At the same time the most conspicuous cause of _mentagra_, the practice of _cunnilingere_ was by no means the _only_ way of getting it, for the malady, like _condylomata_ on the genital organs, was evidently connected with a contagion,—a fact which is clearly enough brought out by the layman _Pliny_, whereas the Physicians say nothing about this. Accordingly the disorder was capable of being disseminated by _kissing_ from one individual to another. But it was not the _velox transitus osculi_ (swift transmission of a kiss) that was instrumental in spreading the disease, but rather the _basium_ (wanton kiss),—which depended on some yet unidentified lascivious device[107], sucking, playing with the tongue or the like. Still we must remember that at the very time the _mentagra_ was spreading with such terrible rapidity, a perfect _mania for kissing_ had broken out at Rome. _Martial_ describes this admirably in the two following Epigrams, which are of the very highest importance in connection with our subject: _Book XII. Epigram 59:_ DE IMPORTUNIS BASIATORIBUS. Tantum dat tibi Roma basiorum Post annos modo quindecim reverso, Quantum Lesbia non dedit Catullo. Te vicinia tota, te pilosus Hircoso premit osculo colonus. Hinc instat tibi textor, inde fullo, Hinc sutor modo pelle basiata, Hinc _menti dominus periculosi_, Hinc defioculusque et inde lippus, Fellatorque recensque cunnilingus. Iam tanti tibi non fuit redire. (_Of pestilent Kissers_: Rome bestows more kisses on you, on your return to her after fifteen years’ absence, than ever Lesbia gave Catullus. The whole neighbourhood kisses you, and the hirsute countryman presses you in his goaty embrace. One side the weaver is upon you, the other the fuller, here the cobbler who but now kissed his leather; here comes _the owner of a perilous chin_, here the one-eyed man and here the blear, and the _fellator_, and the _cunnilingue_ fresh from work. Now surely to return was not of such importance to you as all this.) _Book XI. Epigram 98:_ AD BASSUM.