Cliap. 110.] TELEPHION. 267 



which, in fact, it owes its name : it grows in localities of a 

 stony nature, or covered with humus. Its medicinal properties 

 are warming and resolvent. 



The leaves and root are used as a diuretic and as an emmen- 

 agogue ; the seed arrests diarrhoea; and the root, applied topi- 

 cally, disperses abscesses and suppu'rations, provided they are 

 not inveterate, and reduces indurated tumours. It is useful, 

 also, for injuries inflicted by the phalangium and by serpents, 

 taken in wine, with the addition of cachrys,^^ polium,^ or me- 

 lissophyllum f^ the dose, however, must be taken a little at a 

 time only, for otherwise it acts as an emetic, a reason for which 

 it is sometimes administered with rue. The seed or root is 

 curative of cough, hardness of breathing, and diseases of the 

 thoracic organs, spleen, kidneys, and bladder ; the root, too, is 

 used for ruptures and convulsions. This plant facilitates 

 delivery, and brings away the afterbirth ; it is also given, in 

 combination with crethmos,^^ in wine, for sciatica. It acts as a 

 sudorific and carminative, for which reason it is used to disperse 

 flatulency of the stomach ; it promotes, also, the cicatrization 

 of wounds. 



A juice is extracted from the root, which is very useful for 

 female complaints, and for affections of the thoracic organs 

 and viscera, possessing, as it does, certain calorific, digestive, 

 and detergent properties. The seed, in particular, is given in 

 drink for dropsy, external applications being made of the 

 juice, and emollient poultices applied of the dried rind of the 

 root.* It is used, also, as a seasoning for food, boiled meat in 

 particular, with the addition of honied wine, oil, and garum.^'-^ 



Sinon,^ a plant with a flavour very like that of pepper, pro- 

 motes the digestion, and is highly efficacious for pains in the 

 stomach. 



CHAP. 110. — telephion: foue eemedies. 

 Telephion^ resembles purslain in the stem and leaves. From 



S5 See B. xxiv. c. 60. s^ See B. xxi. c. 21. 



97 See B. xxi. c. 86. »» gee B. xxvi. c. 60. 



99 " Fish-sauce." See B. ix. c. 30, and B. xxxi. c. 43. 



1 Possibly the same plant as the Sison of Dioscorides, identified with 

 the Sison amomum of Linnaeus, Field hone-wort, or stone-parsley. 



2 Identified by Ffee with the Sedum Telephiura of Linnaeus, the Or- 

 pine or livelong ; by Desfontaines with the Sedum anacampseros, the Ever- 



