Chap. 17.] IITOSCYAMOS. 91 



guish two varieties of this plant- the one with a smooth leaf, 

 the other of a more delicate form. 



CHAP. 15. THE HEIUCLEON SIDERION I FOUR KEMEDIES. 



The heracleon siderion 65 is also another discovery of Her- 

 cules. The stem is thin, about four fingers in length, the 

 flower red, and the leaves like those of coriander. It is found 

 growing in the vicinity of lakes and rivers, and is extremely 

 efficacious for the cure of all wounds made by iron. 66 



CHAP. 16. THE AMPELOS CHIRONIA I ONE REMEDY. 



The ampelos Chironia 67 also, which we have already 63 men- 

 tioned when speaking of the vines, is a discovery due to 

 Chiron. We have spoken too, on a previous occasion, 69 of a 

 plant, the discovery of which is attributed to Minerva. 



CHAP. 17. HYOSCYAMOS, KNOWN ALSO AS THE APOLLINARIS OR 



ALTEKCDM ; FIVE VARIETIES OF IT : THRKE REMEDIES. 



To Hercules also is attributed the discovery of the plant 

 known as the " apollinaris," and, among the Arabians, as the 

 "altercum" or " altercaugenum :" by the Greeks it is called 

 " hyoscyamos." 70 There are several varieties of it; one of 

 them, 71 with a black seed, flowers bordering on purple, and a 

 prickly stem, growing in Galatia. The common kind 73 again, 

 is whiter, more shrublike, and taller than the poppy. Tho 

 seed of a third variety is similar to that of irio 73 in appearance ; 

 but they have, all of them, the effect of producing vertigo and 

 insanity. A fourth 74 kind again is soft, lanuginous, and more 

 unctuous than the others ; the seed of it is white, and it grows 

 in maritime localities. It is this kind that medical men 



65 Hardouin identifies it with the Geranium Robertianum of Linnseus ; 

 Sprengel and Desfontaines with the Phellandriura mutellina of Linnaeus; 

 Colunma with the Sanicula ; Sibthorpe with the Scrofularia lucida ; and 

 M. Fraas with the Scrofula chrysanthemifolia of Linnaeus. Fee expresses 

 himself unable to speak with any certainty on the subject. 



66 Whence its name " sidereon." 67 Or *' Chironian vine." 

 68 In B. xxiii. c. 17. 69 In B. xxii. c. 20. 



70 " Swine's bean " our henbane. 



71 The Hyoscyamus reticulatus of Linnaeus, reticulated henbane. 



72 The Hyoscyamus niger of Linnaeus, black henbane. 



73 See B. xviii. c. 22, and B. xxii. c. 75. The Hyoscyamus aureus of 

 Linnams, golden henbane. 



74 The Hyoscyamus albus of Linnaeus, white henbane. 



