446 pliny's natural history. [Book XXX. 



a mule's hoofs, burnt to ashes ; or the powder of pounded 

 horse teeth, sprinkled upon the parts. In cases of decidence 

 of either of the testes, an application of the slime discharged 

 by snails is remedial, they say. For the treatment of sordid 

 or running ulcers of those parts, the fresh ashes of a burnt 

 dog's head are found highly useful ; the small, broad kind of 

 snail, beaten up in vinegar ; a snake's slough, or the ashes of 

 it, applied in vinegar ; honey in which the bees have died, 

 mixed with resin ; or the kind of snail without a shell, that is 

 found in Africa, as already^^ mentioned, beaten up with pow- 

 dered frankincense and white of eggs, the application being 

 renewed at the end of thirty days ; some persons, however, 

 substitute a bulb for the frankincense. 



For the cure of hydrocele, a spotted lizard, they say, is 

 marvellously good, the head, feet, and intestines being first 

 removed, and the rest of the body roasted and taken frequently 

 with the food. For incontinence'^ of urine dogs' fat is used, 

 mixed with a piece of split alum the size of a bean ; ashes, 

 also, of African snails burnt with the shells, taken in drink ; 

 or else the tongues of three geese roasted and eaten wath the 

 food, a remedy which we owe to Anaxilaiis. Mutton-suet, '^ 

 mixed with parched salt, has an aperient effect upon inflam- 

 matory tumours, and mouse-dung, mixed with powdered 

 frankincense and sandarach, acts upon them as a dispellent : 

 the ashes, also, of a burnt lizard, or the lizard itself, split 

 asunder and applied ; or else bruised millepedes, mixed with one 

 third part of turpentine. Some make use of earth of Sinope '^ 

 for this purpose, mixed with a bruised snail. Ashes of 

 empty snail-shells burnt alone, mixed with wax, possess cer- 

 tain repercussive properties ; the same, too, with pigeons* dung, 

 employed by itself, or applied with oat-meal or barley-meal. 

 Cantharides, mixed with lime, remove inflammatoiy tumours 

 quite as effectually as the lancet ; and small snails, applied 

 topically with honey, have a soothing effect upon tumours in 

 the groin. 



^^^ In B. xxix. c. 36 and in c. 19 of this Book. 

 ^- See B. xxxii. c. 35. 



^^ Ajasson remarks that this may probablv be useful. 

 ^* See B. XXXV. cc. 12, 13. 



