406 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XXII. 



CHAP. 19. (17). THEHELXTNE: TWELVE EEMEDIES. 



The helxine 1 is called by some, " perdicium," from the cir- 

 cumstance of its forming the principal food of partridges. 2 

 Other persons, however, give it the name of " sideritis," and 

 to some it is known as "parthenium." It has leaves, the 

 shape of which is a mixture of those of the plantago and the 

 marrubium ; 3 the stalks are slight and closely packed, and are 

 of a light red colour. The seeds, enclosed in heads resembling 

 those of the lappa, 4 adhere to the clothes, a circumstance, it is 

 said, to which it owes its name 5 of "helxine." We have 

 already stated in the preceding Book 6 what are the character- 

 istics of the plant properly so called. 



The one of which we are now speaking is used for dyeing 7 

 wool, and is employed for the cure of erysipelas, tumours, all 

 kinds of abscesses, and burns. The juice of it, taken in doses' 

 of one cyathus with white lead, is a cure for inflamed tumours, 

 incipient swellings of the throat, and inveterate coughs. 8 It 

 is good, too, for all maladies of the humid* parts of the body, 

 the tonsillary glands, for instance ; and, in combination with 

 rose oil, it is useful for varicose veins. It is employed topically 

 for the gout, with goat suet and Cyprian wax. 



1 It must not be confounded, Fee says, with the Helxine, a tuberous 

 root, mentioned in B. xxi. c. 56. He thinks also that Pliny is in error 

 in giving it the name of " Perdicium," which may possibly have been a 

 synonym of the other Helxine. Fe-e comes to the conclusion that the 

 Perdicium of B. xxi. c. 62, if not the same as the Helxine of c. 56, cannot 

 be identified ; that the Helxine of B. xxi. c. 56, is the Acarna gummifera ; 

 and that the Helxine here mentioned is identical with the Perdicium of 

 this and the next Chapter, being the Parietaria officiualis of Linnaeus, 

 parietary or wall pellitory. The confusion has probably arisen from the 

 similarity of the name of the iKivvj, the plant mentioned in B. xxi. c. 56, 

 and the t/\ii>??, the Helxine of the present Chapter. 



2 " Perdices." As stated in the last Note, the name has probably been 

 given in error to the Helxine or pellitory. 



3 Or horehound. 4 See B. xxi. c. 64. 



5 From \<cw, to "drag." 



6 In c. 56. Properly the " Ixine." See Note l above. 

 ' Pellitory possesses no colouring properties whatever. 



8 It has no medicinal virtues beyond acting, possibly, in some degree, 

 as a diuretic. 



