BOOK XXIV. Lxxiii. 118-120 



thickness of honey, and is considered to be, whether 

 taken by the mouth or used as ointment, a specific for 

 affections of the mouth or eyes, for spitting of blood, 

 quinsy, troubles of the uterus or anus, and for 

 coeUac affections. For affections of the mouth, 

 indeed, even the chewed leaves are efficacious, and 

 they are used as ointment for running sores, or for 

 any kind of sore on the head. Even prepared tlius 

 without other ingredient they are applied near" the 

 left breast for lieart-burn,^ also to the stomach for 

 stomach-ache, and to the eyes for procidence." 

 The juice of them is also dropped into the ears. 

 Added to rose wax-salve it heals condylomata. A de- 

 coction in \\ine of its tender shoots is a quick remedy 

 for afFections of the uvula. The same shoots, eaten 

 by themselves hke cabbage sprouts, or a decoction of 

 them in a dry wine, strengthen loose teeth. Thev 

 check looseness of tlie bowels and discharges of 

 blood, and ai'e good for dysentery. They are dried 

 in the shade and then burnt so that the ash may 

 reduce a relaxed uvula. The leaves also dried and 

 crushed are said to be useful for sores on draught 

 animals. The blackberries which grow on them can 

 furnish a better mouth-medicine than even the culti- 

 vated mulberry. Made up on the same prescription 

 or with hypocisthis and honey only, they are taken in 

 drink for cholera, for heart-burn, and for the stings 

 of spiders. Among the medicines that are called 

 styptics, there is none more effective than the root 

 of a bramble bearing blackbeiTies boiled down in 

 wine to one third, so that sores in the mouth and the 

 anus may be rinsed with the decoction and fomented ; 

 so powerful is it that the very sponges used become 

 hard as stone. 



87 



