Chap. 26.] THE ANTHEMIS. 411 



swarthy at other times. It grows in sandy soils, and is ex- 

 tremely efficacious for the stings of serpents, vipers in particular, 

 the roots or le-aves of it being taken indifferently with the 

 food, or in the drink. It developes its virtues at harvest-time, 

 more especially : the leaves of it, when bruised, have just the 

 smell of a cucumber. This plant is prescribed, in doses of 

 three cyathi, for prolapsus of the uterus, and, taken with hj-s- 

 sop, it expels tape- worms. For pains in the liver or kidneys, 

 it is taken in hydromel, if the patient shows symptoms of fever, 

 but if not, in wine. With the root of it a liniment is made, 

 for the removal of freckles and leprous sores ; and it is asserted 

 that persons who carry this root about them will never be at- 

 tacked by serpents. 



There is another "^ plant, again, very similar to this, with a 

 red flower, and somewhat smaller. It is applied to the same 

 uses as the other ; it is asserted, too, that if it is chewed, and 

 then spit out upon a serpent, it will cause its instantaneous 

 death. 



CHAP. 26. THE A^'THEMIS, LEUCANTHEMIS, LErCANTHEMrM, 



cham^meltjlvr, or melanthiu3i ; three varieties op it : 

 elevp:n remedies. 



The anthemis has been highly extolled by Asclepiades. 

 Some persons call it *'leucanthemis,"^* some leucanthemum, 

 others, again, " eranthemis,"^^ from its flowering in spring, and 

 others " chamaemelon,*'^^ because it has a smell like that of an 

 apple: sometimes, too, it is called " melanthion."^' There are 

 three varieties of this plant, which only differ from one another 

 in the flower ; they do not exceed a palm in height, and they 

 bear small blossoms like those of rue, white, yellow,^^ or purple. 



This plant is mostly found in thin, poor soils, or growing 

 near foot-paths. It is usually gathered in spring, and put by 



33 The Lithospermum fruticosum of Linnjeus ; cromill, or stone-crap. 



^^ Fee, adopting the opinion of Sibthorpe, thinks that under these names 

 Pliny is speaking of several varieties of the Anthemis, or camomile, and he 

 identifies them as follows : the Leucanthemis, or white camomile, he con- 

 siders to be the same as the Anthemis Chia of Linnaius ; the Eranthemis 

 to be the Anthemis rosea of Sibthorpe ; the Mclanthion to be the Anthemis 

 tinctoria, or dyers' camomile of Sibthorpe : and the Chamsemelon to be the 

 Matricaria charaomilla of Linnaeus, the common camomile. Sprengel 

 differs from these opinions as to the identification of the several varieties. 



^* " Spring flower." se "Ground apple." 



3" *' Black flower." 38 " Malinis," apple-colour. 



