CHAP. 30. (8.)—THE BALLOTES, MELAMPRASION, OR BLACK LEEK: THREE REMEDIES.
The Greeks give to the ballotes[1813] the other name of “melamprasion,” meaning “black leek.”[1814] It is a branchy plant, with black angular stems, covered with hairy leaves, larger and darker than those of the leek,[1815] and possessed of a powerful smell. The leaves, bruised and applied with salt, are highly efficacious for bites inflicted by dogs: cooked upon hot ashes and applied in a cabbage leaf, they are curative of condylomata. Mixed with honey, this plant acts as a detergent upon sordid ulcers.