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CHAP. 83.—THE WILD MYRTLE, OTHERWISE CALLED OXYMYRSINE, OR CHAMÆMYRSINE, AND THE RUSCUS: SIX REMEDIES.

The wild myrtle, oxymyrsine,1 or chamæmyrsine, differs from the cultivated myrtle in the redness of its berries and its diminutive height. The root of it is held in high esteem; a decoction of it, in wine, is taken for pains in the kidneys and strangury, more particularly when the urine is thick and fetid. Pounded in wine, it is employed for the cure of jaundice, and as a purgative for the uterus. The same method is adopted, also, with the young shoots, which are sometimes roasted in hot ashes and eaten as a substitute for asparagus.2

The berries, taken with wine, or oil and vinegar, break calculi3 of the bladder: beaten up with rose-oil and vinegar, they allay head-ache. Taken in drink, they are curative of jaundice. Castor calls the wild myrtle with prickly leaves, or oxymyrsine, from which brooms are made, by the name of "ruscus"4—the medicinal properties of it are just the same.

Thus much, then, with reference to the medicinal pro- perties of the cultivated trees; let us now pass on to the wild ones.

Summary.—Remedies, narratives, and observations, nine hundred and eighteen.

Roman Authors Quoted.—C. Valgius,5 Pompeius Linnæus,6 Sextius Niger7 who wrote in Greek, Julius Bassus8 who wrote in Greek, Antonius Castor,9 M. Varro,10 Cornelius Celsus,11 Fabianus.12

Foreign Authors Quoted.—Theophrastus,13 Democritus,14 Orpheus,15 Pythagoras,16 Mago,17 Menander18 who wrote the "Biochresta," Nicandcr,19 Homer, Hesiod,20 Musæus,21 Sophocles,22 Anaxilaüs.23

Medical Authors Quoted.— Mnesitheus,24 Callimachus,25 Phanias26 the physician, Timaristus,27 Simus,28 Hippocrates,29 Chrysippus,30 Diocles,31 Ophelion,32 Heraclides33 Hicesius,34 Dionysius,35 Apollodorus36 of Citium, Apollodorus37 of Tarentum, Plistonicus,38 Medius,39 Dieuches,40 Cleophantus,41 Philistion,42 Asclepiades,43 Crateuas,44 Petronius Diodotus,45 Iollas,46 Erasistratus,47 Diagoras,48 Andreas,49 Mnesides,50 Epicharmus,51 Damion,52 Dalion,53 Sosimenes,54 Tlepolemus,55 Metrodorus,56 Solo,57 Lycus,58 Olympias59 of Thebes, Philinus,60 Petrichus,61 Micton,62 Glaucias,63 Xenocrates.64

1 See B. xv. cc. 7, 37: the Ruscus aculeatus of Linnæus, or little holly of the French, belonging to the Asparagea, and not the myrtles.

2 Being of the same family, of course there is a great resemblance.

3 In reality they have no such lithotriptic nature, Fée says.

4 A kindred plant with the one already mentioned by our author: it is still used for making brooms in some parts of Europe.

5 See end of B. xx.

6 See end of B. xiv.

7 See end of B. xii.

8 See end of B. xx.

9 See end of B. xx.

10 See end of B. ii.

11 See end of B. vii.

12 For Fabianus Papirius, see end; of B. ii.; for Fabianus Sabinus, see end of B. xviii.

13 See end of B. iii.

14 See end of B. ii.

15 See end of B. xx.

16 See end of B. ii.

17 See end of B. viii.

18 See end of B. xix.

19 See end of B. viii.

20 See end of B. vii.

21 See end of B. xxi.

22 See end of B. xxi.

23 See end of B. xxi.

24 See end of 3. xxi.

25 See end of B. iv.

26 See end of B. xxi.

27 See end of B. xxi.

28 See end of B. xxi.

29 See end of B. vii.

30 See end of B. xx.

31 See end of B. xx.

32 See end of B. xx.

33 See end of B. xii.9

34 See end of B. xv.

35 See end of B. xii.

36 See end of B. xx.

37 See end of B. xx.

38 See end of B. xx.

39 See end of B. xx.

40 See end of B. xx.

41 See end of B. xx.

42 See end of B. xx.

43 See end of B. vii.

44 See cud of B. xx.

45 See end of B. xx.

46 See end of B. xii.

47 See end of B. xi.

48 See end of B. xii.

49 See end of B. xx.

50 See end of B. xii.

51 See end of B. xx.

52 See end of B. xx.

53 See end of B. vi.

54 See end of B. xx.

55 See end of B. xx.

56 See end of B. xx.

57 See end of B. xx.

58 See end of B. xii.

59 See end of B. xx.

60 See end of B. xx.

61 See end of B. xix.

62 See end of B. xx.

63 See end of B. xx.

64 See end of B. xx.

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