ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IX. xi. 2-5 



it against bites of reptiles, to take it -in a posset of 

 honey for disorders of the spleen, when the blood 

 collects about it, and against headache l to pound it 

 up in olive-oil and anoint the head ; that it is of use 

 also in other obscure troubles, and against stomach- 

 ache, if scraped and taken in wine. It is said also 

 to be able to prevent long periods of sickness. Again 

 for running sores 2 one may sprinkle it on in hot 

 wine, first washing the place, while for dry sores one 

 may soak it in wine and apply a plaster. 



3 The kind named after Herakles has a large 

 broad leaf, three spans each way, a root as thick as a 

 man's finger, forking in two or three 4 ; in taste it is 

 somewhat bitter, in smell like pure frankincense 5 ; 

 6 it is good to drink it against epilepsy, mixed with 

 the rennet of a seal in the proportion of one to four, 

 or in sweet wine against pain 7 in the stomach ; it 

 may be used dry 8 for running sores, and mixed with 

 honey for dry ones. Such are the special features 

 about these plants and their respective virtues. 



9 There are also other kinds of all-heal, of which 

 one has a fine leaf, the other not; the properties of 

 both kinds are the same ; namely they are used as a 

 pessary for women, and a plaster may be made of 

 them mixed with meal for spreading sores as well as 

 for ordinary sores. 



Of the various plants called strykhnos. 

 As to strykhnos again and tilhymallos (spurge) there 

 is in either case more than one form of the plant 



5 \i/3ai r wTov KO.6a.pov conj. Sch. ; \tfavtarbv KaQapbv UM ; \i- 

 flavuTov U*; \t^av^Toi' itadapwv Ald.H KaOapov perhaps due 

 to K a.edirep. 6 c/. Fr. 1 75 ; Diosc. 2. 75. 



7 oSuvijsconj.W.j oMvai UMU*Ald. 



conj. Sch.; ^pa U*Ald.; frpa\ M. 9 Plin. 35. 33. 



271 



