nihil+proficiens

prōfĭcĭo, fēci, fectum, 3, v. n and a. [pro-facio], to go forward, advance, gain ground, make progress.

Lit. (very rare):

cum quinqueremis sola non proficeret,

Plin. 32, 1, 1, § 4.—

Trop., to go on, advance, make progress; to profit, derive advantage; to perform, effect, accomplish, obtain, etc. (class.; cf. procedo).

Of persons:

si nihil in oppugnatione oppidi profecisset,

Caes. B. G. 7, 20:

ubi diligentiā nostrorum nihil his rebus profici posse intellexerunt,

id. ib. 3, 21:

plus multitudine telorum,

id. ib. 7, 82:

loci opportunitate,

id. B. C. 3, 23:

antesignani tantum profecere, ut pellerent omnes,

id. ib. 3, 75:

multum profecit,

Nep. Eum. 10, 1: si modo in philosophiā aliquid profecimus, have made any progress, Cic. [p. 1458] Off. 3, 8, 37:

ea,

id. de Or. 2, 21 fin. —Of the sick, to get better:

si quidquam profecerint, Cael. Aur Acut. 2, 10, 71 proficiens aegrotus,

id. ib. 2, 11, 81 —

Of manim subjects, to grow, increase (mostly post-Aug.):

id (vitis genus) quod umore proficit,

Col. 3, 20:

proficiente pretio,

rising, Plin. 14, 4, 6, § 57.—In pass.:

sed etiam ad summam profectum aliquid puto,

Cic. Att. 7, 13, 1:

postquam nihil proficiebatur,

Plin. 6, 26, 30, § 122.—In a bad sense:

proficere in pejus,

to become worse and worse, Vulg. 2 Tim. 3, 13.—

In partic., to be useful, serviceable, advantageous, etc., to effect, accomplish; to help, tend, contribute, conduce (class.; cf.

prosum) ea suo quaeque loco, ubi plurimum proficere et valere possent, collocabat,

Cic. Brut. 37, 139:

nulla res tantum ad dicendum proficit, quantum scriptio,

id. ib. 24, 92;

Liv 3, 61: profectura aliquid tum tua verba puta, Ov P. 3, 1, 138: aut nihil in melius tot rerum proficit usus?

Juv. 13, 18.—Of remedies:

radice vel herbā Proficiente nihil,

Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 150; nec alia res celerius proficit, is of service, Plin 27, 11, 72, §

96: axungia proficit ad strumas,

id. 28, 9, 37, § 140;

pirorum ligni cinis contra fungos efficacius proficit,

id. 23, 7, 62, § 116:

radix anethi vel in febribus proficit,

id. 20, 23, 98, § 260.— Impers.:

multum proficiet illud demonstrare, quemadmodum scripsisset,

Cic. Inv. 2, 41, 120.—Hence, prōfĭcĭenter, adv., successfully (eccl. Lat.), Aug Ep. 80: incedere, Hil. Trin. 1, 22; Cassiod in Psa. 133, 2.