ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IX. xvi. 1-3 



as was said, against difficult labour in women ; for it 

 is said that either it makes labour quite easy or at 

 least it confessedly makes the pains to cease : it is 

 given as a draught in water. It is a scarce plant : 

 for the region which bears it is not extensive, and 

 the goats graze it down because they are fond of it. 

 The story of the arrows is also said to be true, that, 

 if goats eat it when they have been shot, it rids 

 them * of the arrow. Such then is dittany and 

 such its properties. 



2 ' False dittany ' is like it in leaf, but has smaller 

 twigs, and in virtue is far inferior. For it is of 

 service in the same ways, but is feebler and not 

 nearly so powerful. The virtue of dittany is perceived 

 directly it is taken into the mouth : for a small piece 

 of it has a very warming effect. The bunches of it are 

 put in the hollow stem of ferula 3 or a reed, so that it 

 may not exhale its virtue : for, if it does so, it is less 

 effective. Some say that dittany and ' false dittany ' 

 are essentially the same plant, but that the latter is 

 an inferior form produced by growing in places with 

 richer soil ; just as many other things 4 become 

 inferior in their properties for the same cause. For 

 dittany loves rough ground. 



5 There is also another plant called ' dittany,' 

 though it has nothing in common with these except 

 the name. This has neither the same appearance 

 nor the same virtue ; for its leaf is like bergamot- 

 mint and its twigs are larger, and further its use and 

 virtue are differently shewn. The true plant is, as 

 was said, marvellous, and is also peculiar to the 

 island of Crete. Indeed some say that the plants 



4 irXeio) TOVTCOV Aid., probably a duplicate of &\\a iroAAa ; 

 not represented in G ; dAAotoCrot conj. W. 6 Plin.25. 94. 



297 



