458 
Pliny's katueal history. 
[Book XXX. 
owl, taken in honied wine with a lily root — that is, if we believe 
Avhat the magicians tell us. For contractions of the sinews, the 
flesh of ring-doves is very good, dried and taken with the food : 
and for spasmodic affections, the ashes of a hedge-hog or weasel 
are used. A serpent^ s slough, attached to the patient's body in 
a piece of bull's hide, is a preventive of spasms : and the dried 
liver of a kite, taken in doses of three oboli, in three cyathi 
of hydromel, is a preservative against opisthotony. 
CHAP. 37. EEMEDIES FOR MALADIES OF THE I^^AILS AM FINGERS. 
Agnails and hangnails upon the fingers are removed by 
using the ashes of a burnt dog's head, or the uterus of a bitch 
boiled in oil, the fingers being first rubbed with a liniment of 
ewe-milk butter, mixed with honey. The gall-bladder, too, of 
any animal is very useful for this purpose. Malformed nails 
are healed with an application of cantharides and pitch, which 
is removed at the end of two days ; or else with locusts "fried 
with he-goat suet ; or with an application of mutton suet. Some 
mix mistletoe and purslain with these ingredients ; while 
others, again, use verdi grease and mistletoe, removing the appli- 
cation at the end of two days. 
CHAP. 38. (13.) METHODS FOR ARRESTmG HEMORRHAGE. 
Bleeding at the nostrils is arrested by mutton suet taken 
from the caul, introduced into the nostrils; by drawing up 
rennet, lamb's rennet in particular, mixed with water, into the 
nostrils, Or by using it as an injection, a remedy which succeeds 
even where other remedies have failed ; by making up goose- 
grease into a bolus with an equal quantity of butter, and 
plugging the nostrils with it; or by using the earth that 
adheres to snails, or else the snails themselves, extracted from 
the shell. Excessive discharges from, the nostrils are arrested 
also by applying crushed snails, or cobwebs, to the forehead. 
'For issues of blood from the brain, the blood or brains of 
poultry are used, as also pigeons' dung, thickened and kept 
for the purpose. In cases where there is an immoderate flow 
of blood from a wound, an application of horse-dung, burnt 
with egg-shells, is marvellously good for stopping it. 
CHAP. 39.— REMEDIES FOR ULCEROUS SORES AND WOUNDS. 
Por the cure of ulcers, wool-grease is used, with ashes of 
