BOOK XXI. xcv. 167-XCV11. 170 



XCV. The plant oenanthe grows on rocks,'' and Oenanthe. 

 has a leaf hke that of carrot and a large root, with 

 several heads.'' Its stem and leaves taken Avith lioney 

 and dark wine make childbirth easy and bring away 

 the after-birth ; taken in honey they are a cure for 

 coughs, and also diuretic. The root also cures 

 complaints of the bladder. 



XC\T. Heliochrysus is called by some chrysan- Heiio- 

 themoTi. It has sprigs of a shining white, and '^^^"'"^- 

 leaves of a dull whitish colour, Uke those of southern- 

 wood, with as it were chisters hanging down all 

 round it, which glisten Uke gold when reflecting the 

 Ught of the sun, and never fade. For this reason 

 they make chaplets of it for the gods, a custom 

 which Ptolemy king of Egypt very faithfuUy ob- 

 served. It grows in shrubberies. Taken in wine it 

 is diuretic and promotes menstruation. It disperses 

 indurations and inflammations ; for burns it is 

 appUed with honey. For snake bites and lumbago 

 it is taken in drink. With lioney wine it removes 

 congealed blood in the beUy or bladder. Three 

 oboU by weight of its leaves, pounded and taken in 

 white wine, check excessive menstruation. It 

 protects clothes by its smeU, which however is not 

 unpleasant. 



XC\TI. The hyacinth grows chiefly in Gaul. Usesoj 

 There they use it to impart a shade to the dye '^'"^*""- 

 hysginum.'" The root is buUjous, and weU known 

 to slave-deak-rs, for applied in sweet wine it checks 

 the signs of puberty, and does not let them develop. 

 It reUeves coUc and counteracts the bites of spiders. 

 It is diuretic. For snake bites, scorpion stings and 

 jaundice its seed is given mixed with southern- 

 Wood. 



281 



