THE LAMIUM: SEVEN REMEDIES

Latine · Mayhoff 1906

Ea quoque, quam lamium inter genera earum appellavimus, mitissima et foliis non mordentibus, mede- tur cum mica salis contusis incussisque, ustis et strumis, tumoribus, podagris, vulneribus. album habet in medio folio, quod ignibus sacris medetur.

Quidam e nostris tempore discrevere genera, et autumnalis urticae radicem adalligatam in tertianis ita, ut aegri nuncupentur, cum eruatur ea radix, dicaturque cui et quorum filio eximatur, liberare morbo tradiderunt; hoc idem et contra quartanas pollere. iidem urticae radice addito sale infixa corpori extrahi, foliis cum axungia strumas discuti vel, si suppuraverint, erodi, compleri.

English · Bostock & Riley 1855–57

The variety of nettle, too, which we have already spoken of under the name of “lamium,” the most innoxious of them all, the leaves not having the property of stinging, is used for the cure of bruises and contusions, with a sprinkling of salt, as also for burns and scrofulous sores, tumours, gout, and wounds. The middle of the leaf is white, and is used for the cure of erysipelas. Some of our authors have distinguished the various species of this plant according to their respective seasons; thus, for instance, the root of the autumn nettle, they say, carried on the person as an amulet, is a cure for tertian fevers, if due care is taken, when pulling up the root, to mention the patient’s name, and to state who he is and who are his parents. They say, too, that this plant is productive of similar results in quartan fever: and they pretend that the root of the nettle, with the addition of salt, will extract foreign substances from the body; and that the leaves, mixed with stale axle-grease, will disperse scrofulous sores, or if they suppurate, cauterize them and cause them to fill up with new flesh.