THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE WILD PLANTS.
CHAP. 1. (1.)—WHEN THE WILD PLANTS WERE FIRST BROUGHT INTO USE.
The more highly esteemed plants of which I am now about to speak, and
which are produced by the earth for medicinal purposes solely, inspire
me with admiration of the industry and laborious research displayed
by the ancients. Indeed there is nothing that they have not tested by
experiment or left untried; no discovery of theirs which they have
not disclosed, or which they have not been desirous to leave for the
benefit of posterity. We, on the contrary, at the present day, make it
our object to conceal and suppress the results of our labours, and to
defraud our fellow-men of blessings even which have been purchased by
others. For true it is, beyond all doubt, that those who have gained
any trifling accession of knowledge, keep it to themselves, and envy
the enjoyment of it by others; to leave mankind uninstructed being
looked upon as the high prerogative of learning. So far is it from
being the habit with them to enter upon new fields of discovery, with
the view of benefitting mankind at large, that for this long time past
it has been the greatest effort of the ingenuity of each, to keep to
himself the successful results of the experience of former ages, and so
bury them for ever!
And yet, by Hercules! a single invention before now has elevated men
to the rank of gods; and how many an individual has had his name
immortalized in being bestowed upon some plant which he was the first
to discover, thanks to the gratitude which prompted a succeeding age
to make some adequate return! If it had been expended solely upon the
plants which are grown to please the eye, or which invite us by their
nutrimental properties, this laborious research on the part of the
ancients would not have been so surprising; but in addition to this, we
find them climbing by devious tracts to the very summit of mountains,
penetrating to the very heart of wilds and deserts, and searching into
every vein and fibre of the earth—and all this, to discover the hidden
virtues of every root, the properties of the leaf of every plant, and
the various purposes to which they might be applied; converting thereby
those vegetable productions, which the very beasts of the field refuse
to touch, into so many instruments for our welfare.
CHAP. 2. (2.)—THE LATIN AUTHORS WHO HAVE WRITTEN UPON THESE PLANTS.
This subject has not been treated of by the writers in our own language
so extensively as it deserves, eager as they have proved themselves to
make enquiry into everything that is either meritorious or profitable.
M. Cato, that great master in all useful knowledge, was the first,
and, for a long time, the only author who treated of this branch[510]
of learning; and briefly as he has touched upon it, he has not omitted
to make some mention of the remedial treatment of cattle. After him,
another illustrious personage, C. Valgius,[511] a man distinguished
for his erudition, commenced a treatise upon the same subject, which
he dedicated to the late Emperor Augustus, but left unfinished. At the
beginning of his preface, replete as it is with a spirit of piety,[512]
he expresses a hope that the majestic sway of that prince may ever
prove a most efficient remedy for all the evils to which mankind are
exposed.
CHAP. 3.—AT WHAT PERIOD THE ROMANS ACQUIRED SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THIS
SUBJECT.
The only[513] person among us, at least so far as I have been able to
ascertain, who had treated of this subject before the time of Valgius,
was Pompeius Lenæus,[514] the freedman of Pompeius Magnus; and it was
in his day, I find, that this branch of knowledge first began to be
cultivated among us. Mithridates, the most powerful monarch of that
period, and who was finally conquered by Pompeius, is generally thought
to have been a more zealous promoter of discoveries for the benefit
of mankind, than any of his predecessors—a fact evinced not only by
many positive proofs, but by universal report as well. It was he who
first thought, the proper precautions being duly taken, of drinking
poison every day; it being his object, by becoming habituated to it, to
neutralize its dangerous effects. This prince was the first discoverer
too of the various kinds of antidotes, one[515] of which, indeed,
still retains his name; and it is generally supposed that he was the
first to employ the blood of the ducks of Pontus as an ingredient in
antidotes, from the circumstance that they derive their nutriment from
poisons.[516]
It was to Mithridates that Asclepiades,[517] that celebrated physician,
dedicated his works, still extant, and sent them, as a substitute for
his own personal attendance, when requested by that monarch to leave
Rome and reside at his court. It is a well-known fact, that this
prince was the only person that was ever able to converse in so many
as two-and-twenty languages, and that, during the whole fifty-six
years of his reign, he never required the services of an interpreter
when conversing with any individuals of the numerous nations that were
subject to his sway.
Among the other gifts of extraordinary genius with which he was
endowed, Mithridates displayed a peculiar fondness for enquiries into
the medical art; and gathering items of information from all his
subjects, extended, as they were, over a large proportion of the world,
it was his habit to make copies of their communications, and to take
notes of the results which upon experiment had been produced. These
memoranda, which he kept in his private cabinet,[518] fell into the
hands of Pompeius, when he took possession of the royal treasures; who
at once commissioned his freedman, Lenæus the grammarian, to translate
them into the Latin language: the result of which was, that his victory
was equally conducive to the benefit of the republic and of mankind at
large.
