BOOK XXI. Lxxin. 121-123 



called nails." In the flower, seed and filament are 

 distinct, as are shell ^ and calyx in the head. The 

 petals are dried, or the juice is extracted from them 

 by one of three methods. They may be treated by 

 themselves, when the nails, in which there is most 

 moisture, are not removed ; or when what is left 

 aftcr removing the nails is steeped with oil or wine 

 in glass vessels in the sunshine. Some add salt also, 

 and a few alkanet or aspalathus or fragrant rush, 

 because so prepared the essence is very beneficial 

 for complaints of the uterus and for dysentery. 

 With the nails removed the petals may also have 

 their juice extracted by being pounded, and then 

 strained through a thick linen cloth into a bronze 

 vessel ; the juice is then heated on a slow fire until 

 it becomes as thick as honey. For this process only 

 the most fragrant petals must be selected." How 

 wine is made from roses I have described in my 

 treatment of the various kinds of wine.'^ Rose 

 juice is used for the ears, sores in the mouth, the 

 gums, as a gargle for the tonsils, for the stomach, 

 uterus, rectal trouble, headache — when due to fever 

 either by itself or with vinegar — to induce sleep or to 

 dispel nausea. The petals are burned to make an 

 ingredient of cosmetics '^ for the eyebrows, and dried 

 rose leaves are sprinkled on (chafed) thighs./ 

 Fluxes of the eyes also are soothed by the dried 

 leaves. The flower induces sleep, checks menstrual, 

 particularly white, discharges if taken in vinegar 

 and water, as well as the spitting of blood ; a cyathus ? 

 of it in three cyathi of wine relieves stomach-ache. 



qHantum or tantum of the MSS. could be retained if either word, 

 perhaps with the addition of some auch word as sufficit, were 

 a common Latin expression for a sufBciency or modicum. 



251 



