PLINY : NATURAL HLSTORY 



cum radice commanducata et decoctae ex vino aut 

 aceto sucus collutus, item quinquefolii radicis 

 decoctae ad tertias in vino ^ aut aceto. prius quam 

 decoquatur aqua marina aut salsa lavatur. decoc- 

 tum diu tenendum in ore. quidam cinere quinque- 

 folii fricare malunt. et verbasci radix decoquitur in 

 vino ad colluendos dentes, et hysopo colluuntur et 

 peucedani suco cum meconio, vel radicum anagal- 

 lidis magis feminae suco ab altera nare quam doleat 

 infuso. 



167 CVL Erigeron a nostris vocatur senecio. hanc si 

 ferro circumscriptam effodiat aliquis tangatque ea 

 dentem et alternis ter despuat ac reponat in eundem 

 locum ita ut vivat herba, aiunt dentem eum postea 

 non doliturum. herba est trixaginis specie et 

 molhtia, cauhculis subrubicundis. nascitur in tegulis 

 et in muris. nomen hoc Graeci dederunt, quia vere 

 canescit. caput eius numerosa dividitur lanugine, 

 qualis est spinae, inter divisuras exeunte, quare 



168 CalHmachus eam acanthida appellavit, ahi pappum. 

 nec deinde Graecis de ea constat. alii erucae foUis 

 esse dixerunt, alii roboris, sed minora multo, radice 

 alii supervacua, alii nervis utili, aUi potu strangu- 



^ in vino Mayhoff : vino codd. 



" However this sentence is punctuated, the grammar seems 

 to be imperfect. Were it not for the vel before radicum it 

 might be thought that the ablative absolute suco infu^so referred 

 to preHminary treatment before rinsLng the teeth wiih one of 

 the washes mentioned in the previous clause, but there is no 

 variant. Perhaps the vel means " The washes mentioned just 

 now may be used by themselves, or they may be preceded by 

 an injection of juice of anagallis root up the nostril fujlher 

 away from the pain." 



254 



