BOOK XXV. cix. 172-CX. 175 



CIX. VVe eall ranunculus a plant which the Greeks RanunaiUis 

 call batrachion. There are four kinds of it : one with {°^.' ^ '^*'"' 

 fatter leaves than those of coriander and nearly as 

 broad as those of mallows, of a leaden colour, with a 

 tall, graceful stem and a whitish root. It grows on 

 moist and shaded cross-paths. The second is more 

 leafy, with more indentations in the leaves, and with 

 taller stems. The thii-d is the smallest, with a strong 

 smell and a golden flower. The fourth is Uke it, 

 but the flower is of the colour of milk. All have 

 a caustic property ; if leaves are appHed raw, 

 they raise bHsters as does fire. Accordingly they 

 are used for leprous sores and itch, and to remove 

 scars on the skin ; they are ingredients of all caustic 

 preparations. They are appHed to mange, but are 

 removed quickly. The root if chewed up for tooth- 

 ache too long breaks off the teeth, and the dried 

 root chopped fine makes a snuff. Roman herbaHsts 

 call it strumus, because it cures scrofula and super- 

 ficial abscesses, if a piece of it is hung up in the 

 smoke." They beHeve that if it is replanted the 

 maladies they have cured ^ break out again, a similar 

 criminal use being made of the plantain. Sores 

 inside the mouth are cured by juice of plantain, and 

 also by the chewed-up leaves and roots, even if the 

 mouth is suffering from a flux ; sores and bad breath 

 are removed by cinquefoil, sores by psylHum. 



CX. I shall also give some prescriptions for offensive 

 offensive breath, which is a very embarrassing ^''^""'- 

 complaint. For this purpose myrtle leaves are 

 taken and an equal weight of leaves of lentisk with 

 half the quantity of Syrian gaH-nuts. This com- 



The nearest instance I have found to cmare in Phny in 

 thc strict sense of " cure." 



259 



