Part 6/9:
Cabbage was endowed with seemingly magical properties, using poultices for ailments like headaches and ulcers, while Cato boldly claimed its juice could treat cancer. The absurdity heightens when he introduces the notion that soaking in the urine of those who consume cabbage could confer health benefits.
The playful nature of these assertions makes one wonder whether Cato might have been a purveyor of ancient trollery, anticipating future incredulity.
In contrast, Pliny the Elder offered anecdotal evidence without claiming personal experience, outlining cabbage’s enmity with wine and its various medicinal applications, albeit sometimes humorously, such as curing ailments of the "testes" with "bruised beans."