Chap. 28.] EEMEDIES FOE DISEASES OF THE BELLY. 169 
CHAP. 26. — HALUS OR COTONEA : FIVE REMEDIES. 
The plant halus/^ by the people of Gaul called sil/* and 
by the Yeneti *'cotonea/' is curative of pains in the side, 
affections of the kidneys, ruptures, and convulsions. It resem- 
bles cunila bubula^'' in appearance, and the tops of it are like 
those of thyme. It is of a sweet flavour, and allays thirst ; the 
roots of it are sometimes white, sometimes black. 
CHAP. 27. THE CHAM^ROPS I ONE REMEDY. THE STQECHAS ! 
ONE REMEDY. 
The chamaerops,^^ also, is similarly efficacious for pains in 
the side. It is a plant with leaves like those of myrtle, 
arranged in pairs around the stem, the heads of it resembling 
those of the Greek rose : it is taken in wine. Agaric, admin- 
istered in drink, in the same manner^^ as for cough, assuages 
sciatica and pains in the vertebrae : the same, too, with pow- 
dered stoechas^^ or betony, taken in hydromel. 
CHAP. 28. (8.) REMEDIES FOR DISEASES OF THE BELLY. 
But it is the belly, for the gratification of which the greater 
part of mankind exist, that causes the most suffering to man. 
Thus, for instance, at one time it will not allow the aliments 
to pass, while at another it is unable to retain them. Some- 
times, again, it either cannot receive the food, or, if it can, 
cannot digest it ; indeed, such are the excesses practised at 
the present day, that it is through his aliment, more than any- 
thing else, that man hastens his end. This receptacle, more 
troublesome to us than any other part of the body, is ever craving, 
like some importunate creditor, and makes its calls repeatedly 
in the day. It is for its sake, more particularly, that avarice 
is so insatiate, for its sake that luxury is so refined,^^ for its sake 
that men voyage to the shores even of the Phasis, for its sake 
that the very depths of the ocean are ransacked. And yet, 
with all this, no one ever gives a thought how abject is the 
condition of this part of our body, how disgusting the results 
of its action upon what it has received ! No wonder then, 
1^ For the identity of this plant, see B. xxvii. c. 24. 
See B. xix, c. 50, and B. xx. c. 61. 
18 See B. xxiv. c. 80. i9 See c. 18 of this Book. 
Identified with the Lavendula stoechas of Linnaeus, the French lavender. 
Vas." 22 In search of pheasants. See B. vi, c. 4. 