CHAP. 4.—GREEK AUTHORS WHO HAVE DELINEATED THE PLANTS IN COLOURS.
In addition to these, there are some Greek writers who have treated of
this subject, and who have been already mentioned on the appropriate
occasions. Among them, Crateuas, Dionysius, and Metrodorus, adopted a
very attractive method of description, though one which has done little
more than prove the remarkable difficulties which attended it. It was
their plan to delineate the various plants in colours, and then to
add in writing a description of the properties which they possessed.
Pictures, however, are very apt to mislead, and more particularly
where such a number of tints is required, for the imitation of nature
with any success; in addition to which, the diversity of copyists from
the original paintings, and their comparative degrees of skill, add
very considerably to the chances of losing the necessary degree of
resemblance to the originals. And then, besides, it is not sufficient
to delineate a plant as it appears at one period only, as it presents a
different appearance at each of the four seasons of the year.[519]
CHAP. 5.—THE FIRST GREEK AUTHORS WHO WROTE UPON PLANTS.
Hence it is that other writers have confined themselves to a verbal
description of the plants; indeed some of them have not so much as
described them even, but have contented themselves for the most part
with a bare recital of their names, considering it sufficient if they
pointed out their virtues and properties to such as might feel inclined
to make further enquiries into the subject. Nor is this a kind of
knowledge by any means difficult to obtain; at all events, so far as
regards myself, with the exception of a very few, it has been my good
fortune to examine them all, aided by the scientific researches of
Antonius Castor,[520] who in our time enjoyed the highest reputation
for an intimate acquaintance with this branch of knowledge. I had the
opportunity of visiting his garden, in which, though he had passed his
hundredth year, he cultivated vast numbers of plants with the greatest
care. Though he had reached this great age, he had never experienced
any bodily ailment, and neither his memory nor his natural vigour had
been the least impaired by the lapse of time.
There was nothing more highly admired than an intimate knowledge of
plants, in ancient times. It is long since the means were discovered of
calculating before-hand, not only the day or the night, but the very
hour even at which an eclipse of the sun or moon is to take place; and
yet the greater part of the lower classes still remain firmly persuaded
that these phænomena are brought about by compulsion, through the
agency of herbs and enchantments, and that the knowledge of this art
is confined almost exclusively to females. What country, in fact, is
not filled with the fabulous stories about Medea of Colchis and other
sorceresses, the Italian Circe in particular, who has been elevated
to the rank of a divinity even? It is with reference to her, I am of
opinion, that Æschylus,[521] one of the most ancient of the poets,
asserts that Italy is covered with plants endowed with potent effects,
and that many writers say the same of Circeii,[522] the place of her
abode. Another great proof too that such is the case, is the fact, that
the nation of the Marsi,[523] descendants of a son of Circe, are well
known still to possess the art of taming serpents.
Homer, that great parent of the learning and traditions of antiquity,
while extolling the fame of Circe in many other respects, assigns to
Egypt the glory of having first discovered the properties of plants,
and that too at a time when the portion of that country which is now
watered by the river Nilus was not in existence, having been formed at
a more recent period by the alluvion[524] of that river. At all events,
he states[525] that numerous Egyptian plants were sent to the Helena
of his story, by the wife of the king of that country, together with
the celebrated nepenthes,[526] which ensured oblivion of all sorrows
and forgetfulness of the past, a potion which Helena was to administer
to all mortals. The first person, however, of whom the remembrance has
come down to us, as having treated with any degree of exactness on
the subject of plants, is Orpheus; and next to him Musæus and Hesiod,
of whose admiration of the plant called polium we have already made
some mention on previous occasions.[527] Orpheus and Hesiod too we
find speaking in high terms of the efficacy of fumigations. Homer also
speaks of several other plants by name, of which we shall have occasion
to make further mention in their appropriate places.
In later times again, Pythagoras, that celebrated philosopher, was the
first to write a treatise on the properties of plants, a work in which
he attributes the origin and discovery of them to Apollo, Æsculapius,
and the immortal gods in general. Democritus too, composed a similar
work. Both of these philosophers had visited the magicians of Persia,
Arabia, Æthiopia, and Egypt, and so astounded were the ancients at
their recitals, as to learn to make assertions which transcend all
belief. Xanthus, the author of some historical works, tells us, in
the first of them, that a young dragon[528] was restored to life by
its parent through the agency of a plant to which he gives the name
of “ballis,” and that one Tylon, who had been killed by a dragon, was
restored to life and health by similar means. Juba too assures us that
in Arabia a man was resuscitated by the agency of a certain plant.
