most famous of all the tribunes of the people, and whom in particular the public, rising from their seats, greeted with loud applause—to whom also the patricians imputed the Marsic war—is well known to have been cured of epilepsy in the island of Anticyra; [Anticyra in Phocis was a peninsula, not an island.] a place at which it is taken with more safety than elsewhere, from the fact of sesamoïdes being combined with it, as already [In B. xxii. c. 64.] stated. In Italy the name given to it is “veratrum.”

These kinds of hellebore, reduced to powder and taken alone, or else in combination with radicula, a plant used, as already mentioned, [In B. xix. c. 18.] for washing wool, act as a sternutatory, and are both of them productive of narcotic effects. The thinnest and shortest roots are selected, and among them the lower parts in particular, which have all the appearance of having been cut short; [Hence the Greek name “ectomon.”] for, as to the upper part, which is the thickest, and bears a resemblance to an onion, it is given to dogs only, as a purgative. The ancients used to select those roots the rind of which was the most fleshy, from an idea that the pith extracted therefrom was of a more refined [“Tenuior.”] nature. This substance they covered with wet sponges, and, when it began to swell, used to split it longitudinally with a needle; which done, the filaments were dried in the shade, for future use. At the present day, however, the fibres [This is the meaning assigned by Hardouin to the word “ramulos.” Holland renders it “small shoots” or “slips,” and he is probably right.] of the root with the thickest rind are selected, and given to the patient just as they are. The best hellebore is that which has an acrid, burning taste, and when broken, emits a sort of dust. It retains its efficacy, they say, so long as thirty years.

Chap. 22.—Twenty-Four Remedies Derived from Black Hellebore. How It Should Be Taken.

Black hellebore is administered for the cure of paralysis, insanity, dropsy—provided there is no fever—chronic gout, and diseases of the joints: it has the effect too, of carrying off the bilious secretions and morbid humours by stool. It is given also in water as a gentle aperient, the proportion being one drachma at the very utmost, and four oboli for a moderate dose. Some authorities have recommended mixing scammony with it, but salt is looked upon as more safe. If given in any considerable quantity in combination with a sweet substance, it is highly dangerous: used in the form of a fomentation, it disperses films upon the eyes; and hence it is that some medical men have pounded it and used it for an eye-salve. It ripens and acts detergently upon scrofulous sores, suppurations, and indurated tumours, as also upon fistulas, but in this latter case it must be removed at the end of a couple of days. In combination with copper filings [“Squama æris.”] and sandarach, it removes warts; and it is applied to the abdominal regions, with barley-meal and wine, in cases of dropsy.

This plant is employed for the cure of pituitous defluxions in cattle and beasts of burden, a slip of it being passed [See a similar statement as to Consiligo, in B. xxvi c. 21.] through the ear, and removed at the same hour on the following day. With frankincense also, wax, and pitch, or else pisselæon, [See B. xv. c. 7, and B. xxiv. c. 11.] it is used for the cure of itch in quadrupeds.

Chap. 23.—Twenty-Three Remedies Derived from White Hellebore.

The best white hellebore is that which acts most speedily as a sternutatory; but it would seem to be a much more formidable [Its properties, Fée says, are not more active than those of black hellebore.] plant than the black kind; more particularly if we read in the ancient authors the precautions used by those about to take it, against cold shiverings, suffocation, unnatural drowsiness, continuous hiccup or sneezing, derangements of the stomach, and vomitings, either retarded or prolonged, too sparing or in excess. Indeed, it was generally the practice to administer other substances to promote vomiting, and to carry off the hellebore by the aid of purgatives or clysters, while bleeding even was frequently had recourse to. In addition to all this, however successful the results may prove, the symptoms by which it is attended are really most alarming, by reason of the various colours which the matter vomited presents: besides which, after the vomiting has subsided, the physician has to pay the greatest attention to the nature of the alvine evacuations, the due and proper use of the bath, and the general regimen adopted by the patient; all of them inconveniences in themselves, and preceded by the terrors naturally inspired by the character of the drug; for one story is, that it has the property of consuming flesh, if boiled with it.

