390 plint's natueal history. [Book XXIX. 



among the Druids. The possession of it is marvellously vaunted 

 as ensuring success ^^ in law-suits, and a favourable reception 

 with princes ; a notion which has been so far belied, that a 

 Roman of equestrian rank, a native of the territory of the 

 Yocontii,^^ who, during a trial, had one of these eggs in his 

 bosom, was slain by the late Emperor Tiberius, and for no 

 other reason, that I know of, but because he was in possession 

 of it. It is this entwining of serpents with one another, "and 

 the fruitful results of this unison, that seem to me to have 

 given rise to the usage among foreign nations, of surrounding 

 the caduceus^® with representations of serpents, as so many 

 sj'mbols of peace — it must be remembered, too, that on the 

 caduceus, serpents are never ^^ represented as having crests. 



CHAP. 13. — THE METHOD OF PEEPA.E1NG COMMAGENUM. FOUE 

 KEMEDIES DEEIVED FEOM IT. 



Having to make mention, in the present Book, of the eggs 

 of the goose and the numerous uses to which they are applied, 

 as also of the bird itself, it is our duty to award the honour to 

 Commagene^° of a most celebrated preparation there made. 

 This composition is prepared from goose-grease, a substance 

 applied to many other well-known uses as well ; but in the 

 case of that which comes from Commagene, a part of Sj'ria, the 

 grease is first incorporated with cinnamon, cassia,^^ white pep- 

 per, and the plant called "commagene,"^- and then placed in 

 vessels and buried in the snow. The mixture has an agree- 

 able smell, and is found extremely useful for cold shiverings, 

 convulsions, heavy or sudden pains, and all those affections, in 

 fact, which are treated with the class of remedies known as 

 "acopa;"^^ being equally an unguent and a medicament. 



There is another method, also, of preparing it in Syria : the 

 fat of the bird is preserved in manner already ^^ described, and 



^ See Note 82 above. 



'" A nation of Gaul. See B. iii. cc. 5, 21. 



^^ The wand held by heralds, and generally represented as being carried 

 by Mercury in his character of messenger oi the gods. 



'^^ And therefore not portentous of war. 



^0 See B. v. cc. 13, 20. 9i See B. xii. c. 43. 



^2 See B. X. c. 28. Generally supposed to be Syrian nurd ; though some 

 identify it with the Comacum of Theophrastus. 



9» See B. xxiii. cc. 45, 80. 9i In B. xxviii. c. 38. 



