The Natural History of Pliny, Volume 5 (of 6)

Chapter 366: CHAP. 42.—THE CYNOSORCHIS OR ORCHIS: FOUR REMEDIES.

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This volume catalogs remedies derived from forest trees and wild plants, presenting systematic entries for dozens of species with prescribed treatments and applications. It enumerates specific uses for resins, barks, leaves, berries, and sap, and gives instructions on preparation, dosage, and testing of potency. The text also records variations among species, regional observations on growth and harvesting, and anecdotes on how certain plants were discovered or associated with animals and human practices. Overall it functions as a practical herbal compendium combining botanical description with medicinal recipes and empirical notes.

CHAP. 42.—THE CYNOSORCHIS OR ORCHIS: FOUR REMEDIES.

The cynosorchis,1842 by some called “orchis,” has leaves like 1843 those of the olive, soft, three in number, half a foot in length, and lying upon the ground. The root is bulbous, oblong, and divided into two portions,1844 the upper one hard, and the lower one soft. These roots are eaten boiled, like bulbs,1845 and are mostly found growing in vineyards. If males eat the upper part, they will be parents of male issue, they say, and females, if they eat the lower part, of female. In Thessaly, the men take the soft portion in goats’ milk as an aphrodisiac, and the hard part as an antaphrodisiac. Of these parts, the one effectually neutralizes the action of the other.1846