BOOK XXII. VII. 15-V111. 19 



show that she at least has not failed us, having put 

 remedies even into plants that \ve dislike, seeing 

 that she has given healing properties even to those 

 arnied with prickles and thorns. For these remain 

 to be discussed next after those plants I mentioned 

 in the preceding book, as even in them we cannot 

 sufficiently apprehend and admire the forethought 

 of Nature. She had given ah-eady the soft plants 

 I spoke of that make pleasant foods ; she had coloured 

 the remedies in flowers, and by the mere sight had 

 attracted our attention, combining the helpful with 

 what is actually dehghtful. Then she devised some 

 so repellent to look at, so cruel to the touch, that 

 we seem almost to hear the voice of Nature justifying 

 herself as she fashions them, and saying that she so 

 creates them lest any greedy animal browse on her 

 own self, any w-anton hands steal, any careless steps 

 crush, or any perching bird break ; by defending 

 them with these thorns, by arming them with 

 weapons, she is making a protection and safety for 

 her remedies. This very thing then that we hate in 

 them has been devised for the sake of mankind. 



VIII. Especially famous among spinous plants is sea-hoiiy. 

 the erynge, or eryngion, that gi-ows to counteract 

 snake bites and all poisons. For stings and bites 

 its root in doses of one drachma is taken in wine, or 

 in water if (as usually happens) such injuries are also 

 accompanied by fever. It is appHed to the wounds, 

 being a specific for those caused by amphibious 

 snakes and frogs. HeracUdes the physician is of 

 opinion that boiled in goose broth it is more effi- 

 cacious than any other remedy for aconite and other 

 poisoning. Apollodorus would boil it with a frog" 

 for poisoning, the other authorities say in water 



307 



