The Natural History (Latin: Naturalis Historia) is an encyclopedia written by Roman naturalist and natural philosopher, Pliny the Elder, published circa CE 77–79. In Book XIX -The nature and cultivation of flax and an account of various garden plants, Pliny describes the cultivation and industrial use of cannabis: "there is hemp, a plant remarkably useful for making ropes, and usually sown after the west winds have begun to prevail: the more thickly it is sown, the thinner are the stalks.The seed is gathered when ripe, just after the autumnal equinox, and is dried by the agency of the sun, the wind, or smoke.4 The hemp itself is plucked just after vintage-time, and is peeled and cleaned by the laborers at night." In Book XX -Remedies derived from the garden plants, Pliny describes hemp as a remedy: "Hemp seed, it is said, renders men impotent: the juice of this seed will extract worms from the ears, or any insect which may have entered them, though at the cost of producing head-ache. The virtues of hemp, it is said, are so great, that an infusion of it in water will cause it to coagulate: hence it is, that if taken in water, it will arrest looseness in beasts of burden. A decoction of the root in water, relaxes contractions of the joints, and cures gout and similar maladies. It is applied raw to burns, but it must be frequently changed, so as not to let it dry."
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 06:57:25 +0000
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