The great error, [Fée remarks, that they showed their wisdom in this.] however, on the part of the ancients was, that in consequence of these fears, they used to give it too sparingly, the fact being, that the larger the dose, the more speedily it passes through the body. Themison used to give no more than two drachmæ, but at a later period as much as four drachmæ was administered; in conformity with the celebrated eulogium passed upon it by Herophilus, [Herophilus, it must be remembered, lived a considerable time before Themison.] who was in the habit of comparing hellebore to a valiant general, and saying, that after it has set in motion all within, it is the first to sally forth and show the way. In addition to these particulars, there has been a singular discovery made: the hellebore which, as we have already stated, has been cut with a small pair of scissors, [“Forficulis.” He probably refers to c. 21, where, however, he has mentioned only a needle—“acus.” It is possibly a lapsus memoriæ on his part.] is passed through a sieve, upon which the pith makes its way through, while the outer coat remains behind. The latter acts as a purgative, while the former is used for the purpose of arresting vomiting when that evacuation is in excess.

Chap. 24.—Eighty-Eight Observations Upon the Two Kinds of Hellebore.

In order to secure a beneficial result, due precautions must be taken not to administer hellebore in cloudy weather; for if given at such a time, it is sure to be productive of excruciating agonies. Indeed there is no doubt that summer is a better time for giving it than winter: the body too, by an abstinence from wine, must be prepared for it seven days previously, emetics being taken on the fourth and third days before, and the patient going without his evening meal the previous day. White hellebore, too, is administered in a sweet [This he has stated to be attended with danger, in the case of black hellebore, should the dose be too strong.] medium, though lentils or pottage are found to be the best for the purpose. There has been a plan also, lately discovered, of splitting a radish, and inserting the hellebore in it, after which the sections are pressed together; the object being that the strength of the hellebore may be incorporated with the radish, and modified thereby.

At the end of about four hours it generally begins to be brought up again; and within seven it has operated to the full extent. Administered in this manner, it is good for epilepsy, as already [In c. 21 of this Book.] stated, vertigo, melancholy, insanity, delirium, white elephantiasis, leprosy, tetanus, palsy, gout, dropsy, incipient tympanitis, stomachic affections, cynic spasms, [Twitchings of the mouth, which cause the patient to show his teeth, like a dog.] sciatica, quartan fevers which defy all other treatment, chronic coughs, flatulency, and recurrent gripings in the bowels.

Chap. 25.—To What Persons Hellebore Should Never Be Administered.

It is universally recommended not to give hellebore to aged people or children, to persons of a soft and effeminate habit of body or mind, or of a delicate or tender constitution. It is given less frequently too to females than to males; and persons of a timorous disposition are recommended not to take it: the same also, in cases where the viscera are ulcerated or tumefied, and more particularly when the patient is afflicted with spitting of blood, or with maladies of the side or fauces. Hellebore is applied, too, externally, with salted axle-grease, to morbid eruptions of the body and suppurations of long standing: mixed with polenta, it destroys rats and mice. The people of Gaul, when hunting, tip their arrows with hellebore, taking care to cut away the parts about the wound in the animal so slain: the flesh, they say, is all the more tender for it. Flies are destroyed with white hellebore, bruised and sprinkled about a place with milk: phthiriasis is also cured by the use of this mixture.

Chap. 26. (6.)—The Mithridatia.

Crateuas ascribes the discovery of one plant to Mithridates himself, the name of which is “mithridatia.” [Cæsalpinus identifies it with the Erythronium dens canis of Linnæus, and Commerson and Schreiber with the Dorstenia tambourissa of Sonnerat. Fée is probably right in considering its synonym as still unknown.] Near the root it has two leaves resembling those of the acanthus, between which it puts forth a stem supporting a flower at the extremity, like a rose.

Chap. 27.—The Scordotis or Scordion: Four Remedies.

Lenæus attributes to Mithridates the discovery of another plant, the scordotis [Hardouin identifies it with the Stachys Germanica, Linnæus and Sprengel with the Nepeta scordotis of Linnæus, and Fée with the Stachys Palæstina.] or scordion, which has been described, he tells us, by the hand even of that prince. This plant, he says, is a cubit in height, and has a square stem, branchy, covered with downy leaves, and resembling the quercus [Fée remarks, that none of the plants mentioned in the last Note bear any resemblance to the “quercus,” or oak.] in appearance: it is found growing in Pontus, in rich, humid soils, and has a bitter taste.

