240 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XXVII. 



ulcers with new flesh, and restore such parts of the hody as 

 are wasted by atrophy. They act as a detergent upon purulent 

 sores, disperse inflammatory tumours, and alleviate gout and 

 all kind of abscesses, those of the mamillae in particular. 



Under the name of " crataegos" 29 or '*' cratsegon," Theo- 

 phrastus 30 speaks of the tree known in Italy as the " aquifolia." 



CHAP. 41. THE CROCODILEON : TWO REMEDIES. 



The crocodileon 31 resembles the black chamseleon 32 in shape : 

 the root is long, of an uniform thickness, and possessed of a 

 pungent smell. It is found growing in sandy soils. Taken 

 in drink, it causes a copious discharge of coagulated blood at 

 the nostrils, and in this way, it is said, diminishes the volume 

 of the spleen. 



CHAP. 42. THE CYNOSORCHIS OR ORCHIS I FOUR REMEDIES. 



The cynosorchis, 33 by some called " orchis," has leaves like 34 

 those of the olive, soft, three in number, half a foot in length, 

 and lying upon the ground. The root is bulbous, oblong, and 

 divided into two portions, 35 the upper one hard, and the lower 

 one soft. These roots are eaten boiled, like bulbs, 36 and are 

 mostly found growing in vineyards. If males eat the upper 

 part, they will be parents of male issue, they .say, and females, 

 if they eat the lower part, of female. In Thessaly, the men 

 take the soft portion in goats' milk as an aphrodisiac, and the 

 hard part as an antaphrodisiac. Of these parts, the one effec- 

 tually neutralizes the action of the other. 37 



29 See B. xxiv. c. 72. Littre remarks that Pliny is in error here, for 

 that the Crataegos of Theophrastus is the Cratsegos azarolia of Linnseus, 

 the Parsley-leaved hawthorn, while the Aquifolia of Pliny is the Holly. 

 As to the latter point, see B. xvi. cc. 8, 12 



30 Hist. Plant. B. iii. c. 15. 



31 Desfontaines identifies it with the Centaurea crocodileuin of Linnaeus, 

 and Littre wjth the Cardims pycnocephalus of Linnaeus. Ruellius con- 

 siders it to b*e the same plant as the Leucacantha of Dioscoridesj which 

 Sprengel identifies with the Cnicus Casahonce. Fee expresses himself at 

 a loss as to its identity. 32 See B. xxii. c. 21. 



33 u Do-g'g testicle/"' Considered to be a synonym merely of the Orchis, 

 mentioned in B. xxvi. c. 62. 34 This comparison is totally incorrect. 



35 See B. xxvi. c. 62. 3G Or onions. 



37 A tissue of groundless superstitions. 



