224 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTOHT. [Book XXVII. 



or else it is put over the fire in a pipkin, and stirred with a 

 feather from time to time, that the whole of it may be equally 

 warmed. 



CHAP. 6. ALCEA : ONE EEMEDY. 



Aleea 37 is a plant with leaves, resembling those of vervain, 38 

 known also as " peris tereon," some three or four stems 

 covered with leaves, a flower like that of the rose, and white 

 roots, at most six in number, a cubit in length, and running 

 obliquely. It grows in a soil that is rich without being dry. 

 The root is given in wine or water, for dysentery, diarrhoea, 

 ruptures, and convulsions. 



CHAP. 7. THE ALYPON: ONE KEMEDT. 



The alypon 39 has a small stem, with a soft head, and is not 

 unlike beet in appearance. It has an acrid, viscous taste, 

 extremely pungent and burning. Taken in hydromel, with 

 a little salt, it acts as a purgative. The smallest dose is two 

 drachmae, a moderate dose, four, and the largest, six. When 

 used as a purgative, it is taken in chicken broth. 



CHAP. 8. ALSINE, A PLANT USED FOE THE SAME PUEPOSES AS 



HELXINE I FIVE EEMEDIES. 



Alsine, 40 a plant known as "myosoton " 41 to some, grows in the 

 woods, to which fact it is indebted for its name of " alsine." 42 

 It begins to make its appearance at mid- winter, and withers in 

 the middle of summer. When it first puts forth, the leaves 

 bear a strong resemblance to the ears of mice. We shall have 



37 Identified by Fee with the Malva alcea of Linnaeus, the Vervain 

 mallow, an emollient and, comparatively, inert plant. Littre gives as 

 its synonym the Malope malacho'ides, Marsh mallow. Sibthorp identifies 

 it with the Hibiscus trionum, and Anguillara with the Althaea cannabina 

 of Linnaeus. It is probably the same plant as the Alcima, mentioned several 

 times in B. xxvi. 38 See B. xxv. c. 59. 



39 Identified with the Globularia alypum of Linnaeus, the Three-toothed 

 leaf Globularia, or Turbith. 



40 Identified by Sprengel with the Cerastium aquaticum, and by other 

 authorities with the Alsine media of Linnaeus, the Common chickweed. 

 Desfontaines suggests the Stellaria nemorum, the Broadleaved stitchwort, 

 but Fee prefers the Parietaria Cretica of Linnaeus, Cretan pellitory, as its 

 synonym. 41 " Mouse-ear." 



42 From the Greek a\<70, a "grove." 



