ASTER-CHARACTERS IN MACER ott 
“its flowers bruised with the leaves and made up with sweet wine, 
are a very useful remedy ‘tumori apponas ani vel testiculorum.’ ” 
The belief in its antipathy to iron, like that felt by its relative, 
Argemon or Aster, is recounted by Macer, with apologies, from 
Pliny : “Dig it without iron, and touch it to an aching tooth thrice, 
spitting on the ground each time in turn, and then replacing the 
plant in the right place in the ground ; while it lives again, as long 
as the herb lives, Pliny says, the tooth will never ache more.” 
XL. Viota. Macer distinguishes “three kinds of Viola, dif- 
ferent in the flower only, purple, white and black, all almost equal 
in medical power.’’ His properties are from Pliny and Justus* 
and Dioscorides ; those given by Dioscorides for both Aster At- 
ticus and the purple violet reappear here, Macer saying, “the pur- 
ple violet they say cures epilepsy, especially among boys ; and is a 
remedy for the eyes, for ulcers, tumor matricis, ani fissuras ; and 
for the stomach, using the green herb or the dry. 
L. Barrocus. Under this South-of-Italy folk-name, Barocho,* 
apparently Magna Graecian, and now making its first appearance 
in literature, Macer describes balm, Melissa officinalis L., the 
Melissophyllon of antiquity. His 23 lines are mostly derived 
from Pliny, repeating most of Pliny’s properties, including those 
importations, apparently from earlier descriptions of | the other 
bee-loved plant Aster Atticus, which abound under Pliny’s Melis- 
sophyllon (see Palladius, swpra, p. 174). The Aster properties 
which Macer repeats from Pliny’s Melissophyllon are: its use for 
the poison of stings, for ulcers, for strumae, for hemorrhoids, and 
tongue (dinguae patiens amiserit usum) due toa blow on the right side of his head ; if 
the blow was on the left side, ‘‘ bind the poultice on the right ;” and ending U# Justus 
tradit medicus qui talia scripsit. This is an early appearance of belief in the connection 
of the right lobe of the brain with the left side of the body, and vice versa. It is ate 
an early (the earliest ?) occurrence of the present technical use of patient. Some might 
: em 
atment of many plants is wholly different from that of Marcellus. : 
__ t Persistent in Italy as a personal name ; as the painter, F ederigo Baroccio, of Ur- 
bino, 1528-1612. 
