Anoint with oil in which leeches have likewise been boiled down. <Πίναξ> '1 How one might, through wine, cause those who have drunk it to sleep for three days. -'2 Concerning the destruction of fields. -'3 Concerning the destruction of trees. -'4 Concerning making horses immovable from the same spot. -'5 Ointment for arrows. -'6 Concerning the health of soldiers. - '7 For not being overcome by poison. -'8 For closing a certain wound without stitching. -'9 Against uncontrollably flowing blood. -'10 For horses not to fall ill. -'11 To light a spontaneous fire. -'12 Capture of sound. 2.1 How one might, through wine, cause those who have drunk it to sleep for three days Enviable is he who is not lacking such a drug; for if he will have the means to prepare wine from this, those who have used this drink indeed sleep, so that those who have drunk it are even captured by the enemy, sleeping for up to three days; but they will rise if one should anoint their nostrils with vinegar. And the preparation of this is as follows: of Theban opium, as in a compound, 2 parts; having ground these with the juice of henbane, one part, and having ground the filth from the right ear of a donkey, cast it into the wine. 2.2 Concerning the destruction of fields Sometimes, while passing through an enemy land, you will attempt to destroy its fields by cultivating hellebore; for by using this method Alexander the Macedonian also captured the Alani. And fields are destroyed by salts being sown in them and being covered over by plows; for a long time this is able to affect them very badly. 2.3 Concerning the destruction of trees Perhaps it seems good to us also to destroy the fruit-bearing trees of the fields, so that the enemies, often lacking food, do not find the fruits for nourishment. At any rate, you will dry up every tree except an apple tree, if you will implant the stinger of the sea stingray into the trunk of the tree. But the Quintilii say that the husks of beans, thrown in at the roots, dry them up. But it pleases me more than all to say that those which have grown beautifully should be cut down; for when these things have been so done, in the cut-down places no enemy hides, no bird sits above to hunt them; which is complete destruction. 2.4 Concerning making horses immovable from the same spot While laboring over the exposition of the present treatise, I read in the 'Physica' of Neptunianus that the knucklebone of a wolf from the right front foot, being thrown before a four-horse chariot, stops the chariot. If then it stops four, how much more when in a battle-line we give them one by one to a few slingers? When they have thrown these into the enemy's cavalry, not only will the one knucklebone harm one horse, but however many may happen to ride past it. 2.5 Ointment for arrows The Scythians anoint arrows with the so-called "toxikon" for the swift destruction of those who are wounded. And while I was seeking this, a certain trustworthy man has given me the drug described below, producing the same effect; and this is it: the characite spurge, which grows up into stalky branches, having taken this, put it into a newly made earthenware vessel and boil it with water until it will release all its own fat to the hot water; then having removed the pieces of the herb that were put in, throw other fresh ones into the same water; again remove them and, having thrown in others, boil until the water becomes like honey from their juice. But I am not confident whether it has been safely made. But some of the ancients say that also the venom of a viper and of an asp and of a salamander is unfailing for this purpose. 2.6 Concerning the health of soldiers That indeed a doctor is a good thing in an army, this is beyond doubt; but so that a soldier, being struck by sun and toil, may not fall ill, for this purpose it is necessary to divide their meals, so that they eat not once or twice, but little by little many times during the day and especially when there is no battle present; for this is healthful and suitable for digestion. And it is necessary, having boiled rue and wild mallow and having mixed them with turned wine, to take it in the middle of meals, likewise, having mixed milk and water and having poured on a little turned wine, to take it before eating; and
ἄλειφε ἐλαίῳ ἐν ᾧ ὁμοίως βδέλλαι ἀπεζέσθησαν. <Πίναξ> '1 Πῶς δι' οἴνου κατεργάσαιτ' ἄν τις τοὺς πεπωκότας πρὸς <τὸ> τρεῖς ἡμέρας κοιμᾶσθαι. -'2 Περὶ ἀγρῶν ἀφανισμοῦ. -'3 Περὶ δένδρων ἀφανισμοῦ. -'4 Περὶ τοῦ τοὺς ἵππους ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τόπου ἀμετακινήτους ποιεῖν. -'5 Χρίσμα βελῶν. -'6 Περὶ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὑγείας. - '7 Πρὸς τὸ μὴ δηλητηρίῳ ἁλίσκεσθαι. -'8 Πρὸς <τὸ> πληγήν τινα ἄνευ ῥαφῆς κολλῆσαι. -'9 Πρὸς αἷμα δυσκατασχέτως ῥέον. -'10 Πρὸς <τὸ τοὺς> ἵππους μὴ νοσεῖν. -'11 Αὐτόματον πῦρ ἅψαι. -'12 Ἀκοῆς θήρα. 2.1 Πῶς δι' οἴνου κατεργάσαιτ' ἄν τις τοὺς πεπωκότας πρὸς τὸ τρεῖς ἡμέρας κοιμᾶσθαι Ζηλωτὸς ὁ τοιούτου μὴ λειπόμενος φαρμάκου· εἰ γὰρ εὐπορήσει οἶνον ἐκ τούτου σκευάζειν, κοιμῶνται μὲν οἱ τούτῳ χρησάμενοι τῷ ποτῷ, ὡς καὶ καταληφθῆναι τοὺς πεπωκότας ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων κοιμωμένους μέχρι τριῶν ἡμερῶν· ἀναστήσονται δὲ εἰ ὄξος χρίσοιτό τις αὐτῶν τοὺς μυκτῆρας. Ἡ δὲ τούτου σκευασία ἐστὶν αὕτη· ὀπίου Θηβαϊκοῦ ὡς ἐν θέματι μέρη βʹ· ταῦτα λειώσας μετὰ χυλοῦ ὑοσκυάμου μέρους ἑνὸς ῥύπον τε τὸν ἐξ ὠτὸς ὄνου τοῦ δεξιοῦ λειώσας, ἔμβαλε τῷ οἴνῳ. 2.2 Περὶ ἀγρῶν ἀφανισμοῦ Ἔσθ' ὅτε, διοδεύων γῆν πολεμίαν, ταύτης τοὺς ἀγροὺς ἀφανίζειν ἐπιχειρήσεις, ἐλλέβορον γεωργῶν· τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μακεδὼν χρησάμενος τῷ τρόπῳ εἷλεν Ἀλανούς. Ἀφανίζονται δὲ ἀγροὶἁλῶν τε σπειρομένων ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀρότροις ἐγκαλυπτομένων· ἐπὶ πολὺν χρόνον δύναται τοῦ<το αὐ>τοὺς πάνυ κακῶς διαθεῖναι. 