There is another [Probably the Teucrium scorodonia of Linnæus, Fée says; though, as he remarks, the description might apply to many of the Labiatæ.] variety also of this plant, with a larger leaf, and resembling wild mint in appearance. They are both of them used for numerous purposes, both individually and in combination with other ingredients, as antidotes.

Chap. 28.—The Polemonia, Philetæria, or Chiliodynamus: Six Remedies.

The polemonia [Its names were derived from Polemon, a king of Pontus, and Philetærus, a king of Cappadocia. It is generally identified with the Polemonium cæruleum of Linnæus, Greek valerian, or Jacob’s ladder. M. Fraäs suggests that it may be the Hypericum Olympicum of Linnæus, with which he also identifies the Panaces chironion.] is known as the “philetæria” by some, in consequence of the contest which has arisen between certain kings for the honour of its discovery. The people of Cappadocia also give it the name of “chiliodynamus.” [“With a thousand virtues.”] The root of it is substantial, and it has slender branches, with umbels hanging from the extremities, and a black seed. In other respects, it bears a resemblance to rue, and is found growing in mountainous localities.

Chap. 29.—The Eupatoria: One Remedy.

The eupatoria [So called probably from a king Eupator. Sprengel and Desfontaines identify it with the Agrimonia eupatorium, but Fée prefers the Eupatorium cannabinum of Linnæus, relying upon the description given by Dioscorides. B. iv. c. 41.] also is a plant under royal patronage. The stem of it is ligneous, hairy, and swarthy, and a cubit or more in length. The leaves, arranged at regular intervals, resemble those of cinquefoil or hemp; they have five indentations at the edge, and are swarthy like the stem, and downy. The root is never used. The seed, taken in wine, is a sovereign remedy for dysentery.

Chap. 30.—Centaurion or Chironion: Twenty Remedies.

Centaury, [Fée considers this to be the same with the Panaces centaurion or Pharnaceon of c. 14 of this Book, the greater Centaury. Littré also names the Centaurea centaureum of Linnæus.] it is said, effected a cure for Chiron, on the occasion when, while handling the arms of Hercules, his guest, he let one of the arrows fall upon his foot: hence it is that by some it is called “chironion.” The leaves of it are large and oblong, serrated at the edge, and growing in thick tufts from the root upwards. The stems, some three cubits in height and jointed, bear heads resembling those of the poppy. The root is large and spreading, of a reddish colour, tender and brittle, a couple of cubits in length, and full of a bitter juice, somewhat inclining to sweet.

This plant grows in rich soils upon declivities; the best in quality being that of Arcadia, Elis, Messenia, Mount Pholoë, and Mount Lycæus: it grows also upon the Alps, and in numerous other localities, and in Lycia they prepare a lycium [See B. xii. c. 15. B. xxiii. cc. 58, 60, and B. xxiv. c. 77, for a preparation with a similar name, but, as Fée says, of an entirely different character.] from it. So remarkable are its properties for closing wounds, that pieces of meat even, it is said, are soldered together, when boiled with it. The root is the only part in use, being administered in doses of two drachmæ in the several cases hereafter [In B. xxvi. cc. 15, 19, 34, 55, 66, 76, 85, and 91.] mentioned. If, however, the patient is suffering from fever, it should be bruised and taken in water, wine being used in other cases. A decoction of the root is equally useful for all the same purposes.

Chap. 31.—The Centaurion Lepton, or Libadion, Known Also as Fel Terræ: Twenty-two Remedies.

There is another centaury also, with diminutive leaves, known by the additional name of “lepton.” [Or “small” centaury, Probably the Chironia centaureum of Smith, Flor. Brit., our Felwort. Littré names the Erythræa centaureum of Persoon.] By some persons it is called “libadion,” [From λιβάδες, “flowing streams.”] from the circumstance that it grows upon the borders of fountains. It is similar to origanum in appearance, except that the leaves are narrower and longer. The stem is angular, branchy, and a palm in height; the flower is like that of the lychnis, [See B. xxi. cc. 10, 39, and 98, also c. 80 of this Book.] and the root is thin, and never used. It is in the juice that its medicinal properties are centred: it being gathered in the autumn, and the juice extracted from the leaves. Some persons cut up the stalks, and steep them for some eighteen days in water, and then extract the juice.