Democritus has asserted—and Theophrastus believes it—that there is a
certain herb in existence, which, upon being carried thither by a bird,
the name of which we have already[529] given, has the effect, by the
contact solely, of instantaneously drawing a wedge from a tree, when
driven home by the shepherds into the wood.
These marvels, incredible as they are, excite our admiration
nevertheless, and extort from us the admission that, making all due
allowance, there is much in them that is based on truth. Hence it
is too that I find it the opinion of most writers, that there is
nothing which cannot be effected by the agency of plants, but that the
properties of by far the greater part of them remain as yet unknown. In
the number of these was Herophilus, a celebrated physician, a saying of
whose is reported, to the effect that some plants may possibly exercise
a beneficial influence, if only trodden under foot. Be this as it may,
it has been remarked more than once, that wounds and maladies are
sometimes inflamed[530] upon the sudden approach of persons who have
been journeying on foot.
CHAP. 6.—WHY A FEW OF THE PLANTS ONLY HAVE BEEN USED MEDICINALLY.
PLANTS, THE MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF WHICH HAVE BEEN MIRACULOUSLY
DISCOVERED. THE CYNORRHODOS: TWO REMEDIES. THE PLANT CALLED
DRACUNCULUS: ONE REMEDY. THE BRITANNICA: FIVE REMEDIES.
Such was the state of medical knowledge in ancient times, wholly
concealed as it was in the language of the Greeks. But the main reason
why the medicinal properties of most plants remain still unknown, is
the fact that they have been tested solely by rustics and illiterate
people, such being the only class of persons that live in the midst of
them: in addition to which, so vast is the multitude of medical men
always at hand, that the public are careless of making any enquiries
about them. Indeed, many of those plants, the medicinal properties of
which have been discovered, are still destitute of names—such, for
instance, as the one which we mentioned[531] when speaking of the
cultivation of grain, and which we know for certain will have the
effect of keeping birds away from the crops, if buried at the four
corners of the field.
But the most disgraceful cause of all, why so few simples are known,
is the fact that those even who are acquainted with them are unwilling
to impart their knowledge; as though, forsooth, they should lose for
ever anything that they might think fit to communicate to others!
Added to all this, there is no well-ascertained method to guide us to
the acquisition of this kind of knowledge; for, as to the discoveries
that have been made already, they have been due, some of them, to mere
accident, and others again, to say the truth, to the interposition of
the Deity.
Down to our own times, the bite of the mad dog, the symptoms of which
are a dread of water and an aversion to every kind of beverage,
was incurable;[532] and it was only recently that the mother of a
soldier who was serving in the prætorian guard, received a warning
in a dream, to send her son the root of the wild rose, known as the
cynorrhodos,[533] a plant the beauty of which had attracted her
attention in a shrubbery the day before, and to request him to drink
the extract of it. The army was then serving in Lacetania, the part of
Spain which lies nearest to Italy; and it so happened that the soldier,
having been bitten by a dog, was just beginning to manifest a horror
of water when his mother’s letter reached him, in which she entreated
him to obey the words of this divine warning. He accordingly complied
with her request, and, against all hope or expectation, his life was
saved; a result[534] which has been experienced by all who have since
availed themselves of the same resource. Before this, the cynorrhodos
had been only recommended by writers for one medicinal purpose; the
spongy excrescences, they say, which grow[535] in the midst of its
thorns, reduced to ashes and mixed with honey, will make the hair grow
again when it has been lost by alopecy. I know too, for a fact, that
in the same province there was lately discovered in the land belonging
to a person with whom I was staying, a stalked plant, the name given
to which was dracunculus.[536] This plant, about an inch in thickness,
and spotted with various colours, like a viper’s skin, was generally
reported to be an effectual preservative against the sting of all kinds
of serpents. I should remark, however, that it is a different plant
from the one of the same name of which mention has been made in the
preceding Book,[537] having altogether another shape and appearance.
There is also another marvellous property belonging to it: in spring,
when the serpents begin to cast their slough, it shoots up from the
ground to the height of about a couple of feet, and again, when they
retire for the winter it conceals itself within the earth, nor is there
a serpent to be seen so long as it remains out of sight. Even if this
plant did nothing else but warn us of impending danger, and tell us
when to be on our guard, it could not be looked upon otherwise than as
a beneficent provision made by Nature in our behalves.
