BOOK XX. IV. 9-vi. 12 



in half a sextarius of" water, and that sudden tumours 

 are cured by a Hniment made by mixing it with 

 woman's milk. Elaterium promotes menstruation 

 but causes abortion when taken by women with child. 

 It is good for asthma and also for jaundice when 

 injected into the nostrils. Smeared in the sunshine 

 on the face. it removes therefrom freckles and spots. 



V. Many authorities assign all these qualities to cuiHvated 

 the cultivated cucumbers, which even apart from <""'="'"'""■ 

 them is of great importance. For instance, the seed 



too, a three-finger pinch of it, when pounded with 

 cummin and taken in wine, is beneficial for coughs, 

 for phrenitis " when drunk in woman's milk, a dose 

 of an acetabulum for dysentery, and with an equal 

 weight of cummin for expectoration of pus. Taken 

 in hydromel '^ it is good for diseases of the Hver. 

 With sweet wine it is diuretic, while for kidney 

 pain it is used with cummin as an enema. 



VI. The gourds called pepones '^ make a very Pepones. 

 refreshing food, and are also laxative. Their pulp 



is used as an application for fluxes or pains of the 

 eyes. The root is a cure for the hard sores. Hke 

 honey-comb, which thev call ceria. It also acts as 

 an emetic ; it is dried and pounded into flour, the 

 dose being four oboH taken in hydromel, but after it 

 has been drunk a walk of half a mile must be taken. 

 This flour is also used as an ingredient in skin- 

 smoothing cosmetics. The rind too serves as an 

 emetic and clears the face of spots. The leaves also 

 of any kind of cultivated gourd have when appHed 

 externaUy the same effect. The same, mixed with 

 honey, also cure night rash,'' and mixed with wine 

 dog-bites and the bite of multipedes, an insect 

 called seps ' by the Greeks. It is rather long, with 



