108 PLTNY's NATTJBAL HISTOET. [Book XXV. 



plant, to which he gave the name of " euphorbia," in honour 

 of his physician, Euphorbus, the brother of the same Musa, 

 whom we have mentioned^^ as having saved the life of the late 

 Emperor Augustus. It was these brothers who introduced the 

 practice of douching the body with large quantities of cold 

 water, immediately after the bath, for the purpose of bracing 

 the system : whereas in former times, as we lind stated in the 

 works of Homer*^ even, it was the practice to wash the body 

 with warm water only. With reference to euphorbia, ^^ there 

 is a treatise still in existence, written upon it by King Juba, 

 in which he highly extols its merits : he discovered it growing 

 upon Mount Atlas, and describes it as resembling a thyrsus in 

 appearance, and bearing leaves like those of the acanthus. ^^ 



The properties of this plant are so remarkably powerful, ^^ 

 that the persons engaged in collecting the juices of it are 

 obliged to stand at a considerable distance. The incisions are 

 made with a long pole shod with iron, the juice flowing into 

 receivers of kid-leather placed beneath. The juice has all the 

 appearance of milk, as it exudes, but when it has coagulated 

 and dried, it assumes the form and consistency of frankincense. 

 The persons engaged in collecting it, find their sight improved^ 

 thereby. This juice is an excellent remedy for the stings of 

 serpents : in whatever part of the body the wound may have 

 been inflicted, the practice is to make an incision in the crown 

 of the head, and there introduce the medicament. The Gsetuli 

 who collect it, are in the habit of adulterating it with warm 

 milk ;^ a fraud, however, easily to be detected by the agency 

 of fire, that which is not genuine emitting a most disgusting 

 smell. 



Much inferior to this is the juice extracted, in Gaui,^ from 

 the chamelaea,^' a plant which bears the grain of Cnidos. When 

 broken asunder, it resembles hammoniacum^^ in appearance ; 

 and however slightly tasted, it leaves a burning sensation in 



■'^ In B. xix. c. 38. «» II. xii. 444. 



•5' The Euphorbia officinarum of Linnaeus, Officinal spurge. 



^- An incorrect statement, as Fee remarks. 



^^ Its odour, Fee says, is not so strong as Pliny would have us belie vo. 



8* On the contrary, Fee observes, it would be not unlikely to produce 

 ophthalmia of the most obstinate kind. 



^ This Fee considers to be almost impracticable. 



8'' Cisalpine Gaul. ^7 gge g. xiii. c. 35. 



^ See B. xii. c. 49, B. xxiv. c. 14, and B. xxxi. c. 39. 