(3.) It is not, however, the animals only that are endowed with certain
baneful and noxious properties, but, sometimes, waters[538] even,
and localities as well. Upon one occasion, in his German campaign,
Germanicus Cæsar had pitched his camp beyond the river Rhenus; the
only fresh water to be obtained being that of a single spring in the
vicinity of the sea-shore. It was found, however, that within two
years the habitual use of this water was productive of loss of the
teeth and a total relaxation of the joints of the knees: the names
given to these maladies, by medical men, were “stomacace”[539] and
“sceloturbe.” A remedy for them was discovered, however, in the plant
known as the “britannica,”[540] which is good, not only for diseases of
the sinews and mouth, but for quinzy[541] also, and injuries inflicted
by serpents. This plant has dark oblong leaves and a swarthy root: the
name given to the flower of it is “vibones,”[542] and if it is gathered
and eaten before thunder has been heard, it will ensure safety in
every respect. The Frisii, a nation then on terms of friendship with
us, and within whose territories the Roman army was encamped, pointed
out this plant to our soldiers: the name[543] given to it, however,
rather surprises me, though possibly it may have been so called because
the shores of Britannia are in the vicinity, and only separated by the
ocean. At all events, it was not called by this name from the fact of
its growing there in any great abundance, that is quite certain, for at
the time I am speaking of, Britannia was still independent.[544]
CHAP. 7.—WHAT DISEASES ARE ATTENDED WITH THE GREATEST PAIN. NAMES OF
PERSONS WHO HAVE DISCOVERED FAMOUS PLANTS.
In former times there was a sort of ambition, as it were, of adopting
plants, by bestowing upon them one’s name, a thing that has been done
before now by kings even, as we shall have occasion to show:[545] so
desirable a thing did it appear to have made the discovery of some
plant, and thus far to have contributed to the benefit of mankind. At
the present day, however, it is far from impossible that there may be
some who will look upon these researches of ours as frivolous even, so
distasteful to a life of ease and luxury are the very things which so
greatly conduce to our welfare.
Still, however, it will be only right to mention in the first place
those plants the discoverers of which are known, their various
properties being classified[546] according to the several maladies
for the treatment of which they are respectively employed: in taking
a review of which one cannot do otherwise than bewail the unhappy lot
of mankind, subject as it is, in addition to chances and changes,
and those new afflictions which every hour is bringing with it, to
thousands of diseases which menace the existence of each mortal being.
It would seem almost an act of folly to attempt to determine which of
these diseases is attended with the most excruciating pain, seeing
that every one is of opinion that the malady with which for the moment
he himself is afflicted, is the most excruciating and insupportable.
The general experience, however, of the present age has come to the
conclusion, that the most agonizing torments are those attendant upon
strangury, resulting from calculi in the bladder; next to them, those
arising from maladies of the stomach; and in the third place, those
caused by pains and affections of the head; for it is more generally
in these cases, we find, and not in others, that patients are tempted
to commit suicide.
For my own part, I am surprised that the Greek authors have gone so
far as to give a description of noxious plants even; in using which
term, I wish it to be understood that I do not mean the poisonous
plants merely; for such is our tenure of life that death is often a
port of refuge to even the best of men. We meet too, with one case of a
somewhat similar nature, where M. Varro speaks of Servius Clodius,[547]
a member of the Equestrian order, being so dreadfully tormented with
gout, that he had his legs rubbed all over with poisons, the result
of which was, that from that time forward all sensation, equally with
all pain, was deadened in those parts of his body. But what excuse,
I say, can there be for making the world acquainted with plants, the
only result of the use of which is to derange the intellect, to produce
abortion, and to cause numerous other effects equally pernicious? So
far as I am concerned, I shall describe neither abortives nor philtres,
bearing in mind, as I do, that Lucullus, that most celebrated general,
died of the effects of a philtre.[548] Nor shall I speak of other
ill-omened devices of magic, unless it be to give warning against them,
or to expose them, for I most emphatically condemn all faith and belief
in them. It will suffice for me, and I shall have abundantly done my
duty, if I point out those plants which were made for the benefit of
mankind, and the properties of which have been discovered in the lapse
of time.
CHAP. 8. (4.)—MOLY: THREE REMEDIES.
According to Homer,[549] the most celebrated of all plants is that,
which, according to him, is known as moly[550] among the gods. The
discovery of it he attributes to Mercury, who was also the first
to point out its uses as neutralizing the most potent spells of
sorcery. At the present day, it is said, it grows in the vicinity of
Lake Pheneus, and in Cyllene; a district of Arcadia. It answers the
description given of it by Homer, having a round black root, about
as large as an onion, and a leaf like that of the squill: there is
no[551] difficulty experienced in taking it up. The Greek writers have
delineated[552] it as having a yellow flower, while Homer,[553] on the
other hand, has spoken of it as white. I once met with a physician, a
person extremely well acquainted with plants, who assured me that it
is found growing in Italy as well, and that he would send me in a few
days a specimen which had been dug up in Campania, with the greatest
difficulty, from a rocky soil. The root of it was thirty[554] feet in
length, and even then it was not entire, having been broken in the
getting up.
