BOOK XXVII. xci. 114-XC11. 118 



doses of two cyathi, before the paroxysms of agues, 

 especially tertian and quartan, also for cholera, dysen- 

 tery and a relaxed stomach. The thii-d kind, called 

 orion, grows on mountains and is like a tender reed. 

 It has one stem with knots close together and fitted 

 one into another," leaves resembUng those of the 

 pitch pine, and a root of no medicinal use. This kind 

 is less efficacious than those ah-eady mentioned, and 

 used especially ^* for sciatica. The fourth kind is 

 called wild polygonum, a shrub that is almost a tree ; 

 it has a Hgneous root, a red ti-unk Uke that of the 

 cedar, branches Hke those of spartum, two spans long, 

 and with three or four dark, knotted joints. This 

 kind too is of an astringent "^ nature, and tastes like a 

 quince. It is boiled down in water to one third, or 

 dried and powdered for sprinkling on ulcerations of 

 the mouth and excoriated bruises, but for sore gums 

 the plant itself is chewed. It arrests corrosive ulcers, 

 and all those that spread or are slow to heal ; for 

 frost-bite however it is specific. Herbahsts also use 

 it for quinsy ; for headache they make a chaplet of 

 it which they place on the head ; while to cure eye 

 fluxes they put one round the neck. For tertian 

 ague some '^ pluck it Mith the left hand and attach it 

 as an amulet, and for haemorrhage also. There is no 

 other plant that they keep in a dry state more than 

 they do polygonum. 



XCII. Pancratium some prefer to call " Uttle PmcraHim. 

 squill." It has leaves resembUng those of the white 

 Uly, but longer and thicker, and a root Uke a large, 

 red bulb. Its juice taken with vetch flour relaxes 

 the bowels and cleans * ulcers. With honey it is 

 given for dropsy and affections of the spleen. Others 



' Or, " clears up." 



461 



