BOOK XXIV. XIII. 22-xv. 24 



piece the size of a bean is taken in a cyathus of wine 

 for difficult deUveries, and it reduces a displaced 

 uterus ; while with myrrh and wine it brings away a 

 dead foetus. With myrrh and wine it also counter- 

 acts poisons, particularly those used on arrows." 

 Mixed with oil and spondyUum it kills snakes if it but 

 touches them. It is supposed to make urination 

 difficult. 



XIV. Similar is the nature of ammoniacum and of Ammoma- 

 its tear, which should be tested in the way I men- '^"'"' 

 tioned.^ It softens, warms, disperses, and dissolves. 



In eye salves it promotes clearness of vision. It 

 removes itch, scars, and white spots on the eyes, and 

 relieves tooth-ache, more effectively when it has been 

 set alight." It is good for difficulty of breathing, 

 pleurisy, aifections of the lungs and bladder, blood 

 in the urine, diseases of the spleen, and sciatica, if it 

 be taken in drink — thus administered it also loosens 

 the bowels — and, boiled'' with an equal weight of 

 pitch or wax and with rose oil, it makes a good oint- 

 ment for diseases of the joints and for gouty pains. 

 It brings superficial abscesses to a head, and extracts 

 corns, when mixed with honey — so appHed it also 

 softens indurations — and combined with vinegar and 

 Cyprian wax or rose oil it makes a very elfective 

 application for diseases of the spleen. A rubbing 

 with ointment made up of this gum, with vinegar, oil 

 and a Httle soda, is a good remedy for fatigue. 



XV. The nature of storax also I have spoken of in « siorax. 

 my account of foreign trees. In addition to the 

 qualities there mentioned, the most esteemed kind is 

 very rich, unadulterated, and breaks up into white 

 fragments. It cures coughs, affections of the throat, 



• See XII. § 124. 



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