240 
pliny's natural history. [Book XXVII. 
ulcers with new flesh, and restore such parts of the body as 
are wasted by atrophy. They act as a detergent upon purulent 
sores, disperse inflammatory tumours, and alleviate gout and 
all kind of abscesses, those of the mamillae in particular. 
Under the name of " cratsegos'*-^ or crateegon," Theo- 
phrastus^^ speaks of the tree known in Italy as the aquifolia." 
CHAP. 41. THE CROCOniLEOK : TWO REMEDIES. 
The erocodileon^^ resembles the black chamoeleon^^ in shape : 
the root is long, of an uniform thickness, and possessed of a 
pungent smell. It is found growing in sandy soils. Taken 
in drink, it causes a copious discharge of coagulated blood at 
the nostrils, and in this way, it is said, diminishes the volume 
of the spleen. 
CHAP. 42. THE CYNOSORCHIS OR ORCHIS : FOUR REMEDIES. 
The cynosorchis,^^ by some called orchis," has leaves like^^ 
those of the olive, soft, three in number, half a foot in length, 
and lying upon the ground. The root is bulbous, oblong, and 
divided into two portions,^^ the upper one hard, and the lower 
one soft. These roots are eaten boiled, like bulbs, and are 
mostly found growing in vineyards. If males eat the upper 
part, they will be parents of male issue, they say, and females, 
if they eat the lower part, of female. In Thessaly, the men 
take the soft portion in goats' milk as an aphrodisiac, and the 
hard part as an antaphrodisiac. Of these parts, the one effec- 
tually neutralizes the action of the other. 
29 See B. xxiv. c. 72. Littre remarks that Pliny is in error here, for 
that the Cratsegos of Theophrastus is the Cratsegos azaroHa of Linneeus, 
the Parsley-leaved hawthorn, while the Aquifolia of Pliny is the Holly. 
As to the latter point, see B. xvL cc. 8, 12. 
30 Hist. Plant. B. iii. c. 15. 
31 Desfontaines identifies it with the Centaurea crocodileum of Linnaeus, 
and Littre with the Carduus pycnocephalus of Linnaeus. Euellius con- 
siders it to be the same plant as the Leucacantha of Dioscorides^ which 
Sprengel identifies with the Cnicus Casabonae. Fee expresses himself at 
a loss as to its identity. ^2 gee B. xxii. c. 21. 
33 a Dog's testicle." Considered to be a synonym merely of the Orchis, 
mentioned in B. xxvi. c. 62. ' This comparison is totally incorrect. 
35 See B. xxvi. c. 62. 36 onions. 
^7 A tissue of groundless superstitions. 
