504 PLINY'S NATUKAL HISTOBY. [Book XXIII. 



which reason it should never be declined in those fevers of an 

 astringent tendency which are known as " stegnre." 



Dried figs are injurious to the stomach, 78 but are beneficial 

 in a marvellous degree to the throat and fauces. They are of 

 a warming nature, are productive of thirst, and relax the bowels, 

 but are unwholesome in stomachic complaints and fluxes of the 

 bowels. In all cases they are beneficial for the bladder, hard- 

 ness of breathing, and asthma, as also for diseases of the liver, 

 kidneys, and spleen. They are nourishing and invigorating, 

 for which reason, the athletes in former times used them as 

 food : Pythagoras, the gymnast, being the first who intro- 

 duced among them a flesh diet. 79 Figs are extremely useful 

 for patients recovering from a long illness, and for persons 

 suffering from epilepsy or dropsy. They are applied topically 

 also in all cases where sores require to be brought to a head, 

 or dispersed ; and they are still more efficacious when mixed 

 with lime or nitre. Boiled with hyssop they act as a purga- 

 tive on the pectoral organs, carry off the phlegm, and cure 

 inveterate coughs : boiled with wine they heal maladies of 

 the fundament, and tumours of the jaws. A decoction of them 

 is applied also to boils, inflamed tumours, and imposthumes 

 of the parotid glands. This decoction, too, is found very 

 useful as a fomentation for disorders incident to females. 



Boiled with fenugreek, 80 figs are very useful in cases of 

 pleurisy and peripneumony. A decoction of them with 

 rue is good for griping pains in the bowels ; in combination 

 with verdigris, 81 they are used for ulcers of the legs and im- 

 posthumes of the parotid glands ; with pomegranates, for hang- 

 nails ; 82 and with wax, for burns and chilblains. Boiled in 

 wine, with wormwood and barley-meal, they are employed 

 for dropsy. Eaten with nitre, they relax the bowels ; and 

 beaten up with salt they are applied to stings inflicted by 

 scorpions. Boiled in wine, and applied topically, they bring 

 carbuncles to a head. In cases of carcinoma, unattended with 

 ulceration, it is a singularly good plan to apply to the part the 



78 They produce heart-burn and flatulency. 



79 " Ad carnes eos transtulit." Dalechamps takes this to mean " showed 

 them that the flesh was increased by eating figs." This Pythagoras was 

 probably the Samian pugilist who gained a victory in 01. 48. 



80 This herb is rich in mucilage, and of a soothing nature. 

 "^risflore." 82 " Pterygiis." 



