BOOK XXVI. Lxxxv. 137-LXXXV11. 140 



those of the acanthus— taken in Avine, chamaerops 

 also and irio in soup, or any preparation of plantain, 

 likewise. . . . 



LXXXVI. Sulla the dictator perished from Phihiriasis. 

 phthiriasis ; in the very blood of the patient creatures 

 come to Hfe that will eat up his flesh." The disease is 

 combated by rubbing the whole body with juice of 

 the taminian grape, or with hellebore juice and oil. 

 Taminian grapes indeed boiled down in vinegar 

 remove this nuisance even from garments. 



LXXXVII. Ulcers are of many kinds, and the uicers. 

 methods of treatment are many . To running sores is 

 appHed in warmed wine the root of any kind of 

 panaces. A specific for drying them is the herb I 

 have called * chironia ; beaten up with honey it 

 opens hard swelHngs, and affords reUef to desperate 

 cases of spreading ulcers ; it is diluted with wine and 

 combined with flower of copper, and seed, flower or 

 root may be used indiscriminately. This plant with 

 pearl barley is also good for old wounds, so too is 

 heraclion siderion, apolUnaris, psylUum and traga- 

 cantha. Scordotis with honey cleanses them ; its 

 powder consumes morbid excrescences of flesh, if 

 sprinkled on them bv itself. Polemonia heals ulcers 

 that are called malignant ; the greater centaury, 

 whether spi-inkled or appUed as Uniment, the tuft"^ 

 also of the lesser centaury, boiled down or beaten up, 

 cleanses and thoroughly heals even chronic ulcers. 

 The seed pods of clymenus are applied to fresh 

 wounds. From gentian too is made a Uniment for 

 spreading ulcers ; the pounded root is boiled down 

 in water to the consistency of honey or the juice 

 may be used ; from gentian is made a lycium 



' See XXV § 32, ' Or, " top." 



