Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
<<Plin. Nat. 25.21 | Plin. Nat. 25.22 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 25.23 |
Black hellebore is administered for the cure of paralysis, insanity, dropsy—provided there is no fever—chronic gout, and diseases of the joints: it has the effect too, of carrying
off the bilious secretions and morbid humours by stool. It is given also in water as a gentle aperient, the proportion being one drachma at the very utmost, and four oboli for a moderate dose. Some authorities have recommended mixing scammony with it, but salt is looked upon as more safe. If given in any considerable quantity in combination with a sweet substance, it is highly dangerous: used in the form of a fomentation, it disperses films upon the eyes; and hence it is that some medical men have pounded it and used it for an eye-salve. It ripens and acts detergently upon scrofulous sores, suppurations, and indurated tumours, as also upon fistulas, but in this latter case it must be removed at the end of a couple of days. In combination with copper filings [Note] and sandarach, it removes warts; and it is applied to the abdominal regions, with barley-meal and wine, in cases of dropsy.
This plant is employed for the cure of pituitous defluxions in cattle and beasts of burden, a slip of it being passed [Note] through the ear, and removed at the same hour on the fol- lowing day. With frankincense also, wax, and pitch, or else pisselæon, [Note] it is used for the cure of itch in quadrupeds.
Pliny the Elder, Natural History (English) (XML Header) [genre: prose] [word count] [lemma count] [Plin. Nat.]. | ||
<<Plin. Nat. 25.21 | Plin. Nat. 25.22 (Latin) | >>Plin. Nat. 25.23 |