from their furious malice The vertue of Mallowes and of Althea called Marsh-mallowe is notable against the prickings of Waspes For the softest and most emollient herbe is applyed as a contrary to a watlike and hurtfull creature whose iuyce beeing annoynted with oyle eyther abateth the rage of vvaspes or so blunteth and dulleth theyr sting that the paine is not very sharpe or byting Pliny lib 21. capit 171. And of the same mind is Auicen Waspes saith he will not come neere any man if he be annoynted with oyle and the iuyce of Mallowes For as a soft aunswere doth frangere iram and as the Graecians haue a saying Edus Megiston estin orges pharmakon logos So also in naturall Philosophy we see that hard thinges are quailed and their edge euen taken off with soft and suppling as yron with a fine small and soft feather the Adamant stone with blood and the stinge of vvaspes Hornets and Bees with oyle and Mallowes What is softer then a Caterpiller and yet if Aetius credite be of sufficience the same beeing beaten with oyle and annoynted vppon any part preserueth the same from the woundes and stinges of vvaspes And of the same vertue is the herbe called Balme being stamped and mixed with oyle The same symptomes or accidents doe follow the stinging of Waspes as of Bees but farre more painefull and of longer continuance to vvit rednesse intollerable paine Apostumes And if any be strooken of the Orenge or yellow coloured vvaspes especially in a sinowie or some sensible part there will followe a convulsion weakenes of the kees swounding yea sometimes death as before I haue touched Against the stingings of vvaspes diuers medicines are prescribed by Phisitions but I will speake of such onely as I haue made proofe of and such as are confirmed by long experience Gilbert the Englishman saith that vvaspes beeing bruised and applyed to the place affected doe cure their owne wounds very strangely The same vertue peraduenture not onely the Scorpion but the greater part of Insects haue if any one would make any dilligent tryall thereof If a man be stinged of any venomous vvaspes which is easily knowne by the blewnes of the place madnes rauing and fainting of the partie and coldnesse of the hands and feete after you haue giuen him inwardly some Alexipharmacall medicine the place agrieued must be launched or rather opened with a Cauterie so beeing thus enlarged and opened the venome must be well sucked out and the paring or shauing of that earth wherein the waspes build their nests must be wrought kneaded with Vineger and so applyed like a Cataplasme A plaister also made of VVillow-leaues Mallowes and the combe of waspes is verie medicinable for the same as by the counsell of Haly Abbas I haue experimented The English-Northerne-men doe prepare most excellent emplaister woorth gold against all stinges of waspes onely of that earth whereof their Ouens are made hauing vineger and the heads of Flyes commixed therewith Let the place be very well rubbed with the iuyce of Citrulls withall let the partie that is pained drinke of the seed of Margerom beaten to powder the quantity of two drammes or thus Take of the iuyce of Margerom two ounces of Bole Armony two drammes with the iuyce of vnripe Grapes so much as is sufficient make an emplaister Another Annoynt the place with the iuyce of Purcelane Beetes or sweet Wine and Oyle of Roses or with Cowes bloud or with the seedes of the Spirting or wilde Cucumber called Nolime tangere beaten with some VVine Thus farre Galen Barly Meale wrought vp with Vineger and the Milke or iuyce of a Fig-tree brine or Sea water are excellent for these griefes as Dioscorides lib. 8. Cap. 20. writeth if the wound be often fomented bathed or soked with any of them To drinke giue two drammes of the young and tender leaues of Bayes with harsh wine and if the part affected bee onely annointed with any of these they are much auaileable In like sort the decoction of Marsh-mallowes drunke with Vineger and water are much commended and outwardly salt with Calues fat Oyle of Bayes draweth out the poyson of VVaspes The leaues of Marsh-mallow as Aetius saith beeing bruised and applyed doe performe the same The iuyce of Rue or Balme about the quantity of two or three ounces drunke with wine and the leaues being chewed and laid on with Hony and Salt or with Vineger and Pitch do help much VVater-cresses Rosemarie with Barly meale and water with vineger sod together the iuyce of Iuy leaues Marigolds the bloud of an Owle all these are very affectuall against the stinging of waspes as Pliny lib. 31. Cap. 9. telleth vs. The buds of the wilde Palme-tree Endiue with the root and wilde Timbe being applyed playsterwise doe helpe the stinging of VVaspes After the vemine is drawne out by sucking the place effected must bee put into hot water the space of an houre and then suddenly they must be thrust into Vineger and brine and forthwith the paine will bee asswaged the tumour cease and the malice of the venemous humor cleane extinguished Rhazes saith that the leaues of Night-shade or of Sengreene do very much good in this case And in like sort Bole Armony with vineger and Champhire and nuts beaten with a little vineger and Castoreum Also take the Combe with Honny applying to the place and hold the grieued place neere the fire immediatly and laying vnder them a few ashes binde them hard forth-with the paine will bee swaged Serapio saith that Sauorie or Cresses applyed and the seed thereof taken in drinke and the iuyce of the lesser Centory mixt with wine are very meete to bee vsed in these griefes he also commendeth for the same purpose the leaues of Basill the Herb called Mercury and Mandrakes with Vineger Ardoynus is of opinion that if you take a little round ball of Snow and put it into the fundament the paine will cease especially that which proceedeth by waspes Let the place