BOOK XXV. XXIII. 57-xxiv. 59 



proves successful, the various colours " of the vomits 

 are terrifying to see, and after the vomits comes the 

 worry of watching the stools, regulating the 

 bath, of attention to the whole body, all these 

 troubles being preceded by the great terror caused 

 by its reputation, for it is said that meat, if boiled 

 with it, is consumed. It was a fault of the ancient 

 physicians that because of these fears they used to 

 administer this hellebore in smalUsh doses, since the 

 larger the dose the quicker it is eUminated. Themi- 

 son gave doses of not more than two drachmae ; 

 his successors actually increased the amount to four, 

 because of the fme testimonial given to hellebore by 1 



Herophihis, who compared it to a truly courageous ' 



general ; having aroused aU within, it itseU' 

 marches out in the van. Moreover, a wonderful 

 discovery has been made ; heUebore cut with 

 scissors, as we have described, is passed through a 

 sieve ; the skin — with which they empty the stomach 

 — remains behind, while the soft part passes through, 

 and is given to stop the vomiting when the purging 

 is too violent. 



XXIV. Care must be taken, even with happy treat- ^<^jo "*« 



.. ,T,i 1 1 hellebore. 



ment, not to administer heilebore on a cloudy 

 day ; for to do so is foUowed by unbearable tortiire. 

 Indeed, there is no doubt that summer is a better 

 season to give it than winter. For seven days 

 previously the body must be prepared by acid ^ 

 foods and by abstinence from wine ; on the fourth 

 and third days before, an emetic must be taken, and 

 on the preceding day there should be abstinence 



ing on tlie adjective. The reading in the text is harder, for 

 the ablatives modify cedit understood from cedat. 

 " Acribus may mean " sharp tasted " or " pungent." 



179 I 



