Chap. 56.] THE ARGEHONIA. 119 



them, being taken in drink or applied to the wound. For a 

 similar purpose also, the root of the greater centaury is taken, 

 in doses of one drachma to three cyathi of white wine. Gentian, 

 too, is particularly good for the stings of snakes, taken either 

 fresh or dried, in doses of two drachmae, mixed with rue and 

 pepper in six cyathi of wine. The odour, too, of lysima- 

 chia 53 puts serpents to flight. 



Chelidonia 34 is also given in wine to persons who have been 

 stung ; and betony in particular is used as an external appli- 

 cation to the wound, a plant the virtues of which are so ex- 

 traordinary, it is said, that if a circle of it is traced around a 

 serpent, it will lash itself to death 35 with its tail. The seed 

 of this plant is also administered in such cases, in doses of one 

 denarius to three cyathi of wine ; or else it is dried and pow- 

 dered, and applied to the wound, in the proportion of three 

 denarii of powder to one sextarius of water. 



Cantabrica, dittany, and aristolochia, are also similarly used, 

 one drachma of the root of this last plant being taken every 

 now and then in a semisextarius of wine. It is very useful 

 too, rubbed in with vinegar, and the same is the case, also, 

 with plistolochia : 36 indeed it will be quite sufficient to suspend 

 this last over the hearth, to make all serpents leave the house. 



CHAP. 56. (9.) THE AEGEMONIA : FOUE BEMEDIES. 



The argemonia, 37 too, is remedial in such cases ; the root of 

 it being taken, in doses of one denarius, in three cyathi of 

 wine. It will be as well, however, to enter into some further 

 details in reference to this plant and others, which I shall have 

 occasion next to mention ; it being my intention first to describe, 

 under each head, those plants which are the most efficacious 

 for the treatment of the affection under consideration. 



The argemonia has leaves like those of the anemone, but 

 divided 38 like those of parsley : the head grows upon a slender 

 stem resembling that of the wild poppy, and the root is also 



33 See c. 35 of this Book. 34 See c. 50 of this Book. 



35 See B. xvi. c. 24. 



86 See c. 54 of this Book. As Fee remarks, these asserted remedies for 

 the stings of serpents are not deserving of discussion. 



37 The Papaver argemone of Linnaeus, the Bough poppy. It is a native 

 of France, and many other parts of Europe. 



38 This, Fee remarks, is not stated by Dioscorides, whose description is 

 more correct. 



