BOOK XXIV. XII. 20-xni. 22 



XII. Cedrides, that is the fruit of the cedrus, cure Fruu of ih< 

 a cough, are diuretic, arrest looseness of the bowels, '^^'^'■'"- 

 and are useful for ruptures, sprains, spasms, sti-angury 



and uterine affections, forming an ingredient of anti- 

 dotes ** for the poison of sea hares and those poisons 

 mentioned above,* and being used for gatherings 

 and inflammations. 



XIII. About galbanum I have already spoken.'' oaibanum. 

 The best kind is considered to be that which is neither 

 moist nor dry, and such as I have indicated. It is 

 taken in drink by itself for chroaic cough, asthma, 

 ruptures and sprains ; it is used as an appHcation for 

 sciatica, pains in the sides, superficial abscesses, boils, 

 separation of flesh from bones, scrofulous sores, knotty 

 lumps at the joints, and tooth-ache. With honey too 



it makes an ointment for sores on the head. With 

 rose oil or nard it is injected for pus in the ears. Its 

 smell is beneticial for epilepsy, choking of the uterus, 

 and for weakness <* of the stomach. A pessary or 

 fumigation brings away the foetus when there is a 

 miscarriage, and so will a branch of hellebore smeared 

 with it and laid under the woman. I have said that 

 snakes are kept off by the fumes caused by burning 

 it ; « they do not come either near persons rubbed 

 with galbanum. It heals also scorpion stings. A 



however, Dioscorides has ixeiyvwTai Se /cai di'Tt§oTois, which 

 niakes Jan's restoration slightly the most preferable. 



* The phrase eadem quae supra is vague, and it seenis hope- 

 less to try to identify eadem. 



' See XII. § 126. 



'^ Cf. XIX. § 92, defecius praecipue siomachi ezciiat. A 

 favourite word of Pliny, defectus seems to mean the failure to 

 function of any organ. 



' The activo urentium is odd, but the meaning is certain, 

 for XII. § 126 has sincerum si uralur fugal nidore serpenles. 



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