PLINY: NATURAL HISTORY 



ferret. defuncta corpora incorrupta aevis servat, 

 viventia corrumpit, mira difFerentia, cum vitam 



18 auferat spirantibus defunctisque pro vita sit. vestes 

 quoque con-umpit et animalia necat. ob haec non 

 eenseam in anginis hoc remedio utendum neque in 

 cruditatibus.i quod suasere aliqui, gustatu. dentes 

 quoque conluere ex aceto in dolore timuerim vel 

 gravitati aut vermibus aurium instillare. portentum 

 est quod tradunt abortivum fieri in venere ante per- 

 fusa virilitate. phthiriasis perunguere eo non dubita- 

 verim, item porrigines. suadent et contra venenum 



19 leporis marini bibcre in passo. facilius in elephantiasi 

 iniinant.^ et ulcera sordida et excrescentia in his 

 auctores quidam et oculorum albugines caliginesque 

 inunxere eo et contra pulmonis ulcera cyathum eius 

 sorberi iusserunt, item adversus taenias. flt ex eo et 

 oleum quod pisselaeon vocant, vehementioris ad 

 omnia eadem usus. cedri scobe serpentes fugari 

 certum est, item bacis tritis cum oleo si qui perun- 

 guantur. 



1 cruditatibus codd., edd. : raucitatibus coll. Dioscoride 

 coni. Mayhoff; nescio an recle. 



^ inlinant V* Sillig, Mayhoff : inlinunt Brofier, Dellefsen : 

 varia codd. 



" An instrumental ablative, although Pliny uses this case 

 to express duration. Pliny also has in aevum XXXV. § 4. 



* Though there are no signs of variants in the MSS., it is 

 likely enough that the conjecture raucitatibus (sore throat) of 

 Mayhofif is correct, for Dioscorides has Trapiodyilojv (f>Xeyfj.ovais. 

 Corresponding to gnstatu, however, is 7repi'xpiCTroj. 



' A moUusc, Aply-sia vnlgaris. Above, phthiriasis is 

 (Greek (f)detpidaeis) acc. pl. 



" " Pitch oil." 



- The mention of berries makes some commentators think 

 that Pliny is here confusing cedar and juniper. But the 

 " cedars " of this chapter are junipers. 



i6 



