118 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTOKY. [Book XXV. 



which comes from Pontus ; but whatever the soil may happen 

 to be, the more weighty it is, the better adapted it is for me- 

 dicinal purposes. The aristolochia with a round root is re- 

 commended for the stings of serpents, and that with an oblong 

 root * * * * But in this is centred its principal repu- 

 tation ; applied to the uterus with raw beef, as a pessary, im- 

 mediately after conception, it will ensure the birth of male'" 3 

 issue, they say. The fishermen on the coasts of Campania 

 give the round root the name of "poison of the earth ;" and I 

 myself have seen them pound it with lime, and throw it into 

 the sea ; immediately on which the fish flew towards it with 

 surprising avidity, and being struck dead in an instant, floated 

 upon the surface. 



The kind that is known as " polyrrhizos," 24 is remarkably 

 good, they say, for convulsions, contusions, and falls with 

 violence, an infusion of the root being taken in water : the 

 seed, too, is useful for pleurisy and affections of the sinews. It 

 is considered, too, to be possessed of warming and strengthening 

 properties, similar to those of satyrion, 26 in fact. 



CHAP. 55. THE EMPLOYMENT OF THESE PLANTS FOR INJTTKIE3 



INFLICTED BY SEKPENTS. 



But it will be as well now to mention the various uses made 

 of these plants, and the effects produced by them, beginning 

 with that most dangerous of all evils that can befall us, stings 

 inflicted by serpents. In such cases the plant britannica 27 

 effects a cure, and the same is the case with the root of all the 

 varieties of panaces, 28 administered in wine. The flower, too, 

 and seed of panaces chironion are taken in drink, or applied 

 externally with wine and oil : cunila bubula, 29 too, is looked 

 upon as particularly useful for this purpose, and the root of 

 polemonia or philetaeris is taken in doses of four drachmae in 

 unmixed wine. Teucria, 30 sideritis, 31 and scordotis, 32 are used 

 in wine, plants particularly good,, all of them, for injuries in- 

 flicted by snakes ; the juice or leaves, or else a decoction of 



23 See B. xxvi. c. 91. 24 " With many roots." 



26 See B. xxvi. c. 62. See c. 6 of this Book. 



28 See cc. 11, 12, 13, 14, of this Book. 



29 See B. xx. c. 61. 30 See B. xxiv. c. 80. 



31 See c. 15 of this Book. 32 See c. 27 of this Book. 