CHAP. 9.—THE DODECATHEOS: ONE REMEDY.
The plant next in esteem to moly, is that called dodecatheos,[555] it
being looked upon as under the especial tutelage of all the superior
gods.[556] Taken in water, it is a cure, they say, for maladies of
every kind. The leaves of it, seven in number, and very similar to
those of the lettuce, spring from a yellow root.
CHAP. 10.—THE PÆONIA, PENTOROBUS, OR GLYCYSIDE: ONE REMEDY.
The plant known as “pæonia”[557] is the most ancient of them
all. It still retains the name[558] of him who was the first to
discover it, being known also as the “pentorobus”[559] by some, and
the “glycyside”[560] by others; indeed, this is one of the great
difficulties attendant on forming an accurate knowledge of plants, that
the same object has different names in different districts. It grows in
umbrageous mountain localities, and puts forth a stem amid the leaves,
some four fingers in height, at the summit of which are four or five
heads resembling Greek nuts[561] in appearance; enclosed in which,
there is a considerable quantity of seed of a red or black colour. This
plant is a preservative against the illusions[562] practised by the
Fauni in sleep. It is generally recommended to take it up at night; for
if the wood-pecker[563] of Mars should perceive a person doing so, it
will immediately attack his eyes in defence of the plant.
CHAP. 11.—THE PANACES ASCLEPION: TWO REMEDIES.
The panaces, by its very name,[564] gives assurance of a remedy for
all diseases: there are numerous kinds of it, and the discovery of
its properties has been attributed to the gods. One of these kinds is
known by the additional name of “asclepion,”[565] in commemoration
of the circumstance that Æsculapius gave the name of Panacia[566]
to his daughter. The juice of it, as we have had occasion to remark
already,[567] coagulates like that of fennel-giant; the root is covered
with a thick rind of a salt flavour.
After this plant has been taken up, it is a point religiously observed
to fill the hole with various kinds of grain, a sort of expiation,
as it were, to the earth. We have already[568] stated, when speaking
of the exotic productions, where and in what manner this juice is
prepared, and what kind is the most esteemed. That which is imported
from Macedonia is known as “bucolicon,” from the fact that the
neatherds there are in the habit of collecting it as it spontaneously
exudes: it evaporates, however, with the greatest rapidity. As to the
other kinds, that more particularly is held in disesteem which is black
and soft, such being a proof, in fact, that it has been adulterated
with wax.
CHAP. 12.—THE PANACES HERACLEON: THREE REMEDIES.
A second kind of panaces is known by the name of “heracleon,”[569]
from the fact that it was first discovered by Hercules. Some persons,
however, call it “Heracleotic origanum,” or wild origanum, from its
strong resemblance to the origanum of which we have already[570]
spoken: the root of it is good for nothing.
CHAP. 13.—THE PANACES CHIRONION: FOUR REMEDIES.
A third kind of panaces is surnamed “chironion,” from him[571] who
first discovered it. The leaf is similar to that of lapathum, except
that it is larger and more hairy; the flower is of a golden colour,
and the root diminutive. It grows in rich, unctuous soils. The flower
of this plant is extremely efficacious; hence it is that it is more
generally used than the kinds previously mentioned.
CHAP. 14.—THE PANACES CENTAURION OR PHARNACION: THREE REMEDIES.
A fourth kind of panaces, discovered also by Chiron, is known by the
additional name of “centaurion:”[572] it is also called “pharnacion,”
from King Pharnaces, it being a matter in dispute whether it was really
discovered by Chiron or by that prince. It is grown from seed,[573] and
the leaves of it are longer than those of the other kinds, and serrated
at the edge. The root, which is odoriferous, is dried in the shade, and
is used for imparting an aroma to wine. Some writers distinguish two
varieties of this plant—the one with a smooth leaf, the other of a more
delicate form.
CHAP. 15.—THE HERACLEON SIDERION: FOUR REMEDIES.
The heracleon siderion[574] is also another discovery of Hercules. The
stem is thin, about four fingers in length, the flower red, and the
leaves like those of coriander. It is found growing in the vicinity
of lakes and rivers, and is extremely efficacious for the cure of all
wounds made by iron.[575]
CHAP. 16.—THE AMPELOS CHIRONIA: ONE REMEDY.
The ampelos Chironia[576] also, which we have already[577] mentioned
when speaking of the vines, is a discovery due to Chiron. We have
spoken too, on a previous occasion,[578] of a plant, the discovery of
which is attributed to Minerva.
