BOOK XXIII. Li.x. iio-L.\. 113 



freeing himself from every kind of band — girdle, 

 shoes, even his i'ing — plucks one of these buds with 

 two fingers, the thumb and the fourth finger, of his 

 left hand, brushes his eyes with it, lightly touching 

 them, and then swallows it without its touching any 

 tooth, he will suffer, it is said, no eye-trouble 

 during the same year. These same buds, dried and 

 pounded, reduce fleshy excrescences, healing gums 

 and teeth, even if they be loose, by the use of a 

 decoction of the juice. The little buds, just as they 

 are except for povmding, are applied to spreading, 

 purulent sores, also to inflamed eyes and for 

 inflammation of the intestines, and for nearly all the 

 afFections for which pomegranate rinds are used. 

 They neutraHze the stings of scorpions. 



LX. It is impossible sufHciently to admire the 

 pains and care of the old inquirers, who have explored 

 everything and left nothing untried. In this very 

 cytinus are Uttle blossoms, unfokling of course 

 before the pomegranate itself forms, which I have 

 said " is called balaustium. So these blossoms too 

 they investigated, and discovered them to neutralize 

 the stings of scorpions. Taken in drink they arrest 

 excessive menstruation, and heal sores of the mouth, 

 tonsils and uvula, spitting of blood, looseness of the 

 bowels and stomach, disorders of the genitals, and 

 running sores in any part of the body. They dried 

 too these blossoms, to test their efficacy also when 

 thus prepared, and found that reduced to powder 

 they cure sufferers from dysentery even when on the 

 point of death, checking the diarrhoea. Moreover, 

 they have taken the trouble to try out the very pips 

 of the pomegranate berry. Roasted and pounded 

 they are good for the stomach, if taken in food or 



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