242 pliny's natural history. [Book XXVII. 



CHAP. 45. THE CONFERVA : TWO REMEDIES. 



The conferva*^ is peculiar to running streams, those of the 

 Alpine regions more particularly ; receiving its name from 

 ** conferrumino,"" to solder together. Properly speaking, it is 

 rather a fresh-water sponge than a moss or a plant, being a 

 dense, porous mass of filaments. I know an instance where a 

 man, who fell to the ground while lopping a tree of consider- 

 able height, and broke nearly every bone of his body, was cured 

 by the agency of this plant. The patient's body was covered all 

 over with conferva, the application being continuallj'' sprinkled 

 with water the moment it began to dry, and only removed for 

 the purpose of changing it when the plant gave signs of losing 

 its virtues.^^ It is hardly credible with what rapidity he re- 

 covered. 



CHAP. 46. (9.) — THE coccus CNIDTUS, OR GRAIN OF CNIDOS : TWO 



REMEDIES. 



The Cnidian grain*^ has just the colour of the kermes berry.*' 

 It is larger than a peppercorn, and has very heating proper- 

 ties : hence it is that when used, it is taken in crumb of 

 bread, that it may not burn the throat in passing downwards. 

 It is a sovereign remedy for hemlock, and arrests*® looseness of 

 the bowels. 



CHAP. 47. THE DIPSACOS : TWO REMEDIES. 



The dipsacos'*^ has leaves like those of the lettuce, with 

 prickly tubercles on the middle of the back. The stem of it, 

 two cubits in length, is bristling all over with prickles of a 

 similar nature. The joints of the stem are closely covered 

 with two leaves, which form a concave axil in which a saltish 

 dew-like liquid collects.^" At the summit of the stem there 



''3 Possibly the Conferva rivularis, or the C. glomerata of Linnaeus, the 

 River conferva or River sponj^e, or the Green cluster conferva. 



** On account of its asserted agglutinative properties. In reality it is 

 an inert plant, and is never used in medicine. 



*' Fee considers this statement as fabulous in every respect. 



46 See B. xiii. c. 35. 



" " Coccus." See B. xvi. c. 12. 



*8 This is not the case. SiHig is of opinion that the passage is imperfect. 



*9 The same plant as the Labrum Venereum of B. xxv. c. 108. It is 

 used for carding clotli, but is no longer employed in medicine. 



^ Hence its uame " Venus' bath." 





