BOOK XXIV. XI. 17-19 



It preserves dead bodies uncorrupted by time," but 

 causes living ones to decay — a strange inconsistency, 

 to i-ob the living of their Hfe and to give a quasi-life to 

 the dead ! It also makes clothes decay and kills 

 animal Ufe. For this reason I should not think it 

 ought to be used as a remedy for quinsy, or for 

 indigestion,'' as some have recommended, taken by 

 the mouth. I should also be afraid to rinse the teeth 

 with it in vinegar, when they ache, or to drop it into 

 the ears for hardness of hearing or worms. Gossip 

 records a miracle : that to rub it all over the male 

 part before coition prevents conception. I should 

 not hesitate to use it as an ointment for phthiriasis 

 or for scurf. It is also recommended to take it in 

 raisin wine to counteract the poison of the sea 

 hare,'' but more readily it might be used as Hniment 

 for leprosy. For foul sores and excrescences in 

 them, and for spots and films on the eyes, certain 

 authorities have prescribed it as an ointment, and 

 have directed that a cyathus of it be drunk for 

 sores on the lung, as well as for tapeworm. There 

 is prepared from it an oil also, which they call pisse- 

 laeon,'' used for all the same purposes, but of greater 

 potency. It is well ascertained that snakes are kept 

 away by the sawdust of cedrus, and that to rub 

 the body with the crushed berries ^ mixed with oil 

 has the same result.-'^ 



' There is a great similarity between tliis chapter and 

 Dioscorides I. 77 (Wellmann). A few sentences may be 

 quoted : arjTniKriv /xev rwv efj.tpvxcuv, (f>vXaKTiK^v 8e rcjv veKpwv 

 awfidrojv. . . . ovv o^ei 8e ey/cAf^o^ieVi^ aKcuXTjKas rovv ev ojai 

 Kreivei. . . . etj re e^ppu>ixara obovros evorayelaa dpavei [xev 

 rov ohovra, rravei 8e T151' aXyy]?)6va . . . TrepL-x^pt.aOelaa Se aiSoiw 

 TTpo rfjs ovvovaios droKiov ean, avvayxi-Kwv re TrepixP"'''""'? ean 

 Kai ■napiadp.iwv <j)\eyixovais ^orjOel . . . Trpos re XaywoO OaXaaoiov 



17 



