442 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XXII. 



ing ; 4 it is applied topically also for affections of the sinews, 

 mixed with the juice of henbane, and for the cure of freckles, 

 with vinegar and honey. The meal of zea, 5 from which, as 

 already 6 stated, an alica is made, appears to be more efficacious 

 than that of barley even ; but that of the three month 7 kind 

 is the most emollient. It is applied warm, in red wine, to 

 the stings of scorpions, as also for affections of the trachea, 

 and spitting of blood : for coughs, it is employed in combina- 

 tion with goat suet or butter. 



The meal of fenugreek, 8 however, is the most soothing of 

 them all : boiled with wine and nitre, it heals running ulcers, 

 eruptions on the body, and diseases of the feet and raamillse. 

 The meal of sera 9 is more detergent than the other kinds, for 

 inveterate ulcers and gangrenes : in combination with rad- 

 ishes, salt, and vinegar, it heals lichens, and with virgin sul- 

 phur, leprosy : for head-ache, it is applied to the forehead 

 with goose-grease. Eoiled in wine, with pigeons' dung and 

 linseed, it ripens inflamed tumours and scrofulous sores. 



CHAP. 59. POLENTA I EIGHT REMEDIES. 



Of the various kinds of polenta we have already treated 

 sufficiently 10 at length, when speaking of the places where it 

 is made. It differs from barley meal, in being parched, a pro- 

 cess which renders it more wholesome for the stomach. It 

 arrests looseness of the bowels, and heals inflammatory erup- 

 tions ; and it is employed as a liniment for the eyes, and for 

 head-ache, combined with mint or some other refreshing herb. 

 It is used in a similar manner also for chilblains and wounds 

 inflicted by serpents ; and with wine, for burns. It has the 

 effect also of checking pustular eruptions. 



CHAP. 60. FINE FLOUR I FIVE REMEDIES. PULS : ONE REMEDY. 



MEAL USED FOR PASTING PAPYRUS I ONE REMEDY. 



The flour 11 of bolted meal, kneaded into a paste, has the 



4 It is no better, Fee says, than rye or barley-meal. 



5 See B. xviii. cc. 19, 29. 6 In B. xviii. c. 29. 



7 "Trimestris." See B. xviii. c. 12. 



8 Fee remarks, that this meal is still valued for its maturative pro- 

 perties. 9 Hair-grass, probably, or darnel. See B. xviii. c. 44. 



10 In B. xviii. c. 14. Injections of meal are still employed, Fee says, 

 for diarrho3a. 



11 The flour of the grain called " far," Fee thinks. Sec B. xviii. c. 10. 



