PLINY: NATURAL HISTORY 



50 XXXII. Laver quoque nascens in rivis condita et 

 cocta torminibus medetur, XXXIII. potamogiton 

 vero ex vino disintericis etiam et coeliacis, similis 

 betae foliis, minor tantum hirsutiorque, paulum 

 semper eminens extra aquam. usus in foliis : 

 refrigerant, spissant, peculiariter cruribus vitiosis 

 utilia et contra ulcerum nomas cum melle vel aceto. 



51 Castor hanc aliter noverat, tenui folio velut equinis 

 saetis, thyrso longo et levi, in aquosis nascentem. 

 radice sanabat strumas et duritias. potamogiton 

 adversatur crocodiUs, itaque secum habent eam qui 

 venantur eos. alvum sistit et achillea. eosdem 

 effectus praestat et statice, septem caulibus veluti 

 rosae capita sustinens. 



52 XXXIV. Ceratia uno folio, radice nodosa et 

 magna, in cibo coeliacis et dysintericis medetur. 

 leontopodion ahi leuceoron, ahi dorypetron, aUi 

 thorybethron vocant, cuius radix alvum sistit purgat- 

 que bilem, in aquam mulsam addito pondere 

 denariorum duorum. nascitur in campestri et 

 graciU solo. semen eius potum lymphatica somnia 

 facere dicitur. lagopus sistit alvum e vino pota aut 



53 in febri ex aqua. eadem inguini adalUgatur in 

 tximore. nascitur in segetibus. multi super omnia 

 laudant ad deploratos dysintericos quinquefoUum 



" Bostock and Riley have : " neutralizes the effects of the 

 bite of tlie crocodile," a translation which fits in with the 

 usual sense of adversari in Pliny, and, absurd as it sounds, 

 may be right. Perhaps the plant was used as an amulet. 



* Xot that it would be taken with that object. Cf. § 57. 



302 



