BOOK XXVII. xLiii. 67-xLvi. 70 



this account of chrysolachanum is inadequate, yet I 

 find no more detail given, for a further fault of 

 which our modern herbahsts, at least, are guilty is 

 that they have described but briefly, and even by a 

 mere name, plants well known to themselves just as 

 if these were generally famiHar. They say, for 

 instance, that coagulum terrae (earth rennet) is 

 constipating " and diuretic ^' if taken in water or 

 wine, and that (XLI\^ the pounded leaves of cuculhis 

 with vinegar cure the bites of serpents and the stings 

 of scorpions. Some give this plant another name, 

 strumus, others the Greek name of strychnus. It has 

 bhick berries ; a cyathus of juice from these, with two 

 of honey wine, is good treatment for lumbago, as also 

 for headache if used with rose oil for bathing the 

 brow, while for scrofulous sores the plant itself is 

 appUed locally. 



XLV. Conferva is pecuhar to running streams, Conferva. 

 Alpine in particuLar, so named from conferuminare, to 

 solder together. It is more Hke a fresh-water sponge 

 than a moss or vascular plant, being a hairy, dense, 

 and porous mass. To my knowledge a man who, prun- 

 ing a very high tree, fell and broke nearly all his bones, 

 was treated with this plant. His entire body was en- 

 veloped in it ; whenever it dried it was sprinkled 

 with its native water but rarely taken off, only in fact 

 for renewals when the plant lost its strength. The 

 patient recovered in an almost incredibly short time. 



XLVI. The Cnidian grain has the colour of kermes- Coccns 

 red, and in size is larger than a peppercorn. Its '^'" *"*" 

 heating properties are so great that it is swallowed in 

 bread, lest it should scorch the throat in its passage. 

 A sovereign remedy for hemlock poisoning, it also 

 checks looseness of the bowels. 



431 



