The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 (of 6)Pliny, the Elder
History
The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 6 (of 6)
Pliny, the Elder
Natural history -- Pre-Linnean works
As to pelorides,[265] they act as a gentle laxative upon the bowels, an
effect equally produced by castoreum, taken in doses of two drachmæ,
in hydromel: where, however, a more drastic purgative is required,
one drachma of dried garden-cucumber root is added, and two drachmæ
of aphronitrum.[266] The tethea[267] is good for griping pains in the
bowels and for attacks of flatulency: they are generally found adhering
to the leaves of marine plants, sucking their nutriment therefrom, and
may be rather looked upon as a sort of fungus than as a fish. They
are useful, also, for the removal of tenesmus and of diseases of the
kidneys.
There grows also in the sea a kind of absinthium, known by some persons
as “seriphum,”[268] and found in the vicinity of Taposiris,[269] in
Egypt, more particularly. It is of a more slender form than the land
absinthium, acts as a purgative upon the bowels, and effectually
removes intestinal worms. The sæpia, too, is a laxative; for which
purpose these fish are administered[270] with the food, boiled with a
mixture of oil, salt, and meal. Salted mænæ,[271] applied with bull’s
gall to the navel, acts as a purgative upon the bowels.
The liquor of fish, boiled in the saucepan with lettuces, dispels
tenesmus. River-crabs,[272] beaten up and taken with water, act
astringently upon the bowels, and they have a diuretic effect, if
taken with white wine. Deprived of the legs, and taken in doses of
three oboli with myrrh and iris, one drachma of each, they disperse
urinary calculi. For the cure of the iliac passion and of attacks of
flatulency, castoreum[273] should be taken, with seed of daucus[274]
and of parsley, a pinch in three fingers of each, the whole being mixed
with four cyathi of warm honied wine. Griping pains in the bowels
should be treated with castoreum and a mixture of dill and wine. The
fish called “erythinus,”[275] used as food, acts astringently upon the
bowels. Dysentery is cured by taking frogs boiled with squills, and
prepared in the form of boluses, or else hearts of frogs beaten up with
honey, as Niceratus[276] recommends. For the cure of jaundice, salt
fish should be taken with pepper, the patient abstaining from all other
kinds of meat.
CHAP. 32.—-REMEDIES FOR DISEASES OF THE SPLEEN, FOR URINARY CALCULI,
AND FOR AFFECTIONS OF THE BLADDER. THE SOLE: ONE REMEDY. THE TURBOT:
ONE REMEDY. THE BLENDIUS: ONE REMEDY. THE SEA-NETTLE: SEVEN REMEDIES.
THE PULMO MARINUS: SIX REMEDIES. ONYCHES: FOUR REMEDIES.
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