304 Pliny's natueal htstoet. [Book XXVIII. 



CHAP. 22. REMEDIES DEBIYED FROM THE SPITTLE OF FEMALES. 



A woman's fasting spittle is generally considered highly 

 efficacious for bloodshot eyes : it is good also for defluxions of 

 those organs, the inflamed corners of the eyes being moistened 

 with it every now and then ; the result, too, is still more suc- 

 cessful, if the woman has abstained from food and wine the 

 day before. 



I find it stated that head-ache may be alleviated by tying a 

 woman's fillet^^ round the head. 



CHAP. 23. FACTS CONNECTED WITH THE MENSTRUAL DISCHARGE. 



Over and above these particulars, there is no limit to the 

 marvellous powers attributed to females. For, in the first 

 place, hailstorms, they say, whirlwinds, and lightning^* even, 

 will be scared away by a woman uncovering her body while 

 her monthly courses are upon her. The same, too, with all 

 other kinds of tempestuous weather ; and out at sea, a storm 

 may be lulled by a woman uncovering her body merely, even 

 though not menstruating at the time. As to the menstrual 

 discharge itself, a thing that in other respects, as^^ already 

 stated on a more appropriate occasion, is productive of the most 

 monstrous efi'ects, there are some ravings about it of a most 

 dreadful and unutterable nature. Of these particulars, how- 

 ever, I do not feel so much shocked at mentioning the follow- 

 ing. If the menstrual discharge coincides with an eclipse of 

 the moon or sun, the evils resulting from it are irremediable ; 

 and no less so, when it happens while the moon is in conjunc- 

 tion with the sun ; the congress with a woman at such a period 

 being noxious, and attended with fatal efi'ects to the man. At 

 this period also, the lustre of purple is tarnished by the touch 

 of a woman : so much more baneful is her influence at this 

 time than at any other. At any other time, also, if a woman 

 strips herself naked while she is menstruating, and walks 

 round a field of wheat, the caterpillars, worms, beetles, and 

 other vermin, will fall from off" the ears of corn. Metrodorus 

 of Scepsos tells us that this discovery was first made in Cappa- 

 docia ; and that, in consequence of such multitudes of can- 



^ " Fascia." Either a stomacher, or a fillet for the head. 

 2* The mention of lightning here, Hardouin seems to look upon as an 

 iuterpolaliou. ^a j^ g y[[_ q i^ 



