Chap. 19.] MOLON OB SYEON. 165 



centaury also, gentian taken in water, and plantago, either 

 eaten with the food, or mixed with lentils or a pottage of 

 alica. 79 Betony, which is in general prejudicial to the stomach, 

 is remedial for some stomachic affections, taken in drink or 

 chewed, the leaves being used for the purpose. In a similar 

 manner too, aristolochia 80 is taken in drink, or dried agaric is 

 chewed, a draught of undiluted wine being taken every now 

 and then. Nymphsea heraclia 81 is also applied topically in 

 these cases, and juice of peucedanum. 82 For burning pains in 

 the stomach psyUion 83 is applied, or else cotyledon 84 beaten up 

 with polenta, or aizoiim. 85 



CHAP. 19. MOLON OK SYEON. AMOMTTM. 



Molon 86 is a plant with a striated stem, a soft diminutive 

 leaf, and a root four fingers in length, at the extremity of 

 which there is a head like that of garlic ; by some persons it 

 is known as " syron." Taken in wine, it is curative of affec- 

 tions of the stomach, and of hardness of breathing. For similar 

 purposes the greater centaury is used, in an electuary ; juice 

 also of plantago, or else the plant itself, eaten with the food ; 

 pounded betony, in the proportion of one pound to half an 

 ounce of Attic honey, taken daily in warm water ; and aristo- 

 lochia 87 or agaric, taken in doses of three oboli, in warm water 

 or asses' milk. 



For hardness of breathing an infusion of cissanthemos* 8 is 

 taken in drink, and for the same complaint, as also for asthma, 

 hyssop. For pains in the liver, chest, and side, if unattended 

 with fever, juice of peucedanum is used. For spitting of 

 blood agaric is employed, in doses of one victoriatus, 89 bruised 

 and administered in five cyathi of honied wine : amomum, 90 

 too, is equally useful for that purpose. For liver diseases in 



79 See B. xviii. c. 29. Fee observes that none of these prescriptions 

 would be countenanced at the present day. 



80 See B. xxv. c. 54. 81 See B. xxv. c. 37. 

 82 See B. xxv. c. 70. 83 See B. xxv. c. 90. 

 84 See B. xxv. c. 101. 85 See B. xxv. c. 102. 



86 Possibly the same plant as the " Moly " of B. xxv. c. 8. If so, as 

 Fee says, it would appear to belong to the genus Allium, or garlic. 



87 See B. xxv. c. 84. ** See B. xxv. c. 68. 



89 See Introduction to Vol. III. 



90 See B. xii. c. 28. Fee says that none of these so-called remedies 

 would now be recognised. 



