BOOK XXIII. XXVI. 52-xxvn. 55 



of physicians about these had exceeded " all bounds ; 

 for instance, they prescribed navew wine as beneficial 

 for fatigue after niilitary exercises or ridin<]f, and to 

 pass over the others, they recommended even 

 juniper wine. And who would prefer to use worm- 

 wood wine rather than wormwood itself? Among 

 the rest let me omit also palm wine, which is 

 injurious to the head, and only useful as a laxative 

 and to relieve the spitting of blood. That wine 

 cannot be considered artificial which I have called 

 bion,'' for there is nothing artificial about it except 

 the gathering of unripe grapes. It is good for a 

 disordered stomach or a weak digestion, for preg- 

 nancy, faintness, paralysis, trembhng, giddiness, 

 colic, and sciatica. In time of plague too, and on 

 travels, it is said to be a powerful aid. 



XXVII. Even when sour, wine still lias uses as a vine.jnr and 

 remedy. Vinegar has very great cooUng qualities, "^ '"""' 

 being equally eflicacious, however, as a resolvent; 

 earth in fact efFervesces when vinegar is poured on it. 

 I have often said, and shall often have to say, how 

 often it is a beneficial ingredient with other things. 

 Drunk by itself it removes nausea and checks hiccough, 

 and to smell it stops sneezing. Kept in the mouth it 

 moderates excessive heat in the bath. Further, 

 drunk with water it is a useful digestive to many 

 when they are convalescing, and a gargle of vinegar 

 and water is a good thing after sunstroke, the eyes too 

 being greatly benefited by fomentation with the 

 same mixture. It is a remedy after swallowing a 

 leech, as well as for leprous sores, scurf, running 

 sores, dog bites, the wounds of scorpions, of the 

 scolopendra and of the shrew-mouse ; it is also an 

 antidote for the poison and irritation caused by all 



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