BOOK XXllI. XX. 35-xxii. 39 



stomach and intestines. Caeeuban wines are no 

 longer produced. 



XXI. Of the wines still produced, those of Setia 

 ensure digestion ; they have more body than 

 Surrentine wine, more dryness than Alban and less 

 potency than Falernian. Not much inferior to them 

 will be found the Statan " wines. It is a firm belief 

 that the wines of Signia are very beneficial to dis- 

 ordered bowels. 



XXII. The other considerations will be combined 

 in ageneral description. By wine are improved men's 

 strength, blood and coniplexion. Wine it is that 

 distinguishes the middle or temperate zone from the 

 two that He on either side of it. All the strength 

 produced by the cruel extremes we of the temperate 

 clime derive from the juice of the grape. Bone is 

 nourished by drinking milk, sinews by the beers, and 

 flesh by water. Accox*dingly, the drinkers of such 

 have a less ruddy complexion, less sti*ength, and 

 less power to endure toil. Wine in moderation 

 strengthens the sinews * ; excess is injurious to them, 

 as it is also to the eyes. Wine is a tonic to the 

 stomach and a sharpener of the appetite ; it dulls 

 sorrow and anxiety, expels urine and chills, and 

 induces sleep. In addition it checks vomiting, and 

 pieces of wool, soaked in wine and appUed externally, 

 soften abscesses. Asclepiades asserted that the use- 

 fulness of wine is hardly exceeded by the power of 

 the gods. Old wine is diluted with a larger propor- 

 tion of water, and while being for this reason a more 

 powerful diuretic quenches thirst less effectively. 

 Sweet wine is less inebi-iating but floats in the 

 stomach ; but a dry wine is more easily digested. 

 The Hghtest wine is tliat which matures most 



439 



