BOOK XX. Lxxix. 207-Lxxx. 209 



LXXIX. A second variety of wild poppy is ealled 

 heraclium, by others aphron, having leaves, if you 

 look at it from a distance, that look Uke sparrows.'' 

 Its roots are on the surface of the ground, and its seed 

 is Hke foam. It is from the use of this plant that linen 

 gets its shiny whiteness. In summer it is pounded 

 in a mortar for epilepsy, the dose being an aceta- 

 bulum in white wine ; ^ for it causes vomiting, and 

 is very useful for the drug called diacodion and 

 arteriace. This preparation however is made by 

 steeping one hundred and twenty heads of this or 

 any other wild poppy in three sextarii of rain water 

 for two days ; then they are thoroughly boiled in 

 the same water, and after the whole "^ has been 

 dried it is again boiled down to one half with honey 

 in a slow heat. More recently there has been 

 added six drachmae of saffron, hypocisthis, frankin- 

 cense and gum acacia, with a sextarius of Cretan 

 raisin-wine. This however is just for show; this 

 simple and old-fashioned remedy depends for its 

 virtues entirely on the poppy and honey. 



LXXX. A third variety is tithymalon, called by 

 some mecon, by others parahon, with a leaf Uke that 

 of flax, a white flower, and a head of the size of a 

 bean. It is gathered when the grape is at its best ** 

 and then dried in the shade. Its seed, taken in half an 

 acetabulum of honey wine, purges the bowels. But 

 the head of any poppy, whether fresh or dried, if 

 appUed to the eyes reUeves fluxes. Opium taken 

 in nearly neat wine, if administered immediately, is 



' Mayhoffs addition of suco is attractive. 

 ''Or: " when the grape-bunch is in flower." Pliny XI. § 34 

 aays that uva fioret at the solstice. 



