BOOK XXVII. VI. 2i-vin. 24 



which is rich but not dry. The root is used in \vine 

 or water for dysentery, diarrhoea, ruptures and 

 sprains. 



VII. Alypon is a small sprout with a soft head, and Alypon. 

 not unhke beet, sharp to the taste and viscous, very 

 pungent and burning. In hydromel with a Uttle salt 

 added it loosens the bowels. The smallest dose is 



two drachmae, a moderate one four, the maximum 

 being six. When given as a purge it is taken in 

 chicken broth." 



VIII. Alsine, which some call myosoton, is found AUine. 

 in groves ; hence its name.* It begins to grow just 

 after midwinter, and withers at midsummer. When 



it puts forth its leaves, they are hke the ears of Httle 

 mice. However, I shall describe another plant," 

 to which more properly would be given the name 

 myosotis. Alsine would be just the same as helxine, 

 were it not that it is smaller and less hairy. It 

 grows in gardens and especially on walls.'' When 

 being bruised it smells like cucumber. It is used for 

 gatherings and inflammations, and for all pui-poses 

 for which helxine is employed, but with less efficacy. 



certain emendation of Hermolaus Barbarus, should appear 

 in no extant MS. ; the variants give some support to May- 

 hoff's suggestion vetere. It may be that ea arose from a 

 misplaced a, that lo. MuUer's jmrgationi is right, and that 

 quibusdam (datur follows) should replace quibus. I print 

 between daggers, as no emendation is very convincing. 

 Dioscorides' account of dXvTTov is different from this chapter, 

 and affords httle or no help. 



" From the Greek dAaos (grove). 



« See § 105. 



^ Piiny says in the iirst sentence that it grows in groves. 

 He has expressed himself carelessly, but the first habitat is 

 displaced in order to explain the name alsine, but the plant 

 commonly grows in all the places named. 



403 



