314 plint's natural history. [Book XXVIII. 



he looks at her. The hairs, too, of this part, reduced to ashes, 

 and applied with oil to the body of a man who is living a life 

 of disgraceful effeminacy, will render him not only modest, 

 they assure us, but of scrupulous morals even. 



CHAP. 28. NINETEEN REMEDIES DERIVED FROM THE CROCODILE. 



For fabulous stories connected with it the crocodile may 

 challenge the next place ; and, indeed for cunning, the one^^ 

 which lives both upon land and in the water is fully its equal : 

 for I would here remark, that there are two varieties of this 

 animal. The teeth of the right jaw of the amphibious croco- 

 dile, attached to the right arm as an amulet, acts as an aphro- 

 disiac, that is, if we choose to believe it. The eye-teeth of 

 the animal, filled with frankincense — for they are hollow — are 

 a cure for periodical fevers, care being taken to let the patient 

 remain five days without seeing the person who has attached 

 them to his body. A similar virtue is attributed to the small 

 stones which are found in the belly of this animal, as being a 

 check to the cold shiverings in fevers, when about to come on ; 

 and with the same object the Egyptians are in the habit of 

 anointing their sick with the fat of the crocodile. 



The other kind of crocodile** resembles it, but is much in- 

 ferior in size : it lives upon land only, and among the most 

 odoriferous flowers ; hence it is that its intestines are so greatly 

 in request, being filled as they are with a mass of agreeable 

 perfumes. This substance is called " crocodilea," and it is 

 looked upon as extremely beneficial for diseases of the eyes, 

 and for the treatment of films and cataract, being applied with 

 leek-juice in the form of an ointment. Applied with oil of 

 Cyprus,^* it removes blemishes growing upon the face ; and, em- 

 ployed with water, it is a cure for all those diseases, the 

 nature of which it is to spread upon the face, while at the same 

 time it restores the natural tints of the skin. An application 

 of it makes freckles disappear, as well as all kinds of spots and 



53 Identified by Ajasson with the chamseSf or common crocodile of the 

 Nile. 



^^ See B. viii. c. 38. Identified by Ajasson with the soiichos of Geofl'roy 

 Saint-Hilaire. It is equally amphibious with the other ; and the account 

 of its habits given by Pliny is probably founded on the fact that Upper 

 Egypt, which it inhabits, is covered with a more aromatic vegetation than 

 the other parts of that country. 



55 See B. xii. c. 51. 



