BOOK XX. xxxiii. 79-82 



plain shape and very close together, is more bitter 

 but very beneficial. Cato " thinks most highly of the Cato-s 

 curly variety, next after it approving the smooth "m!^." 

 cabbaere with lars:e leaves and biar stem. He con- 

 siders it good for headache, dimness of the eyes and 

 sparks in them, for the spleen, the stomach and the 

 hypochondria,* when taken raw in the morning with 

 oxymel, coriander, rue, mint and root of silphium, 

 in doses of two acetabula, saying that their power is 

 so great that he who pounds the ingredients together 

 feels himself growing stronger. He therefore recom- 

 mends that it should either be pounded with these 

 herbs when taken in a draught, or at least be in 

 sauce made from them ; while for gout and rheumatic 

 joints a Hniment should be made with a dash of rue, 

 coriander and salt, along with barley flour ; he adds 

 that its water, boiled down, is wonderfully beneficial 

 for sinews and joints, if they are fomented with it. 

 Wounds, whether fresh or old, and even cancerous 

 sores, which can be healed by no other treatment, 

 should, so he prescribes, first be fomented with hot 

 water and then have pounded cabbage apphed to 

 them twice daily. Similar treatment he prescribes 

 for fistulas also and sprains ; for tumours too, both 

 such as must be brought to a head and those that 

 need to be dispersed. He says that boiled cabbage 

 prevents dreams " and sleeplessness, if you eat 

 fasting as much as possible with oil and salt ; gripings 

 it reheves if after boihng it is boiled down again 

 with the addition of oil, salt, cummin and pearl- 

 barley. If when so prepared it is taken without 

 bread, it will, he adds, be more beneficial. Among 

 other things he tells us that bile is cleared away by 

 drinking cabbage in dark wine ; and what is more, 



49 



