120 
plint's katukal histoet. 
[Book XXV. 
very similar to tliat of the same plant. The juice is of a 
saffron colour, acrid and pungent: the plant is commonly 
found in the fields of this country. Among us there are three*^^ 
varieties of it distinguished, the one being the most highly 
approved of, the root of which smells like frankincense.'*^ 
CHAP. 57. AGARIC : THIRTY-THKEE EEMEDIES. 
Agaric is found growing in the form of a fungus of a white 
colour, upon the trees in the vicinity of the Bosporus. It is 
administered in doses of four oholi, beaten up in two cyathi of 
oxymel. The kind that grows in Galatia is generally looked 
upon as not so efficacious. The male*^ agaric is firmer than 
the other, and more bitter ; it is productive too of head-ache. 
The female plant is of a looser texture ; it has a sweet taste at 
first, Avhich speedily changes into a bitter flavour. 
CHAP. 58. THE ECHIOS ; THREE VARIETIES OF IT : TWO REMEDIES. 
Of the echios there are two kinds; one*^ of which resembles 
pennyroyal in appearance, and has a concave leaf. It is ad- 
ministered, in doses of two drachmae, in four cyathi of wine. 
The other kind is distinguished by a prickly down, and bears 
small heads resembling those of vipers : it is usually taken in 
wine and vinegar. Some persons give the name of echios 
personata to a kind of echios with larger leaves than the 
others, and burrs of considerable size, resembling that of the 
lappa.*^ The root of this plant is boiled and administered in 
vinegar. 
'^^ It is supposed by commentators that he is in error here, and that this 
description applies to the Lappa canaria, mentioned in B. xxiv. c. 116. 
The root of the Papaver argemone has no such smell. 
See B. xxi. c. 94, B. xxiv. c. 116, and B. xxvi. c. 59. 
*2 The Boletus agaricum of Aiton, or White agaric. It is a strong 
purgative, but is rarely used for that purpose. 
*3 This distinction into male and female is no longer recognized, 
though it continued to be so till within the last century. 
Desfontaines identifies it with the Sapouaria ocimoides. Fee thinks 
it may have possibly been some kind of sage, or else a variety of the La- 
vendula stcechas of Linnaeus, French lavender. Littre gives the Silene 
Gallica of Linnaeus, the Gallic catchfly. 
Identified by Fee with the Pseudanchusa, Echis, or Doris of B. xxii. 
c. 24, the Anchusa Italica of Linnaeus. Littre gives the Echium ruhrum 
of Linnaeus. 
*6 The Arctium lappa of Linnaeus, probably, our Great clot- burr. See 
B. xxi. c. 51. ^7 See B. xxi. c, 64. 