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.”[579] There
are several varieties of it; one of them,[580] with a black seed,
flowers bordering on purple, and a prickly stem, growing in Galatia.
The common kind[581] again, is whiter, more shrublike, and taller than
the poppy. The seed of a third variety is similar to that of irio[582]
in appearance; but they have, all of them, the effect of producing
vertigo and insanity. A fourth[583] 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.[584] 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[585] 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[586] or parthenion is a discovery attributed to Mercury:
hence it is that among the Greeks it is known as “hermupoa”[587] 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[588] 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,[589] 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[590] 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[591] 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.[592]
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[593] to
discover that verdigris[594] 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[595] 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,”[596] and by the people of our country, “millefolium:”[597]
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,[598] 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[599]
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[600] 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,”[601] 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.”[602] 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,[603] 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;[604] 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,[605] 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[606] and
the black;[607] 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[608] in height, and covered with coats like those
of the bulbs, the root, too, being fibrous like that of the onion.[609]
The black hellebore kills horses, oxen, and swine; hence it is that
those animals avoid it, while they eat the white[610] 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,”[611] and others
“polyrrhizon:” it purges[612] 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[613] 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[614] 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;[615] a place at which it
is taken with more safety than elsewhere, from the fact of sesamoïdes
being combined with it, as already[616] 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,[617] 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;[618] 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[619] 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[620]
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[621] 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[622] through the ear,
and removed at the same hour on the following day. With frankincense
also, wax, and pitch, or else pisselæon,[623] 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[624]
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,[625] 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,[626] 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,[627] 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[628] 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[629]
stated, vertigo, melancholy, insanity, delirium, white elephantiasis,
leprosy, tetanus, palsy, gout, dropsy, incipient tympanitis, stomachic
affections, cynic spasms,[630] 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.”[631] 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[632] 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[633] in appearance: it is found growing in
Pontus, in rich, humid soils, and has a bitter taste.
There is another[634] 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[635] 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.”[636] 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[637] 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,[638] 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[639] 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[640] 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.”[641] By some persons it is called
“libadion,”[642] 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,[643] 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[644] of the
earth,” from its extreme bitterness. The Gauls give it the name of
“exacum;”[645] 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.”[646] It is but rarely that a person cuts it without
wounding himself. The juice emitted is just the colour of blood.[647]
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[648] 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.[649] 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[650] 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[651] was first discovered by Gentius, king of Illyria. It
is a plant to be found everywhere,[652] but that of Illyria is the
finest. It has a leaf like that of the ash,[653] 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,[654] 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[655] 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[656] 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.[657]
CHAP. 36.—ARTEMISIA, PARTHENIS, BOTRYS, OR AMBROSIA: FIVE REMEDIES.
Women too have even affected an ambition to give their name to plants:
thus, for instance, Artemisia, the wife of King Mausolus, adopted the
plant, which before was known by the name of “parthenis.” There are
some persons, however, who are of opinion that it received this surname
from the goddess Artemis Ilithyia,[658] from the fact of its being used
for the cure of female complaints more particularly. It is a plant with
numerous branches, like those of wormwood, but the leaves of it are
larger and substantial.
There are two varieties of it; one has broader[659] leaves than the
other,[660] which last is of a slender form, with a more diminutive
leaf, and grows nowhere but in maritime districts.
Some persons again, give this name to a plant[661] which grows more
inland, with a single stem, extremely diminutive leaves, and numerous
blossoms which open at the ripening of the grape, and the odour of
which is far from unpleasant. In addition to this name, this last plant
is known as “botrys” to some persons, and “ambrosia” to others:[662] it
grows in Cappadocia.
CHAP. 37.—NYMPHÆA, HERACLEON, RHOPALON, OR MADON; TWO VARIETIES OF IT:
FOUR REMEDIES.
The plant called “nymphæa,” owes its name, they say, to a Nymph who
died of jealousy conceived on account of Hercules, for which reason it
is also known as “heracleon” by some. By other persons, again, it is
called “rhopalon,” from the resemblance of its root to a club.[663] *
* * * and hence it is that those who take it in drink become impotent
for some twelve days, and incapacitated for procreation. That of the
first quality is found in Orchomenia and at Marathon: the people of
Bœotia call it “madon,” and use the seed for food. It grows in spots
covered with water; the leaves[664] of it are large, and float upon
the surface, while others are to be seen springing from the roots
below. The flower is very similar to a lily in appearance, and after
the plant has shed its blossom, the place of the flower is occupied by
a head like that of the poppy. The stem is slender, and the plant is
usually cut in autumn. The root, of a swarthy hue, is dried in the sun;
garlic[665] manifests a peculiar antipathy to it.
