PLINY : NATURAL HISTORY 



105 LVI. Citrea contra venenum in vino bibuntur vel 

 ipsa vel semen. faciunt oris suavitatem, decocto 

 eorum colluti aut suco expresso. horum semen 

 edendum praecipiunt in malacia praegnatibus, ipsa 

 vero contra infirmitatem stomachi, sed non nisi ex 

 aceto facillime manduntur. 



106 LVII. Punici mali novem genera nunc iterari 

 supervacuum. ex his dulcia, quae apyrena alio 

 nomine appellavimus, stomacho inutilia habentur, 

 inflationes pariunt, dentes gingivasque laedunt, 

 quae vero ab his sapore proxima vinosa diximus, 

 parvum nucleum habentia, utiliora paulo intelle- 

 guntur. alvum sistunt et stomachum, dumtaxat 

 pauca citraque ^ satietatem. et haec minime danda, 

 quamquam omnino nuUa, in febri. nec carne 

 acinorum utili nec suco. caventur aeque vomitio- 



107 nibus ac bilem reicientibus. uvam in his ac ne 

 mustum quidem, sed protinus vinum aperuit natura, 

 utrumque asperiore cortice. hic acerbis in magno 

 usu. vulgus coria maxime perfici ^ illo novit ; ob id 

 malicorium appellant medici. urinam cieri eodem 

 monstrant, mixtaque galla in aceto decoctum 

 mobiles dentes stabilire. expetitur gravidarum 



^ citraque codd., Dellefsen : ultraque MayhoJJ. qui post 

 satietatem punctum om. 



* perfici Mayhoff: perficit codd. 



" This strange statement is very difEcult to explain. 

 Cilrea (lime, lemon, citron) are acid, and the addition of vtnegar 

 ■would make them more so. Nothing is gained by giving 

 majulo its strict sense, to eat by chewLng. Possibly Phny was 

 thinking of a variety with a sickly taste. 



" See XIII. § 112! 



* See the same section ; dTrvprivos means without a kemei, 

 or with a soft one. 



484 



