438 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XXII. 



him by what means in particular he had retained such remark- 

 able vigour of mind and body. " Honied wine within, oil 

 without/' 83 was his answer. According to Yarro, the jaun- 

 dice has the name of " royal disease" 84 given to it, because its 

 cure is effected with honied wine. 85 



CHAP. 54. MELITITES ! THREE REMEDIES. 



We have already described tow melitites 86 is prepared, of 

 must and honey, when speaking on the subject of wines. It 

 is, I think, some ages, however, since this kind of beverage 

 was made, so extremely productive as it was found to be of 

 flatulency. It used, however, to be given in fever, to relieve 

 inveterate costiveness of the bowels, as also for gout and affec- 

 tions of the sinews. It was prescribed also for females who 

 were not in the habit of taking wine. 



CHAP. 55. WAX : EIGHT REMEDIES. 



To an account of honey, that of wax is naturally appended, 

 of the origin, qualities, and different kinds of which, we have 

 previously made mention 87 on the appropriate occasions. 

 Every kind of wax is emollient and warming, and tends to 

 the formation of new flesh ; fresh wax is, however, the best. 

 It is given in broth to persons troubled with dysentery, and 

 the combs themselves are sometimes used in a pottage made of 

 parched alica. "Wax counteracts the bad effects 88 of milk ; 

 and ten pills of wax, the size of a grain of millet, will pre- 

 vent milk from coagulating in the stomach. For swellings in 

 the groin, it is found beneficial to apply a plaster of white wax 

 to the pubes. 



83 "Intus mulso, foris oleo." The people of Corsica were famous for 

 being long-lived, which was attributed to their extensive use of honey. 



** " Regius morbus." 



Honied wine being considered so noble a beverage, Celsus says, that 

 " during its cure, the patient must be kept to his chamber, and the mind 

 must be kept cheerful, with gaiety and pastimes, for which reason it is 

 called the ' royal disease,' " B. iii. c. 24. In the text Pliny calls it " arqua- 

 torum morbus," the " disease of the bow-like," if we may be allowed the 

 term. The origin of this term, according to Scribonius Largus, is the word 

 " arcus," the rainbow, from a fancied resemblance of the colour of the 

 skin, when affected with jaundice, to the green tints of the rainbow. 



ss i n B. x iv. c . 11. 87 I n B. xi. c. 8, and B. xxi. c. 49. 



88 When it curdles on the stomach. 



