[20.] Polenta is made from barley in several ways. The Greeks pour warm water upon the grain, dry it for one night, and the day following, toast it, and then grind it. Others toast it more, and sprinkle it again with a little water, and dry it before they grind it. Others again shaking out the recent barley from the green ears, bruise it, while moist, in a mortar, and wash it in baskets, dry it in the sun, beat it again, and after it is cleansed, grind it. In whatever way it is prepared, they first of all toast three pounds of lintseed, and half a pound of coriander, with an acetabulum of salt, and mix it in the mill, with twenty pounds of barley. Those that have a mind to preserve it for a longer time, put it into earthen vessels with its own flour and bran. In Italy it is ground fine after toasting, without pouring any water upon it, and mixed up with the ingredients abovenamed and millet. Plin. b. xviii. cap. 7.
[21.] Vomit spontaneously. Sponte vomere.) That is, vomit without any emetic medicine being given.
[22.] Bulbous roots.) Aretæus mentions nothing of rubbing these over the whole body; but he recommends the small red kind, crude with pepper, and the powdered lees of vinegar, as the best cataplasm for the feet in this disorder. To which he adds this caution, that they must be frequently removed, for fear of ulcerating the parts. Lib. ii. de Curat. Acut. Morb. cap. 3.
[23.] Inject by way of clyster.) Celsus here shews that he knew it was possible to nourish by clysters, and that it was sometimes practised—Cælius Aurelianus mentions the use of clysters in this disorder, particularly acrid ones, as prescribed by the followers of Serapion, Heraclides, and Herophilus, and also by Asclepiades and Themison. But he does not give the least hint, as if any of these authors directed an injection with a view to nourishment, but only to make a derivation of the humour from the skin to the belly. Cæl. Aurelian. de Acut. Morb. lib. ii. cap. 38.
[24.] Malagmas.) These cannot according to the present division of compositions admit of a literal translation, and therefore the original word is retained. By turning to the fifth book, chap. 17. and 18. will be seen their difference from plaisters, &c. and that they consist of various ingredients, but compounded without any heat.
[25.] Catapotia.) Most of the moderns translate this word pills. But our author does not limit their consistence nor form; for we find him sometimes ordering them to be diluted, sometimes of the consistence of sordes, and sometimes swallowed about the bigness of a bean, and at other times dry powders given in some kind of liquor. See lib. v. cap. 25.—Scribonius Largus defines a catapotium as a medicine, that is swallowed without being diluted, cap. 22. comp. 87. Upon which Rhodius will have them to be much the same with the bolusses now in use.
[26.] Attempt that by diet.) The reading in Almeloveen and Linden is Alvum moliri cibo melius est, &c. But as there was no mention of the belly before, and no proper sense can be assigned to molior, as it there stands, I have followed the old reading, Sed id ipsum moliri cibo melius est, and the rather, as Celsus immediately subjoins proper medicines for that purpose. This reading is approved by Morgagni, Ep. 6. p. 149.
[27.] Nard.) It is generally agreed, that what we now have under the name of nard, is not the ancient kind. Dioscorides says, it resembles the cyperus in its smell, has a small head, is bitter to the taste, and drying to the tongue, retaining its fragrancy for a long time. There were two species of it, one called Indian, and the other Syrian. Dioscorid. lib. i. cap. 6.
[28.] Balsam.) Our author does not distinguish what part of the balsam-tree he intends. The ancients called the juice opobalsam, the wood xylobalsam, and the fruit carpobalsam; which distinction Celsus himself elsewhere uses. Dioscorid. lib. i. cap. 18.