In Italy this kind of centaury is known as “gall [“Fel terræ.”] of the earth,” from its extreme bitterness. The Gauls give it the name of “exacum;” [A word of Celtic origin, most probably, and not from the Greek, as Pintianus supposes.] from the circumstance that, taken in drink, it purges off all noxious substances by alvine evacuation.

Chap. 32.—The Centauris Triorchis: Two Remedies.

There is a third kind of centaury also, known as the “centauris triorchis.” [Theophrastus, as stated by Pliny, in B. ix. c. 9, says that centaury is protected by the “triorchis” (see B. x. cc. 95, 96), and Pliny in translating the passage has made a mistake as to a third kind. Fée is probably right in his conjecture that the Centaurea centaureum is meant; though Brotier and Desfontaines look upon this as being a distinct plant, and identify it with the Rumex sanguineus of Linnæus.] It is but rarely that a person cuts it without wounding himself. The juice emitted is just the colour of blood. [The root of the greater centaury, Fée remarks, is of a deep red within.] Theophrastus relates that this plant is under the protection of the triorchis, a kind of hawk, which attacks those who gather it; a circumstance to which it owes its name. Ignorant [Pliny himself is one of the “imperiti” here.] persons are in the habit of confounding all these characteristics, and attributing them to the centaury first named.

Chap. 33. (7.)—Clymenus: Two Remedies.

Clymenus is a plant so called, after a certain king. [Son of Cæneus, and king of Arcadia. The plant is identified with the Lonicera periclymenum of Linnæus, our Woodbine or Honeysuckle. Sibthorp identifies the Clymenum of Dioscorides with the Convolvulus sepium of Linnæus, and Sprengel with the Lathyrus clymenum of Linnæus.] It has leaves like those of ivy, numerous branches, and a hollow, jointed stem. The smell of it is powerful, and the seed like that of ivy: it grows in wild and mountainous localities. We shall have to state hereafter, of what maladies it is curative, taken in drink, but it is as well to take the present opportunity of remarking that, while effecting a cure, in the male sex it neutralizes the generative powers.

The Greeks speak [Possibly the Clymenum of Dioscorides, mentioned in the preceding Note. Littré names the Calendula arvensis, the Field marigold.] of this plant as being similar to the plantago in appearance, with a square stem, and a seed in capsules, interlaced like the arms of the polypus. The juice of this plant, too, is used, being possessed of refreshing properties in a very high degree.

Chap. 34.—Gentian: Thirteen Remedies.

Gentian [The Gentiana lutea of Linnæus.] was first discovered by Gentius, king of Illyria. It is a plant to be found everywhere, [This, Fée remarks, is not the fact.] but that of Illyria is the finest. It has a leaf like that of the ash, [This comparison is inexact.] but equal in size to a lettuce-leaf: the stem is tender, about the thickness of the thumb, hollow and empty, and covered with leaves at regular intervals. This stem is sometimes three cubits in length, and the root is flexible, swarthy, [It is not swarthy.] and inodorous. It is found in the greatest abundance in humid localities at the foot of the Alps. The root and juice are the parts of it that are used: the root is possessed of certain warming properties, but it should never be taken by women in a state of pregnancy.

Chap. 35.—The Lysimachia: Eight Remedies.

King Lysimachus [A king of Thrace, contemporary with Alexander the Great. Sprengel and Desfontaines identify this plant with the Lythrum salicaria of Linnæus, the purple Willow-herb. Fée, on the authority of Dioscorides, identifies it with the Lysimachia vulgaris of Linnæus, the yellow Willow-plant. Littré gives the Lysimachia atro-purpurea of Linnæus.] first discovered the plant which from him has received the name of lysimachia, and the merits of which have been so highly extolled by Erasistratus. This plant has green leaves resembling those of the willow, and a purple [Pliny has probably mistranslated the Greek πυῤῥόν here, “reddish yellow.”] blossom: it has all the appearance of a shrub, the branches are erect, and it has a pungent smell. It is found growing in watery soils. The properties of it are so extremely powerful, that if placed upon the yoke when beasts of burden are restive, it will be sure to overcome all stubbornness on their part. [An absurdity, of course.]