120 PLINX'S NATURAL HISTOET. [Book XXV. 



very similar to that of the same plant. The juice is of a 

 Baifron colour, acrid and pungent : the plant is commonly 

 found in the fields of tliis country. Among us there are three'** 

 varieties of it distinguished, the one being the most highly 

 approved of, the root of which smells*^ like frankincense.^^ 



CHAP. 57. AGARIC I THIRTT-THEEE EEMEDIES. 



Agaric*^ is found growing in the form of a fungus of a white 

 colour, upon the trees in the vicinity of the Bosporus. It is 

 administered in doses of four oboli, beaten up in two cyathi of 

 oxymel. The kind that grows in Galatia is generally looked 

 upon as not so eflBcacious. The male^^ agaric is firmer than 

 the other, and more bitter ; it is productive too of head-ache. 

 The female plant is of a looser texture ; it has a sweet taste at 

 first, which speedily changes into a bitter flavour. 



CHAP. 58. THE ECHIOS ; THEEE VARIETIES OF IT '. TWO EEMEDIES. 



Of the echios there are two kinds; one** of which resembles 

 pennyroyal in appearance, and has a concave leaf. It is ad- 

 ministered, in doses of two drachmae, in four cyathi of wine. 

 The other *^ kind is distinguished by a prickly down, and bears 

 small heads resembling those of vipers : it is usually taken in 

 wine and vinegar. Some persons give the name of " echios 

 personata"*^ to a kind of echios with larger leaves than the 

 others, and burrs of considerable size, resembling that of the 

 lappa.*" The root of this plant is boiled and administered in 

 vinegar. 



^'■^ It is supposed by commentators that he is in error here, and that this 

 description applies to the Lappa canaria, mentioned in B. xxiv. c. 116. 



■*" The root of the Papavcr argemone has no such smell. 



*i See B. xxi. c. 94, B. xxiv. c. 116, and B. xxvi. c. 59. 



*2 The Boletus agaricum of Aiton, or White agaric. It is a strong 

 purgative, but is rarely used for that purpose. 



*3 This distinction into male and female is no longer recognized, 

 though it continued to be so till within the last century. 



** Desfontaines identifies it with the Saponaria ocimoides. Fee thinks 

 it may have possibly been some kind of sage, or else a variety of the La- 

 vendula stoechas of Linnaeus, French lavender. Littre gives the Silene 

 Gallica of Linnzeus, the Gallic catchfly. 



^^ Identified by Fee with the Pseudanchusa, Echis, or Doris of B. xxii. 

 c. 24, the Anchusa Italica of Linnaeus. Littre gives the Echium rubruni 

 of Linnaeus. 



*« The Arctium lappa of Linnaeus, probably, our Great clot-burr. See 

 B. xxi. c. 51. 47 See B. xxi. c. 64. 



