The many-ingredient Roman drench, and a coughing horse

Fivefold — namely of the first — of spikenard and of aromatic calamus, and besides of meum, pyrethrum, aloe, myrtles, costus, cassia, ginger, saffron-paste, and still of saffron, of rock-parsley, and of Ethiopian cumin. Each of these is chopped finely and sieved with an aromatic sieve. Taking from this with three fingers, mix with one xestes of the finest wine, take in very little oil, then beat it moderately, and pour down the left nostril through the horn: to pack-mules and to adult pack-animals the complete mix; to horses half the mixture; and to three-year mules or two-year of the other beasts. To the healthy, each year, three times, which would be three days running. To the animal that has fallen sick of the killing disease it will likewise suffice, the rest of the care, as is reasonable, being brought to them from custom. Other things are needed against the smaller affections, and other things against the troublesome.

Treatment of coughing horses. For a coughing horse a treatment is hulled lentil, if you grind or pound it finely without the husks and give it to drink with water. The measure of the pulse for every animal by itself would be a fourth of a xestes, a fair amount. Every beast slack from toil, or fallen into upright-breathing, you would heal thus: give it lice or bedbugs pounded in wine, or the wet pitch together with barley-meal. You will not want for the other treatments, which lie scattered in these writings.