344 PLINY'S NATUBAL HISTOBT. [Book XX VI II. 



discharges of blood, cow's blood, they say, is good, taken in 

 small quantities with vinegar ; but as to bull's blood, it would 

 be a rash thing to believe in any such recommendation. For 

 inveterate spitting of blood, bull-glue is taken, in doses of three 

 oboli, in warm water. 



CHAP. 54. (13.) BEMEDIES FOR AFFECTIONS OF THE STOMACH. 



Ulcerations of the stomach are effectually treated with 

 asses' milk 58 or cows' milk. For gnawing pains in that region, 

 beef is stewed, with vinegar and wine. Fluxes are healed by 

 taking the ashes of burnt deer's horns ; and discharges of blood 

 by drinking the blood of a kid just killed, made hot, in doses 

 of three cyathi, with equal proportions of vinegar and tart 

 wine ; or else by taking kid's rennet, with twice the quantity 

 of vinegar. 



CHAP. 55. REMEDIES FOR LIVER COMPLAINTS AND FOR ASTHMA. 



Liver complaints are cured by taking a wolf's liver dried, in 

 honied wine ; or by using the dried liver of an ass, with twice 

 the quantity of rock-parsley and three nuts, the whole beaten 

 up with honey and taken with the food. The blood, too, of a 

 he-goat is prepared and taken with the food. For persons suf- 

 fering from asthma, the most efficient remedy of all is the blood 

 of wild horses 59 taken in drink ; and next to that, asses' milk 

 boiled with bulbs, the whey being the part used, with the 

 addition of nasturtium steeped in water and tempered with 

 honey, in the proportion of one cyathus of nasturtium to three 

 semi-sextarii of whey. The liver or lights of a fox, taken in 

 red wine, or bear's gall in water, facilitate the respiration. 



CHAP. 56. REMEDIES FOR PAINS IN THE LOINS. 



For pains in the loins and all other affections which require 

 emollients, frictions with bears' grease should be used ; or else 

 ashes of stale boars' dung or swine's dung should be mixed 

 with wine and given to the patients. The magicians, too, 

 have added to this branch of medicine their own fanciful 

 devices. In the first place of all, madness in he-goats, they 

 say, may be effectually calmed by stroking the beard ; and if 

 the beard is cut off, the goat will never stray to another flock. 



58 Asses' milk is still recommended for pulmonary phthisis. 

 w See B. viii. c. 16. 