There is another[666] nymphæa also, which grows in the river Peneus, in
Thessaly: the root of it is white, and the head yellow, about the size
of a rose.
CHAP. 38.—TWO VARIETIES OF EUPHORBIA: FOUR REMEDIES. THE CHAMELÆA.
In the time, too, of our fathers, King Juba discovered[667] a plant,
to which he gave the name of “euphorbia,” in honour of his physician,
Euphorbus, the brother of the same Musa, whom we have mentioned[668]
as having saved the life of the late Emperor Augustus. It was these
brothers who introduced the practice of douching the body with large
quantities of cold water, immediately after the bath, for the purpose
of bracing the system: whereas in former times, as we find stated in
the works of Homer[669] even, it was the practice to wash the body with
warm water only. With reference to euphorbia,[670] there is a treatise
still in existence, written upon it by King Juba, in which he highly
extols its merits; he discovered it growing upon Mount Atlas, and
describes it as resembling a thyrsus in appearance, and bearing leaves
like those of the acanthus.[671]
The properties of this plant are so remarkably powerful,[672] that the
persons engaged in collecting the juices of it are obliged to stand
at a considerable distance. The incisions are made with a long pole
shod with iron, the juice flowing into receivers of kid-leather placed
beneath. The juice has all the appearance of milk, as it exudes, but
when it has coagulated and dried, it assumes the form and consistency
of frankincense. The persons engaged in collecting it, find their
sight improved[673] thereby. This juice is an excellent remedy for the
stings of serpents: in whatever part of the body the wound may have
been inflicted, the practice is to make an incision in the crown of
the head, and there introduce the medicament. The Gætuli who collect
it, are in the habit of adulterating it with warm milk;[674] a fraud,
however, easily to be detected by the agency of fire, that which is not
genuine emitting a most disgusting smell.
Much inferior to this is the juice extracted, in Gaul,[675] from the
chamelæa,[676] a plant which bears the grain of Cnidos. When broken
asunder, it resembles hammoniacum[677] in appearance; and however
slightly tasted, it leaves a burning sensation in the mouth, which
lasts a considerable time, and increases every now and then, until, in
fact, it has quite parched the fauces.
CHAP. 39. (8.)—TWO VARIETIES OF THE PLANTAGO: FORTY-SIX REMEDIES.
The physician Themiso, too, has conferred some celebrity upon the
plantago, otherwise a very common plant; indeed he has written a
treatise upon it, as though he had been the first to discover it. There
are two varieties; one, more diminutive[678] than the other, has a
narrower and more swarthy leaf, strongly resembling a sheep’s tongue
in appearance: the stem of it is angular and bends downwards, and it
is generally found growing in meadow lands. The larger[679] kind has
leaves enclosed with ribs at the sides, to all appearance, from the
fact of which being seven[680] in number, the plant has been called
“heptapleuron”[681] by some. The stem of it is a cubit in height,
and strongly resembles that of the turnip. That which is grown in a
moist soil is considered much the most efficacious: it is possessed of
marvellous virtues as a desiccative and as an astringent, and has all
the effect of a cautery. There is nothing that so effectually arrests
the fluxes known by the Greeks as “rheumatismi.”
CHAP. 40.—BUGLOSSOS: THREE REMEDIES.
To an account of the plantago may be annexed that of the buglossos, the
leaf of which resembles an ox tongue.[682] The main peculiarity of this
plant is, that if put into wine, it promotes[683] mirth and hilarity,
whence it has obtained the additional name of “euphrosynum.”[684]
CHAP. 41.—CYNOGLOSSOS: THREE REMEDIES.
To this plant we may also annex an account of the cynoglossos,[685] the
leaf of which resembles a dog’s tongue, and which produces so pleasing
an effect[686] in ornamental gardening. The root, it is said, of the
kind which bears three[687] stems surmounted with seed, is very useful,
taken in water, for tertian, and of that with four stems, for quartan,
fevers.
There is another plant[688] very similar to it, which bears diminutive
burrs resembling those of the lappa:[689] the root of it, taken in
water, is curative of wounds inflicted by frogs[690] or serpents.
CHAP. 42.—THE BUPHTHALMOS OR CACHLA: ONE REMEDY.
There is the buphthalmos[691] also, so called from its resemblance
to an ox’s eye, and with a leaf like that of fennel. It grows in the
vicinity of towns, and is a branchy plant, with numerous stems, which
are boiled and eaten. Some persons give it the name of “cachla.” In
combination with wax, it disperses scirrhi.[692]
CHAP. 43.—PLANTS WHICH HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BY CERTAIN NATIONS. THE
SCYTHICE: ONE REMEDY.
