132 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XXV. 



similar in appearance to the black poppy, and possessed of 

 greater virtues than the first. They are both, however, of a 

 warming nature, for which reason they are administered to 

 persons who have taken hemlock, a poison for which frankin- 

 cense and panaces are used, chironion 13 in particular. This 

 last, too, is given in cases of poisoning by fungi. 



CHAP. 83. (11.) BEMEDIES FOE DISEASES OF THE HEAD. 



NYMPH1S)A HERACLIA : TWO BEMEDIES. 



But we shall now proceed to point out the various classes 

 of remedies for the, several parts of the body, and the maladies 

 to which those parts are subject, beginning in the first place 

 with the head. 



The root of nymphsea heraclia u effects the cure of alopecy, 

 if they are beaten up together, 15 and applied. The polythrix 16 

 differs from, the callitrichos 17 in having white, rushlike suckers, 

 larger leaves, and more numerous ; the main stem, 18 too, is 

 larger. This plant strengthens the hair, prevents it from 

 falling off, and makes it grow more thickly. 



CHAP. 84. THE LINGTJLACA I ONE REMEDY. 



The same is the case too with the lingulaca, 19 a plant that 

 grows in the vicinity of springs, and the root of which is 

 reduced to ashes, and beaten up with hog's lard. Due care 

 must be taken, however, that it is the lard of a female, of a 

 black colour, and one that has never farrowed. The application 

 is rendered additionally efficacious, if the ointment is applied in 

 the sun. Root, too, of cyclaminos is employed in the same 



c. 41, the same, in his opinion, with the Narcissus jonquilla. the Emetic jon- 

 quil. Sprengel, however, would identify the Bulbus vomitorius with either 

 the Narcissus orientalis or the Pancratium Illyricum; and Sibthorp con- 

 siders its synonym to be the Ornithogalum stachyoides of Alton. Littre 

 gives the Muscari comosum. 



13 See e. 13 of this Book. 



14 See c. 37 of this Book, and B. xxvi. c. 28. 



15 There seems to be an hiatus here. From the words of Dioscorides, 

 B, iii. c. 138, it would appear that pitch was the other ingredient, to be 

 beaten up with the plant. 



16 The same as the Polytrichos of B. xxii. c. 30. 



17 In B. xxii. c. 30, he makes them to be the same plant, and it is most 

 probable that they may be both referred to the Asplenium trichomanes of 

 Linnaeus. 18 " Frutice." 



See B. xxiv. c. 108. 



