BOOK XXIII. iii. 5-iv. 7 



dose being two cyathi in lukewarm water, and the 

 patient after taking the draught should lie down on 

 his spleen. The very tendrils by which the vine 

 cHmbs, pounded and swallowed in water, check 

 habitual vomiting. The ash of vines with old axle 

 grease is good for tumours, cleanses fistulas and in 

 time heals them completely, as it does cramps, and 

 pains in the sinews arising from chill ; for bruises 

 however it may be appUed thus or with oil, for 

 excrescences of flesh on bones it should be with 

 vinegar and soda, for scorpion stings and dog bites, 

 with oil. The ash of the bark by itself restores the 

 hair on burns." 



IV. How omphacium is made, just before the OmphaHum. 

 grape begins to mature, I have already described in 

 my section on unguents ^ ; I will now notice its medi- 

 cinal properties. It also cures sores in a moist part 

 of the body, such as the mouth, tonsils or genitals. 

 It is very helpful for clearness of vision,'^ and is good 

 for scabrous eyehds, sores in the corners of the eyes, 

 films on the eyes, running sores in any part of the 

 body, flabby scars, and bones with a sHmy pus on 

 them.'' Its strength can be modified by adding ' 

 honey or raisin wine. Omphacium is also good for 

 dysentery, spitting of blood, and quinsy. 



passage, gives faccidus as an equivalent. " Bones slimy 

 purulently " is almost nonsense. Only when bones are 

 exposed because of wounds or dangerous rodent ulcers do we 

 see them " purulent." The truth seems to be that Pliny 

 misread the Greek that appears in Dioscorides (V. 5) as ovXa 

 TrXaSapd, wra ■nvoppoovvTa: " flabby gums and pus in the 

 ears." I.e. ovXa has been confused with ovXai and wra with 

 oara. The suggestion of Hardouin, adopted by SilHg, to read 

 auribiis for the ossihus of the MSS., clears away the second 

 difficulty, but leaves the first untouched. 



419 



