Chap. 28.] EEMEDIES FOE DISEASES OF THE BELLY. 169 



CHAP. 26. HALUS OK COTONEA : FIVE REMEDIES. 



The plant halus,^^ by the people of Gaul called '' sil," and 

 by the Veneti '* cotonea," is curative of pains in the side, 

 affections of the kidneys, ruptures, and convulsions. It resem- 

 bles cunila bubula^' in appearance, and the tops of it are like 

 those of thyme. It is of a sweet flavour, and allays thirst ; the 

 roots of it are sometimes white, sometimes black. 



CHAP. 27. THE CHAM^KOPS : ONE REMEDY. THE STCECHAS I 



ONE REMEDY. 



The chamaerops,^' also, is similarly efficacious for pains in 

 the side. It is a plant with leaves like those of myrtle, 

 arranged in pairs around the stem, the heads of it resembling 

 those of the Greek rose : it is taken in wine. Agaric, admin- 

 istered in drink, in the same manner^^ as for cough, assuages 

 sciatica and pains in the vertebrae : the same, too, with pow- 

 dered stoechas-'^ or betony, taken in hydromel. 



CHAP. 28. (8.) REMEDIES FOR DISEASES OF THE BELLY. 



But it is the belly, for the gTatification of which the greater 

 part of mankind exist, that causes the most suffering to man. 

 Thus, for instance, at one time it will not allow the aliments 

 to pass, while at another it is unable to retain them. Some- 

 times, again, it either cannot receive the food, or, if it can, 

 cannot digest it ; indeed, such are the excesses practised at 

 the present day, that it is through his aliment, more than any- 

 thing else, that man hastens his end. This receptacle,^^ more 

 troublesome to us than any other part of the body, is ever craving, 

 like some importunate creditor, and makes its calls repeatedly 

 in the day. It is for its sake, more particularly, that avarice 

 is so insatiate, for its sake that luxury is so refined, ^^ for its sake 

 that men voyage to the shores even of the Phasis, for its sake 

 that the very depths of the ocean are ransacked. And yet, 

 with all this, no one ever gives a thought how abject is the 

 condition of this part of our body, how disgusting the results 

 of its action upon what it has received ! No wonder then, 



^^ For the identity of this plant, see B. xxvii. c. 24. 



^■^ See B. xix. c. 50, and B. xx. c. 61. 



18 See B. xxiv. c. 80. is See c. 18 of this Book. 



*i Identified with the Lavendula stoechas of Linnaeus, the French lavender. 



21 " Vas." 22 In search of pheasants. See B. vi. c. 4. 



