86 pliny's natural uistory. [Book XXV. 



rather surprises me, though possibly it may have been so 

 culled 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.^^ 



CHAP. 7. WHAT DISEASES ARE ATTENDED WITH THE GREATESTPAIN. 



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 :^® so desirable a thing did it appear to have 

 made the discovery of some plant, and thus far to have contri- 

 buted 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 distaste- 

 ful 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^'' according to the several 

 maladies for the treatment of which they are respectively em- 

 ployed : 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 wliich 

 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 foil}' 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 ma- 

 ladies of the stomach ; and in the third place, those caused by 

 pains and affections of the head ; for it is more generally in 



35 And therefore comparatively unknown. 



26 In c. 33, et seq., of this Book. ^7 jn the next Book. 



