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"[Plin. Nat. 27.84.] - ODONTITIS: ONE REMEDY.
Odontitis is a sort of hay-grass, which throws out from a single root numerous, small, jointed. stems, of a triangular form and of a swarthy hue. At the joints there are small leaves, somewhat longer than those of the polygonos; and in the axils formed by these leaves is the seed, similar to barley in appearance. It has a purple, diminutive flower, and is found growing in meadows. A handful of the stems, boiled in astringent wine, is used for the cure of tooth-ache, the decoction being retained for some time in the mouth."
(The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.)