The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 5 (of 6)Pliny, the Elder
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The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 5 (of 6)
Pliny, the Elder
Natural history -- Pre-Linnean works
For defluxions[2319] of the eyes, beef suet, boiled with oil, is
applied to the parts affected; and for eruptions of those organs, ashes
of burnt deer’s horns are similarly employed, the tips of the horns
being considered the most effectual for the purpose. For the cure of
cataract, it is reckoned a good plan to apply a wolf’s excrements: the
same substance, too, reduced to ashes, is used for the dispersion of
films, in combination with Attic honey. Bear’s gall, too, is similarly
employed; and for the cure of epinyctis, wild boar’s lard, mixed with
oil of roses, is thought to be very useful. An ass’s hoof, reduced to
ashes and applied with asses’ milk, is used for the removal of marks in
the eyes and indurations of the crystalline humours. Beef marrow, from
the right fore leg, beaten up with soot, is employed for affections of
the eyebrows, and for diseases of the eyelids and corners of the eyes.
For the same purpose, also, a sort of calliblepharon[2320] is prepared
from soot, the best of all being that made from a wick of papyrus mixed
with oil of sesame; the soot being removed with a feather and caught
in a new vessel prepared for the purpose. This mixture, too, is very
efficacious for preventing superfluous eyelashes from growing again
when once pulled out.
Bull’s gall is made up into eye-salves[2321] with white of egg, these
salves being steeped in water and applied to the eyes for four days
successively. Veal suet, with goose-grease and the extracted juice of
ocimum, is remarkably good for diseases of the eye-lids. Veal marrow,
with the addition of an equal proportion of wax and oil or oil of
roses, an egg being added to the mixture, is used as a liniment for
indurations of the eye-lids. Soft goats’ milk cheese is used as an
application, with warm water, to allay defluxions of the eyes; but when
they are attended with swelling, honey is used instead of the water.
In both cases, however, the eyes should be fomented with warm whey. In
cases of dry ophthalmia, it is found a very useful plan to take the
muscles[2322] lying within a loin of pork, and, after reducing them to
ashes, to pound and apply them to the part affected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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