216 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XX. 



radishes themselves, chewed, is useful for pains in the sides. 63 

 A decoction of the leaves, taken in drink, or else the juice 

 of the plant taken in doses of two cyathi, is an excellent remedy 

 for phthiriasis. Pounded radishes, too, are employed as a lini- 

 ment for inflammations w under the skin, and the rind, mixed 

 with honey, for bruises of recent date. Lethargic persons M 

 are recommended to eat them as hot as possible, and the seed, 

 parched and then pounded with honey, will give relief to 

 asthmatic patients. 



Radishes, too, are useful as a remedy for poisons, and are 

 employed to counteract the effects of the sting of the cerastes 65 

 and the scorpion : indeed, after having rubbed the hands with 

 radishes or radish-seed, we may handle 66 those reptiles with 

 impunity. If a radish is placed upon a scorpion, it will cause 

 its death. Radishes are useful, too, in cases of poisoning by 

 fungi 67 or henbane ; and according to Nicander, 68 they are sa- 

 lutary against the effects of bullock's blood, 69 when drunk. 

 The two physicians of the name of Apollodorus, prescribe 

 radishes to be given in cases of poisoning by mistletoe ; but 

 whereas Apollodorus of Citium recommends radish-seed pounded 

 in water, Apollodorus of Tarentum speaks of the juice. 

 Radishes diminish the volume of the spleen, and are beneficial 

 for maladies of the liver and pains in the loins : taken, too, 

 with vinegar or mustard, they are good for dropsy and lethargy, 



the several varieties of the Raphanus sativus are, that their action is slightly 

 stimulating when eaten raw, and that boiled and eaten with sugar they 

 are soothing, and act as a pectoral. 



62 " Lagonoponon." Nearly all these asserted virtues of the radish, 

 Fee says, are illusory. 



63 " Phlegmoni." Stagnation of the blood, with heat, redness, swell- 

 ing, and pain. 



64 "Veternosi." Fee says that, rigorously speaking, "veterans"' was 

 that state of somnolency which is the prelude to apoplexy. 



65 The Coluber cerastes of Linnaeus. See B. viii. c. 35. 



66 Poinsinet warns us not to place too implicit faith in this assertion. 



67 Dioscorides says the same, but the assertion is quite destitute of truth. 



68 Nicander, in his " Alexipharmaca," 11. 430 and 527. says that the cab- 

 bage, not the radish, is good for poisoning by fungi and henbane ; and in 

 1. 300 he states that the cabbage is similarly beneficial against the effects 

 of bullock's blood. Pliny has probably fallen into the error by confound- 

 ing 'ptubdvog, the " cabbage," with '(oa^dvig, the " radish.' 7 



69 Themistocles is said to have killed himself by taking hot bullock's 

 blood. It is, however, very doubtful. 



