Cliap. 77.] eem:edies foe female diseases- 363 



Procidence of the uterus is arrested by using butter, in the 

 form of an injection ; and indurations of that organ are removed 

 by similarly employing ox-gall, with oil of roses, turpentine 

 being applied externally in wool. They say, too, that a fumi- 

 gation, made from ox- dung, acts as a corrective upon procidence 

 of the uterus, and facilitates parturition ; and that conception 

 is promoted by the use of cows' milk. It is a well-known 

 fact that sterility is often entailed by suffering in child-birth ; 

 an evil which may be averted, Olympias of Thebes assui-es us, 

 by rubbing the parts, before sexual intercourse, with bull's 

 gall, serpents' fat, verdigrease, and honey. In cases, too, where 

 menstruation is too abundant, the external parts sliould be 

 sprinkled with a solution of calf's gall, the moment before the 

 sexual congress ; a method which acts emolliently also upon 

 indurations of the abdomen. Applied to the navel as a lini- 

 ment, it arrests excessive, discharges, and is generally beneficial 

 to the uterus. The proportions generally adopted are — one 

 denarius of gall, one-third of a denarius of opium, and as much 

 oil of almonds as may appear to be requisite ; the whole being 

 applied in sheep's wool. The gall, too, of a bull-calf is beaten 

 up with half the quantity of honey, and kept in readiness for 

 the treatment of uterine diseases. If a woman about the time 

 of conception eats roasted veal with the plant aristolochia,^ she 

 will bring forth a male child, we are assured. Calf's marrow, 

 boiled in wine and water with the suet, and applied as a pes- 

 sary, is good for ulcerations of the uterus ; the same, too, with 

 foxes' fat and cats' dung, the last being applied with resin and 

 oil of roses. 



It is considered a remarkably good plan to subject the uterus 

 to fumigations made with burnt goats' horns. The blood of 

 the wild goat, mixed with sea-palm,^ acts as a depilatory. The 

 gall of the other kinds of goat, used as an injection, acts 

 emolliently upon callosities of the uterus, and ensures concep- 

 tion immediately after menstruation : it possesses also the 

 virtues of a depilatory, the application being left for three days 

 upon the flesh after the hair has been removed. The midwives 

 assure us that she-goats' urine, taken in drink, and the dung, 

 applied topically, will arrest uterine discharges, however 

 much in excess. The membrane in which the kid is en- 

 closed in the uterus, dried and taken in wine, acts as an expei- 



6 See B. XXV. cc. 79, 84, 91. » See B. xiii. c. 49. 



