BOOK XXVII. xxxin. 56-xxxviii. 60 



properties are to dry, astringency, " and to reduce 

 all gatherings and inflammations, in particular those 

 of gout, and whenever there is need of coohng 

 apphcations. 



XXXIV. The seed of bupleuron I find is given for Bupienro». 

 snake bite, and that wounds are fomented with a 

 decoction of this plant to which has been added 

 leaves of mulberry or of origanum. 



XXXV. Catanance, a ThessaHan plant, it would be Catanance. 

 a waste of time for me to describe, since it is used 



only for love-potions. One thing it is quite per- 



tinent to say in order to show up the fraud of sorcery : 



the plant was chosen for this purpose through an 



inference * because as it withers it crumples up into 



the shape of the claws of a dead kite.<= For the same 1 



reason I shall say nothing about cemos. 



XXXVI. There are two kinds of calyx. One is caiyx. 

 Hke arum, and grows on ploughed land. It is 

 gathered before it withers, and has the same uses as 

 aris. Its root is also taken in drink as a powerful 

 aperient and emmenagogue, while its stahvs, boiled 

 down with the leaves in pulse, cures tenesmus. 



XXXVII. The other kind of it is called by some 

 anchusa, by others rhinocHa, having leaves Hke those 

 of lettuce, but longer and downy, and a red root. 

 This appHed with the finest pearl barley cures 

 erysipeias, and, taken in white wine, Hver complaints. 



XXXVIII. Circaea is Hke cultivated trychnos, circaea. 

 having a tiny, dark flower, small seed Hke that of 

 millet forming in a sort of Httle horn, a six-inch root, 

 generally triple or quadruple, whitish, scented, and 

 with a hot taste. It grows on sunny rocks. An 



* Coniectura is an interpretation of a diviner. 



* By imitative magic it hooks its vietim. 



425 



