BOOK XXIV. XXXVI. 54-xxxvii 57 



XXXVI. Thejuniper,evenaboveallotherremedies, The juniper. 

 is warming and alleviates symptoms ; for the rest, it 

 resembles the cedrus. Of it there are two species, 



one smaller than the other. Either kind when set on 

 fire keeps offsnakes. The seed is beneficial for pains 

 in the stomach, chest and side, dispels flatulence and 

 the feeling of chill, relieves coughs and matures 

 indurations.'* Applied locally it checks tumours ; the 

 berries taken in dark wine bind the bowels, and a 

 local application reduces tumours of the belly. The 

 fruit is also an ingredient of antidotes and of digestive 

 remedies,* and is diuretic. It is also applied locally 

 to the eyes for fluxes, and it is used for sprains, 

 ruptures, colic, uterine disorders and sciatica, either in 

 doses of four berries with white wine, or a decoction of 

 twenty in wine. There are also some who smear the 

 body with an extract of the seed as a protection 

 against snake-bite. 



XXXVII. The fruit of the willow before maturity The wuiow. 

 develops a kind of cobweb, but if it be gathered 

 earlier it is good for the spitting of blood. Mixed 



with water, the ash from the burnt bark of the tips of 

 the branches cures corns and callosities. It removes 

 spots on the face, more thoroughly when mixed with 

 willow juice. This juice, however, is of three kinds : 

 one exudes like gum from the tree itself ; the second 

 flows from an incision, three fingers wide, made in the 

 bai-k while the tree is in blossom. This sort " is useful 

 for clearing away humours that obstruct the eyes, 

 also for thickening <^ where that is necessary, for 

 promoting urine and for draining outwards all gather- 

 ings. The third kind of juice is obtained by lopping 



■^ The word spissare is difficult. See note on XXIV 

 §48. 



45 



