Chap. 30.] LADANUM. 171 



ities, equally exposed to the sun and to falls of snow, those in 

 the vicinity of Pheneus in Arcadia, for instance. Its proper- 

 ties are highly astringent; the root of it, taken in wine, arrests 

 looseness of the bowels, having the additional effect of throw- 

 ing downward the aqueous humours, and so acting as a diuretic ; 

 a property, in fact, which belongs to most substances which 

 act astringently upon the bowels. 



Bruised in red 37 * wine, this plant is curative of dysentery ; 

 it is only bruised, however, with the greatest difficulty. It is 

 extremely useful, also, as a fomentation for gum-boils. The 

 end of autumn is the time for gathering it, after the leaves are 

 off; it being then left to dry in the shade. 



CHAP. 30. LADANUM I EIGHTEEN REMEDIES. 



Diarrhoea may be also arrested by the use of either kind of 

 ladanum. 38 The kind which is found in corn-fields is pounded 

 for this purpose, and then passed through a sieve, being taken 

 either in hydromel, or in wine of the highest quality. "Ledon" 

 is the name of the plant from which ladanum 39 is obtained in 

 Cyprus, it being found adhering to the beard of the goats 

 there ; the most esteemed, however, is that of Arabia. 40 At 

 the present day, it is prepared in Syria and Africa also, being 

 known as "toxicum," from the circumstance that ingathering 

 it, they pass over the plant a bow, 41 with the string stretched, 

 and covered with wool, to which the dewlike flocks of lada- 

 num adhere. "We have described it at further length, when 

 treating of the perfumes. 42 



This substance has a very powerful odour, and is hard in the 

 extreme ; for, in fact, there is a considerable quantity of earth 

 adhering to it : it is most esteemed when in a pure state, 

 aromatic, soft, green, and resinous. It is of an emollient, 

 desiccative, and ripening nature, and acts as a narcotic : it pre- 

 vents the hair from falling off, and preserves its dark colour. In 

 combination with hydromel or oil of roses, it is used as an 



37 * " Bubrum," and not " nigrum," which was also what we call " red " 

 wine. 



38 Fee is unable to identify it. The Galeopsis ladanum of Linnaeus, 

 the Red dead-nettle, has been suggested, but on insufficient grounds, pro- 

 bably. 39 See B. xii. c. 37. 



40 It is still brought from the islands of Greece, but no longer from 

 Arabia. 41 TOOJ/. 



In B. xii. c. 37. 



