56 plustt's NATUEAX HISTOBT. [Book XXXII. 



cipe which we find given by the midwife Salpe^^for disguising 

 the age of boys on sale for slaves. A similar property belongs 

 to the pulmo marinus,^^ to the blood and gall of the sea-hare, 

 and to the sea-hare itself, stifled in oil. The same, too, with 

 ashes of burnt crabs or sea scolopendrse,^^ mixed with oil ; 

 sea-nettles,^^ bruised in squill vinegar ; and brains of the tor- 

 pedo^^ applied with alum on the sixteenth day of the moon. 

 The thick matter emitted by the small frogs, which we have^ 

 described when treating^ of eye- diseases, is a most efficient 

 depilatory, if applied fresh: the same, too, with the frog itself, 

 dried and pounded, and then boiled down to one-third in three 

 heminae of water, or else boiled in a copper vessel with oil in a 

 like proportion. Others, again, prepare a depilatory from fifteen 

 frogs, in manner already^ stated under the head of remedies 

 for the eyes. Leeches, also, grilled in an earthen vessel, and 

 applied with vinegar, have the same property as a depilatory ; 

 the very odour, too, which attaches to the persons who thus burn 

 them is singularly efficacious for killing bugs.^ Cases are to be 

 found, too, where persons have used castoreum with honey, 

 for many days together, as a depilatory. In the case, however, 

 of every depilatory, the hairs should always be removed before 

 it is applied. 



CHAP. 48. — REMEDIES FOR THE DISEASES OF INFANTS. 



Dentition in infants is promoted, and the gums greatly re- 

 lieved, by rubbing them with ashes of a dolphin's teeth, 

 mixed with honey, or else by touching the gums with the tooth 

 itself of that fish. One of these teeth, worn as an amulet, is 

 a preventive of sudden frights ;* the tooth of the dog-fish^ 

 being also possessed of a similar property. As to ulcers which 

 make their appearance in the ears, or in any other parts of the 

 body, they may be cured by applying the liquor of river-crabs,* 

 with barley-meal. These crabs, too, bruised in oil and employed 

 as ' a friction, are very useful for other kinds of maladies. A 



^5 See end of B. xxviii. 



38 Or *' sea-lungs." See Chapter 36 of this Book. 



9^ See B. ix. c. 67 ^^ See B. ix. c. 6S. 



99 See Note 90 above. i In Chapter 24 of this Book. 



2 See the preceding Note. ^ gee Chapter 42 of this Book. 



* In the case of infants, probably. « « Canicula." See B.ix.cc. 11,70. 



« Or " crawfish." 



