BOOK XXVI. Lxiii. 99-Lxv. 102 



said to become thereby more excited sexually. The 

 remarks on this subject made by Theophrastus," 

 generally a weighty authority, are fabulous. He 

 says that the lust to have intercoui'se seventy times 

 in succession has been given by the touch of a certain 

 plant whose name and kind he has not mentioned. 



LXIV. Tied to the part as an amulet sideritis 

 reduces varicose veins and does its work without 

 pain. Gout was a rarer disease within the memory, 

 not only of our fathers and grandfathers, but also 

 of our own generation. It is also itself a foreign 

 complaint ; had it existed in Italy in early times it 

 would have received a Latin name. It must not be 

 considered incurable, for many cases have been 

 cured without treatment, and yet more with it. 

 Useful remedies are roots of panaces with raisins, 

 juice of henbane with meal, or the seed of henbane, 

 scordion in vinegar, hiberis as already prescribed,* 

 vervain beaten up with axle-grease, and the root of 

 cyclamen, a decoction of which is also good for 

 chillolains. Coohng appHcations for gouty pains are 

 made from xiphion root, psyllion seed, hemlock with 

 Utharge or axle-grease, and aizoiim for the first onset 

 of red, that is hot, gout. Good for either kind how- 

 ever is erigeron with axle-grease, plantain leaves 

 beaten up with a Httle salt added, and argemonia 

 pounded with honey. Vervain too may be apphed as 

 a remedy — or the feet may be soaked in the water 

 in which it has been boiled — LXV. or the lappago 

 that is like anagaUis, but more branchy and leafy, 

 and with a strong smell. This kind of plant " is 



one kind of lappago, and I feel certain that the hiatus of 76 

 letters after gravis in E once contained a description of a plant 

 to which talis refers. 



341 



