BOOK XXIV. XV. 24-.\vi. 26 



chest, diseases, and obstructions or indurations of the 

 uterus ; by the mouth or as a pessary it acts as an 

 emmenagogue ; it loosens the bowels. I find in my 

 authorities that a moderate dose dispels melancholy, 

 but that a larger one causes " it; that an injec- 

 tion cures singing in the ears, a local application 

 scrofulous sores and knotty lumps on the sinews. It 

 counteracts poisons that harm * by chilling, and there- 

 fore, among others, liemlock. 



XVI. Spondyhum, which I described at the same SponJi/fivm. 

 time," is with old oil poured on the heads of sufferers 

 from phrenitis, lethargus and headache of long 

 standing. It is also taken in drink for affections 

 of the liver, for jaundice, epilepsy, asthma, and 

 choking of the uterus ; for these <* fumigation is 

 also beneficial. It loosens the bowels. With rue it 

 is used as a Uniment for spreading sores. The 

 blossom « is injected with good results into purulent 

 ears, but the juice, when it is/ being extracted, must 

 be covered over, since it has a wonderful attraction for 

 flies and such-Hke insects. The shavings of the root 

 inserted into fistulas eat away their callosities. They 

 are also dropped with the juice into the ears. The 

 root also itself is given for jaundice and for 

 affections of the liver and of the uterus. If 

 the head is rubbed with it,? the hair beeomes 

 curly. 



' By " blossom " Pliny means the julce of the flowers, as we 

 see frora Dloscorides III. 76 (Wellmann) : toO Se dvOovg ;^Aojpou 

 6 xuXog TTpos ■qXKoifj.sva cSra Kal TTVoppovvra dpjU.o^ft. Here once 

 more Pliny and Dioscorides are very alike for a whole chapter, 

 and the one can be safely cliecked by the other. 



f By using tho present [exprimitur) Pliny implies that the 

 juice must be at once covered up. 



Again juice is meant, as is shown by penincto. 



