BOOK VI. VI. 2-5 



which they keep for one night in the open air, and 

 then pour it down the animal's throat. Then after 

 an interval of an hour they put before it four pounds 

 of soaked bitter-vetch and keep it away from any 

 other drink. This should be continued for three days, 

 so that every cause of lassitude is dissipated. If 

 indigestion is neglected, inflation of the belly and 

 more severe pain in the intestines follow, which does 

 not allow the animal to take its food, causes it to 

 bellow, does not suffer it to remain in one place, and 

 makes it lie down frequently, toss its head and lash 

 its tail continuall3^ An obvious remedy is to bind 

 down tightly the part of the tail nearest to the 

 haunches and to pour down its throat a sextarius of 

 wine and a hemina of oil and then drive it for a mile 

 and a half at a quick pace. If the pain persists, you 

 should cut the hoof all round, draw off the excrement 

 by greasing the hand and inserting it into the anus, 

 and again drive the animal at a running pace. If this 

 also has done no good, three dried wild figs are crushed 

 and administered with a dodrans of hot water. If 

 this remedy has also been unsuccessful, two pounds 

 of the leaves of wild myrtle are pulverized and 

 mixed with the same number of sextarii of hot water 

 and poured down the throat by means of a wooden 

 vessel; then the animal is bled under the tail and, 

 when enough blood has flowed, it is checked by a 

 bandage of papyrus ; then the animal is driven at a 

 quick speed until it is out of breath. The following 

 remedies are applied before drawing off any blood : 

 a triens of pounded garlic is mixed with three heminae 

 of wine, and, after drinking this, the animal is com- 

 pelled to run ; or else a sextans of salt is pounded up 

 with ten onions, and after being mixed with boiled- 



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