Chap. 8.] AMTJECA. 291 



be particularly useful, too, in the preservation of ivory from 

 decay : 9 at all events, the statue of Saturn, at Rome, is filled 

 with oil in the interior. 



CHAP. 8. (8.) AMTJECA. 



But it is upon the praises of amurca 10 more particularly, that 

 Cato 11 has enlarged. He recommends that vats and casks 1 " 

 for keeping oil should be first seasoned with it, to prevent 

 them from soaking up the oil ; and he tells us that threshing- 

 floors should be well rubbed with it, to keep away ants, 13 

 and to prevent any chinks or crannies from being left. 

 The mortar, too, of walls, he says, ought to be seasoned with 

 it, as well as the roofs and floors of granaries ; and he recom- 

 mends that wardrobes should be sprinkled with amurca as a 

 preservative against wood- worms and other noxious insects. 

 He says, too, that all grain of the cereals should be steeped in 

 it, and speaks of it as efficacious for the cure of maladies in 

 cattle -as well as trees, and as useful even for ulcerations in 

 the inside and upon the face of man. We learn from him, also, 

 that thongs, all articles made of leather, sandals, and axle- 

 trees used to be anointed with boiled amurca; which was 

 employed also to preserve copper vessels against verdigrease, 14 

 and to give them a better colour ; as also for the seasoning of 

 all utensils made of wood, as well as the earthen jars in which 

 dried figs were kept, or of sprigs of myrtle with the leaves 

 and berries on, or any other articles of a similar nature : in 

 addition to which, he asserts that wood which has been steeped 

 in amurca will burn without producing a stifling smoke. 15 



According to M. Yarro, 16 an olive-tree which has been 

 licked by the tongue of the she-goat, or upon which she has 



9 It very probably will have this effect ; but at the expense of the colour 

 of the ivory, which very soon will turn yellow. 



10 It has quite lost its ancient repute : the only use it is now put to is 

 the manufacture of an inferior soap. See B. xsiii. c. 37. 



11 De Re Rust. cc. 130, 169. 



12 Dolia and cadi. Fee observes, that this, if done with the modern 

 vessels, would have a tendency to make the oil turn rancid. 



13 On the contrary, Fee is inclined to think it would attract them, from 

 its mucilaginous properties. 



14 Olive oil, however, has a tendency to generate verdigrease in copper 

 vessels. 



15 This, as Fee remarks, is probably so absurd as not to be worth dis- 

 cussing. i6 Re Rust. R. i. c. 2. 



u 2 



