162 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTOET. [Book XIII. 
pies a place between the two, but has been much neglected, 
the colouring matter, namely. To produce a colour, however, 
cinnabar and alkanet'^* are often employed. If salt^^ is 
sprinkled in the oil, it will aid it in retaining its properties ; 
but if alkanet has been employed, salt is never used. Eesin 
and gum are added to fix the odour in the solid perfumes; 
indeed it is apt to die away and disappear with, the greatest 
rapidity if these substances are not employed. 
The unguent which is the most readily prepared of all, 
and indeed, in all probability, the very first that was ever 
made, is that composed of bryon^^ and oil of balanus,^' sub- 
stances of which we have made mention already. In later 
times the Mendesian unguent was invented, a more compli- 
cated mixture, as resin and myrrh were added to oil of ba- 
lanus, and at the present day they even add metopion^^ as 
well, an Egyptian oil extracted from bitter almonds ; to which 
have beeii added omphacium,^^ cardamum,^'^ sweet rush,^^ honey, 
wine, myrrh, seed of balsamum,^^ galbanum,^"* and resin ot 
terebinth, as so many ingredients. Among the most common^ 
unguents at the present day, and for that reason supposed to. 
be the most ancient, is that composed of oil of myrtle, cala- 
mus, cypress, cj^prus, mastich,^^ and pomegranate-rind.^^ I am 
scented calamus and xylo-balsamum ; and among the hedysmata amomum,. j 
nard, myrrh, balsam, costus, and marjoram. The latter constituted the 
base of unguents, the former were only added occasionally. 
23 Cinnabar is never used to colour cosmetics at the present day, from 
its tendency to excoriate the skin. See B. xxiii. c. 39. 
24 This is still used for colouring cosmetics at the present day. See B. 
xxii. c. 23. 
25 Fee remarks, that salt can be of no use ; but by falling to the bottom | 
without dissolving, would rather tend to spoil the unguent. | 
26 See B. xii. c. 60, The name '*bryon " seems also to have been ex- I 
tended to the buds of various trees of the Conifera class and of the white j: 
poplar. It is probably to the buds of the last tree that Pliny here ; 
alludes. 27 Oil of ben. See B. xii, c. 48. 
2^ Or metopium. See Note 18 above. 
29 Made from oUves. See B. xii. c. 60. so gee B. xii. c. 29. 
21 The modern Andropogon schoenanthus. See B. xii. c. 48. 
^2 See B. xii. c. 48. 23 Carpobalsamum. See. B. xii, c. 54. 
a* See B. xii. c. 56. 
^ Fluid resin of coniferous trees of Europe. 
^8 See B. XV. c. 35. 
2'' Cupressus semper- virens. He does not say what part of the tree 
was employed. See B. xii. c. 36. 
'^'•^ See c. 34 of the present Book. 
I: 
