214 PLINY'S NATUEAL HISTOET. [Book XXVI. 



with clusters resembling the blossoms of the olive, but paler, 

 and a white seed like that of the poppy. By taking thely- 

 gonon in drink, they say, the conception of female issue is en- 

 sured. Arsenogonon differs from it in the seed, which 

 resembles that of the olive, but in no other respect. By 

 taking this last plant in drink, male issue may be ensured 

 that is, if we choose to believe it. Some persons, however, 

 assert that both plants resemble ocimum, 18 but that the seed 

 of arsenogonon is double, and resembles the testes in appearance. 



CHAP. 92. MASTOS I ONE EEMEDY. 



Aizoiim, which we have spoken of under the name of digi- 

 tellus, 19 is the great specific for diseases of the mamillse. The 

 milk is increased by taking erigeron 20 in raisin wine, or else 

 sonchos 21 boiled with spelt. The plant known as " mastos," 22 

 applied topically, removes the hairs from the mamillae, 23 which 

 make their appearance after child-birth : it has the effect also 

 of dispersing scaly crusts 24 upon the face, and other cutaneous 

 affections. Gentian also, nymph a?a heraclia 25 employed in a 

 liniment, and root of cyclaminos, 26 remove all blemishes of the 

 skin. Seeds of cacalia, 27 mixed with melted wax, plump 

 out the skin of the face and make wrinkles disappear. Boot 

 of acoron, 28 also, removes all spots upon the skin. 



CHAP. 93. APPLICATIONS FOR THE HAIR. LYSIMACHIA. OPHRYS. 



Lysimachia 29 imparts a blonde tint 30 to the hair, and the hy- 

 pericon, 31 otherwise called " corisson," makes it black. The 

 same too, with ophrys, 32 a plant with indentations, which re- 



and " begetting females," are identified by Fee as the male and the female 

 of the same plant, the Mercurialis tomentosa of Linnaeus, the "Woolly 

 mercury. Littre gives the Mercurialis perennis of Linnaeus, Dog's mer- 

 cury ; and Desfontaines identifies them with the Thelygonum cynocrambe. 



18 See B. xxi. c. 60. 19 In B. xxv. c. 102. 



20 See B. xxv. c. 106. 21 See B. xxii. c. 44. 



22 Meaning the " breast " plant. It has not been identified. 



23 See B. xxxii. c. 10. 24 "Testes." 



25 See B. xxv. c. 37. 26 See B. xxv. c. 67. 



27 See B. xxv. c. 85. 28 See B. xxv. c. 100. 



29 See B. xxy. c. 35. 



30 The most highly esteemed among the Romans of all colours of the hair. 



31 See Chapter 53 of this Book. 



sz The " eye-brow " plant. It is identified by Fee with the Ophrys 



