Book 5
22
Honey mixed with lentils or with horehound or with olive leaves previously boiled in wine holds in check putrid flesh, prevents its further spread, and is a mild corrosive. The same is the action of melilot, boiled in honey wine, then pounded up; or lime with cerate; or bitter almonds with garlic in the proportion of three to one, with the addition of a little saffron. Or the composition containing litharge 24 grams, burnt ox-horn 48 grams, myrtle-oil and wine, 125 cc. of each. Or that mixture which consists of pomegranate flowers, blacking and lign-aloes, 8 grams each, split alum and frankincense 16 grams, oak-galls 32 grams, aristolochia 40 grams. Stronger as a corrosive is that compounded by calcining orpiment with copper ore, and with either soda or lime or burnt papyrus; salt with vinegar is similar. Or that composition which contains copper ore, pomegranate heads, lign-aloes, 8 grams each, split alum and frankincense, 16 grams each, oak-galls 32 grams, aristolochia 40 grams, with sufficient honey to combine them. An alternative is the composition containing cantharides 4 grams, sulphur 4 grams, darnel 12 grams, to which is added enough liquid pitch to combine them. Or also that composed of copper ore mixed with resin and rue; or slag similarly with resin; or black bryony berries with liquid pitch. The same property too belongs both to burnt wine-lees and lime and soda, equal parts, or to split alum, 1·33 grams, frankincense, sandarach and soda, 4 grams each, oak-galls 32 grams, aristolochia 40 grams, and as much honey as is required.