Entire nations, too, have been the discoverers of certain plants. The
Scythæ were the first to discover the plant known as “scythice,”[693]
which grows in the vicinity of the Palus[694] Mæotis. Among its other
properties, this plant is remarkably sweet, and extremely useful for
the affection known as “asthma.” It is also possessed of another great
recommendation—so long as a person keeps it in his month, he will
never[695] experience hunger or thirst.
CHAP. 44.—THE HIPPACE: THREE REMEDIES.
The hippace,[696] another plant that grows in Scythia, is possessed of
similar properties: it owes[697] its name to the circumstance that it
produces the like effect upon horses. By the aid of these two plants,
the Scythæ, they say, are enabled to endure hunger and thirst, so long
as twelve days even.
CHAP. 45.—THE ISCHÆMON: TWO REMEDIES.
The Thracians were the first to discover the ischæmon,[698] which, it
is said, has the property of stanching the flow of blood, not only when
a vein has been opened, but when it has been cut asunder even. This is
a creeping plant; it is like millet in appearance, and the leaves of it
are rough and lanuginous. It is used as a plug[699] for the nostrils.
The kind that grows in Italy, attached to the body as an amulet, has
the property of arresting hæmorrhage.
CHAP. 46.—THE CESTROS, PSYCHOTROPHON, VETTONICA, OR SERRATULA:
FORTY-EIGHT REMEDIES.
The Vettones, a people of Spain, were the original discoverers of the
plant known as the “vettonica”[700] in Gaul, the “serratula”[701] in
Italy, and the “cestros” or “psychotrophon”[702] in Greece. This is
a plant more highly esteemed than any other: it puts forth an angular
stem two cubits in height, and throws out leaves from the root, with
serrated edges, and closely resembling those of lapathum.[703] The
seed of it is purple: the leaves are dried and powdered, and used
for numerous purposes. There is a wine also prepared from it, and
a vinegar, remarkably beneficial to the stomach and the eyesight.
Indeed, this plant enjoys so extraordinary a reputation, that it is a
common belief even that the house which contains it is insured against
misfortunes of every kind.
CHAP. 47.—THE CANTABRICA: TWO REMEDIES.
In Spain, too, is found the cantabrica,[704] which was first discovered
by the nation of the Cantabri in the time of the late Emperor Augustus.
It grows everywhere in those parts, having a stem like that of the
bulrush, a foot in height, and bearing small oblong flowers, like a
calathus[705] in shape, and enclosing an extremely diminutive seed.
Nor indeed, in other respects, have the people of Spain been wanting in
their researches into the nature of plants; for at the present day even
it is the custom in that country, at their more jovial entertainments,
to use a drink called the hundred-plant drink, combined with a
proportion of honied wine; it being their belief, that the wine is
rendered more wholesome and agreeable by the admixture of these plants.
It still remains unknown to us, what these different plants are, or in
what number exactly they are used: as to this last question, however,
we may form some conclusion from the name that is given to the beverage.
CHAP. 48.—CONSILIGO: ONE REMEDY.
Our own age, too, can remember the fact of a plant being discovered in
the country of the Marsi. It is found growing also in the neighbourhood
of the village of Nervesia, in the territory of the Æquicoli, and is
known by the name of “consiligo.”[706] It is very useful, as we shall
have occasion to mention[707] in the appropriate place, in cases of
phthisis where recovery is considered more than doubtful.
CHAP. 49.—THE IBERIS: SEVEN REMEDIES.
It is but very lately, too, that Servilius Democrates, one of our most
eminent physicians, first called attention to a plant to which he gave
the name of iberis,[708] a fanciful appellation[709] only, bestowed
by him upon this discovery of his in the verses by him devoted[710]
to it. This plant is found mostly growing in the vicinity of ancient
monuments, old walls, and overgrown footpaths: it is an evergreen, and
its leaves are like those of nasturtium, with a stem a cubit in height,
and a seed so diminutive as to be hardly perceptible; the root, too,
has just the smell of nasturtium. Its properties are more strongly
developed in summer, and it is only used fresh-gathered: there is
considerable difficulty in pounding it.
Mixed with a small proportion of axle-grease, it is extremely useful
for sciatica and all diseases of the joints; the application being kept
on some four hours at the utmost, when used by the male sex, and about
half that time in the case of females. Immediately after its removal,
the patient must take a warm bath, and then anoint the body all over
with oil and wine—the same operation being repeated every twenty days,
so long as there are any symptoms of pain remaining. A similar method
is adopted for the cure of all internal defluxions; it is never
applied, however, so long as the inflammation is at its height, but
only when it has somewhat abated.
CHAP. 50.—PLANTS WHICH HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED BY CERTAIN ANIMALS.
CHELIDONIA: SIX REMEDIES.