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CHAP. 14.—THE LABRUSCA, OR WILD VINE: TWELVE REMEDIES.

The labrusca, too, produces an œnanthe, which has been described at sufficient length already:1 by the Greeks the labrusca is known as the wild vine.2 The leaves of it are thick and of a whitish colour, the stem is jointed, and the bark full of fissures: it bears grapes of a scarlet3 hue, like the coccus, which are made use of by females for the purpose of improving the complexion, and removing spots upon the face. Pounded with the leaves and the juice extracted from the tree, these grapes are usefully employed for the treatment of lumbago and sciatica. A decoction of the root4 in water, taken in two cyathi of Coan wine, promotes an alvine evacuation of aqueous secretions; for which reason it is prescribed for dropsy.

I am inclined to think that; this is the plant that is commonly known as the "uva taminia;"5 it is in great request as an amulet, and is employed, though as a gargle only, in cases of spitting blood; for which purpose, salt, thyme, and oxymel are added to it, care being taken not to swallow any of the mixture. It is generally looked upon as unsafe to employ it as a purgative.

1 In B. xii. c. 61.

2 "Ampelos agria." Fée observes, that this Chapter is full of errors, Pliny beginning by speaking of the wild vine, the variety Labrusca of the Vitis vinifera of Linnæus, and then proceeding to describe what is really the Bryonia dioica of modern botany, and applying its characteristics to the wild vine, or labrusca.

3 This is not the case with the wild vine.

4 The root of the wild vine is not of a purgative nature.

5 As already stated, this is not identical with the wild vine, but is the Tamus communis of Linnæus.

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