2.3 Περὶ δένδρων ἀφανισμοῦ Ἀφανίζειν ἴσως ἡμῖν δοκεῖ καὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν τὰ δένδρα τὰ κάρπιμα, ὡς μὴ τοὺς πολεμίους πολλάκις τροφῶν <ἀποροῦντας> εὑρίσκειν ἀντὶ τροφῆς τοὺς καρπούς. Ξηρανεῖς γοῦν πᾶν δένδρον πλὴν μηλέας, εἰ τὸ τῆς θαλαττίας τρυγόνος κέντρον ἐμπήξεις εἰς τὸ τοῦ δένδρου στέλεχος. Οἱ δὲ Κυϊντίλιοί φασιν ὡς τὰ κέλυφα τῶν κυάμων ταῖς ῥίζαις ἐμβαλλόμενα ταῦτα ξηραίνει. Ἐμοὶ δὲ μᾶλλον ἁπάντων ἃ φι<λο>κάλως πέφυκεν ἀρέσεις λέγων ἐκκόπτεσθαι ταῦτα· τούτων γὰρ οὕτως πραχθέντων, ἐν τοῖς κοπεῖσιν οὐ πολέμιος κρύπτεται, οὐκ ὄρνεον εἰς θήραν τούτων ὑπερκαθέζεται· ὅπερ ἐστὶ τέλειος ἀφανισμός. 2.4 Περὶ τοῦ τοὺς ἵππους ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τόπου ἀμετακινήτους ποιεῖν Φιλοπονῶν περὶ τὴν τοῦ παρόντος συγγράμματος ἔκθεσιν, ἀνέγνων ἐν τοῖς Νεπτουνιανοῦ «Φυσικοῖς» ὅτι λύκου ἀστράγαλος δεξιοῦ ποδὸς τοῦ ἐμπροσθίου ῥιφεὶς πρὸ τετραόρου ἵστησι τὸ ἅρμα. Εἴπερ οὖν τέσσαρας ἵστησι, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ὅτ' ἐν παρατάξει καθ' ἕνα δώσομεν ὀλίγοις σφενδονήταις; Τούτους ῥιψάντων αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν τῶν πολεμίων ἵππον, οὐ μόνον ὁ εἷς ἀστράγαλος ἵππον ἕνα κακοποιήσει, ἀλλ' ὅσους <ἂν> συμβῇ δι' αὐτοῦ παριππάζειν. 2.5 Χρίσμα βελῶν Χρίουσι Σκύθαι βέλη τὸ καλούμενον «τοξικὸν» πρὸς ταχεῖαν ἀναίρεσιν τῶν τιτρωσκομένων. Ζητοῦντι δέ μοι τοῦτο ἀνήρ τις ἀξιόχρεος δέδωκε τὸ ὑποτεταγμένον φάρμακον, τὴν αὐτὴν ἐνέργειαν ἀποτελοῦν· ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο· τιθύμαλλον τὴν χαρακίτην ἥτις ἄνεισιν εἰς κλάδους καυλώδεις, ταύτην λαβών, βάλε εἰς ἄγγος νεουργὲς ὀστράκινον καὶ καῦσον μετ' ὕδατος μέχρις οὗ πᾶσαν ἑαυτῆς τὴν πιμελὴν τῷ θερμῷ ἐναφήσει ὕδατι· εἶτα τὰ ἐμβληθέντα τῆς βοτάνης ξύλα ἀναγαγών, ἕτερα χλωρὰ ἔμβαλε τῷ αὐτῷ ὕδατι· πάλιν ἀνάγαγε καί, βαλὼν ἄλλα, καῦσον μέχρις οὗ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκ τοῦ τούτων ὀποῦ γένηται μελιτῶδες. Ἐγὼ δὲ εἰ πεποίηται ἀσφαλῶς οὐ θαρρῶ. Φασὶ δέ τινες τῶν ἀρχαίων ὅτι καὶ τοῦ ἔχεως ἰὸς καὶ ἀσπίδος σαλαμάνδρας τε εἰς τοῦτο ἀπαράβατος. 2.6 Περὶ τῆς τῶν στρατιωτῶν ὑγείασ Ὅτι μὲν ἐν στρατεύματι καλὸν ἰατρός, τοῦτο ἀναμφίβολον· ἵνα δὲ μὴ νοσῇ στρατιώτης ἡλίῳ καὶ καμάτῳ βαλλόμενος, πρὸς τοῦτο δεῖ τὰς τροφὰς αὐτῶν διελεῖν, ὡς μὴ ἅπαξ ἢ δεύτερον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ βραχὺ πολλάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἐσθίειν καὶ μάλιστα μὴ παρόντος ἀγῶνος· ἔστιν γὰρ τοῦτο σωτήριον καὶ πρὸς πέψιν ἐπιτήδειον. Ἀναγκαῖον δὲ πήγανον καὶ μαλάχην ἀγρίαν ἀφεψήσαντες καὶ κεράσαντες οἴνῳ παρατραπέντι ἐν μέσαις ταῖς τροφαῖς λαμβάνειν, ὡσαύτως γάλακτος καὶ ὕδατος μίξαντες καὶ ἐπιχέαντες ὀλίγον οἴνου παρατραπέντος πρὶν φαγεῖν λαμβάνειν· καὶ