BOOK XXVI. xc. 151-153 



XC. For diseases of women a very good general Diseases of 

 remedy is the black seed, taken in hydromel, of the '^'''"^"- 

 plant paeonia ; its root also has the same property. 

 An emmenagogue is seed of panaces ^vith wormwood, 

 and a sudorific emmenagogue is scordotis, taken 

 internally or " appUed locally. Betony in doses of one 

 drachma to three cyathi of wine is taken for all 

 uterine affections, and for those that result from 

 child-birth. Excessive menstruation is checked by 

 an application of achiUia or " a sitz bath in a decoction 

 of it. To the breasts is appUed henbane seed in wine 

 — but to the uterus henbane root in a plaster ^ — and 

 also cheUdonia. A pessary of panaces roots brings 

 away retai-ded after-birth or the dead foetus. The 

 uterus is purged by panaces, taken by itself in wine, 

 and by a pessary of it with honey. Polemonia taken 

 in wine forces out the after-birth, and the fumes of it 

 when burnt correct the uterus.'^ Juice of the lesser 

 centaury taken in drink or used as a fomentation is an 

 emmenagogue, and the root of the greater centaury, 

 used in the same ways, is good for uterine pains, 

 while if it is scraped and appUed as a pessary it 

 brings away a dead foetus, Plantain is appUed as a 

 pessary <* in wool for pain in the uterus ; for hysterical 

 suffocation it is taken in drink. But it is dittany that 

 is of the greatest efficacy ; it is an emmenagogue, and 

 forces out the foetus when dead or lying transversely 

 — an obolus of the leaves is taken in water — being so 

 efficacious in these respects that it is not even intro- 

 duced into the bedroom of pregnant women. Not 

 only when taken in drink but also when used as 

 embrocation or a fumigation it has medicinal power. 

 Bastard dittany is very nearly as good, but for an 

 emmenagogue it is boiled down with neat wine, the 



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