BOOK XXI. Lxxxiii. 142-LXXXIV. 146 



days. Chewed it sweetens foul breath and offensive 

 armpits. Its juice softens all indurations. It induces 

 sleep, but dries up the semen. It heals cracks in 

 the anus and condylomata," and all excrescences on 

 the body. Some authorities call the wild variety 

 xyris. This disperses scrofulous sores, superficial 

 abscesses and swellings in the groin. It is recom- 

 mended that for these purposes it should be puUed 

 up with the left hand, and the gatherers should utter 

 the name of the patient and of the complaint for 

 whose sake they are pulUng it. While speaking of 

 this plant also I will make known the dishonesty of 

 herbaUsts. They keep back a part of it and of 

 certain other plants, such as the plantain. If they 

 think their pay insutficient and look for further 

 employment, they bury in the same place the part 

 they kept back, I suppose to make the complaints 

 they have cured break out again. The root of Celtic 

 nard boiled down in wine checks vomiting and 

 strengthens the stomach.^ 



LXXXIV. Musaeus and Hesiod bid those who are uses oj 

 ambitious for honour and glory to rub themselves " """" ' 

 over with hulwort, and for hulwort to be handled, 

 cultivated, carried on the person to neutraUze poisons, 

 to be placed under bedclothes to keep away snakes, 

 to be burnt, to be boiled down, fresh or dry, in wine, 

 and to be used as Uniment or taken by the mouth. 

 Physicians prescribe hulwort for splenic complaints 

 in vinegar, for jaundice in wine, for incipient dropsy 

 boiled down in wine, and so prepared also as a 

 Uniment for wounds. It brings away the after-birth 

 and the dead foetus ; it reUeves pains of the body and 

 empties the bladder ; it is appUed as ointment for 

 fluxes from the eyes. No other herb makes a more 



265 



