EUPHORBIA OFFICINARUM. 269 
this plant after Euphorbus, “ ubi jam Muse statua? periit! 
evanuit! Euphorbi autem perdurrat, perennat,; nec unquam 
destrui potest” (Crit. Bot., 89). 
The following is Pliny’s account of this plant. ‘“ No longer 
ago than our forefathers’ days, Juba, king of Mauritania, 
found out a herb, Euphorbia, which he so called after his 
own physitian, Euphorbus, brother to that learned Musa, 
physitian to Augustus Cesar, who saved the life of the said 
emperor, as heretofore I have declared. These two brethren 
physitians joined together in counsell, and gave direction for 
to wash the body all over in much cold water, after the hot 
baine or stouve, thereby to knit and bind the pores of the skin ; 
for before their time the maner was to take in hot water only, 
as we may see plainly in the poet Homer. But now to return 
up to our herb, Euphorbia: the foresaid king Juba, wrote one 
entire book (at this day extant), wherin he doth nothing els but 
expressly set forth the commendable vertues and properties of 
this one herb. He found the same first upon the mountain 
Atlas, where it was to be seen (saith he) bearing leaves re- 
sembling Branc-ursin, so strong and forcible it is, that those 
who receive the juice or liquor issuing from it must stand a 
good way off; for the maner is to lance or wound it first, and — 
then presently to retire backe, and so at the end of along pole 
to put under it a paile or trey made of kids or goats leather 
for a receptory, into which there runneth forth out of the plant 
a white liquour like unto milke, which, when it is dried and 
growne together, resembleth in shew a lumpe or mass of frank- 
incense. They that have the gathering of this juice called 
Euphorbium find this benefit thereby, that they see more clearly 
than they did before: an excellent remedy this is against the 
venom of serpents, for what part soever is stung or wounded 
by them, make a light incision upon the crown [of the head], 
and apply thereto this estimable liquor, it will surely cure it. 
But in that country the Getulians who commonly do gather 