be annoynted with Vineger and Champhire or often fomented and bathed with snow-Snow-water Take of Opium of the seed of Henbane and Champhire of each alike much and incorporate them with Rose water or the iuyce of VVillowes and laie it vppon the wounded place applying on the top of it a linnē cloth first throughly wetted in wine Iohannes Mesue who of some is called Euangelist a medicoram prescribeth this receipt of the iuyce of Sisimbrium two drammes and a halfe and with the iuyce of Tartcitrons make a potion The iuyce also of Spina Arabica and of Margerom are nothing inferiour to these forementioned Aaron would in this griefe haue water Lintells called by some Duckes meat to be stamped with vineger and after to be applyed Constantine assureth vs that Alcama tempered with Barley meale and vineger and so bound to the place as also Nuts leaues of vvall-nuts and Bleetes are very profitable in this passion Item
Emperour And all fraudes whatsoeuer are likevvise taxed by this name vvhich were not punishable but by the doome of the supreame or highest Iudge and there-vppon Alciatus made this Embleme following Parua lacerta atris Stellatus corpore guttis Stellio qui latebras caua busta colit Inuidiae prauique doli fert symbola pictus Heu nimium nuribus cognita Zelotypis Nam turpi obtegitur faciem lentigine quisquis Sit quibus immersus Stellio vina bibat Hinc vindicta frequens decepta pellice vino Quam formae amisso flore relinquit amans Which may be englished thus The little Lyzard or Stellion starred in body graine In secrete holes and graues of dead which doth remaine When painted you it see or drawne before the eye A symbole then you view of deepe deceit and cursed enuy Alas this is a thing to iealous wiues knowne too well For whosoeuer of that Wine doth drinke his fill Wherein a Stellion hath beene drencht to death His face with filthy lentile spots all vgly it appeareth Here-with a Louer oft requites the fraude of concubine Depriuing her of beauties hiew by draught of this same wine The Poet Ouid hath a pretty fiction of the originall of this cursed enuy in Stellions for he writeth of one Abas the sonne of Metaneira that receiued Ceres kindly into her house and gaue her hospitalitie whereat the said Abas beeing displeased derided the sacrifice which his mother made to Ceres the Goddesse seeing the wretched nature of the young man and his extreame impietie against the sacrifice of his Mother tooke the Wine left in the goblet after the Sacrifice and poured the same vppon his head wherevpon he was immediatly turned into a Stellion as it is thus related by Ouid Metam 5. Combibit os maculas quae modo brachia gessit Crura gerit cauda est mutatis addita membris Inque breuem formam ne sit vis magna nocendi Contrahitur paruaque minor mensura lacerta est In English thus His mouth suckt in those spots and now where armes did stand His legges appeare and to his changed parts was put a tayle And least it should haue power to harme small was the bodies band And of the Lizards poysonous this least in shape did vayle Their bodyes are very brittle so as if at any time they chaunce to fall they breake their tayles They lay very small egges out of which they are generated and Pliny writeth that the iuyce or liquor of these egges layde vppon a mans body causeth the hayre to fall off and also neuer more permitteth it to grow againe But whereas wee haue said it deuoureth the skinne to the damage hurt of men you must remember that in auncient time the people did not want their pollicies and deuises to take away this skinne from them before they could eate it And therfore in the Sommer-time they watched the lodging place and hole of the Lyzard and then in the end of the winter toward the Spring they tooke Reedes and did cleaue them in sunder these they composed into little Cabonets and set them vppon the hole of the Serpent Now when it awaked and would come forth it being grieued with the thicknes and straightnes of his skinne presseth out of his hole thorough those Reedes or Cabonet and finding the same some-what straight is the more gladde to take it for a remedie so by little and little it slydeth thorough and beeing thorough it leaueth the skinne behind in the Cabonet into the which it cannot reenter to deuoure it Thus is this wylie Serpent by the pollicie of man iustly beguiled loosing that which it so greatly desireth to possesse and changing nature to line his guttes vvith his coate is preuented from that gluttony it beeing sufficient to haue had it for a couer in the Winter and therefore vnsufferable that it should make foode thereof and it the same in the Sommer These Stellings like as other Serpents haue also theyr enemies in nature as first of all they are hated by the Asses for they loue to be about the maungers and rackes on which the Asse feedeth and from thence many times they creepe into the Asses open nostrills and by that meanes hinder his eating But aboue all other there is greatest antipathy in nature betwixt this Serpent and the Scorpion for if a Scorpion doe but see one of these it falleth into a deepe feare and a cold sweat out of which it is deliuered againe very speedily and for this cause a Stellion putrified in oyle is a notable remedie against the byting of a Scorpion and the like warre and dissention is affirmed to be betwixt the Stellion and the Spyder Wee haue shewed already the difference of Stellions of Italie from them of Greece how these are of a deadly poysonous nature and the other innocent and harmelesse and therefore now it is also conuenient that wee should shew the nature and cure of this poyson which is in this manner Whensoeuer any man is bytten by a Stellion hee hath ache and payne thereof continually and the wound receiued looketh very pale in colour the cure whereof according to the saying of Aetius is to make a playster of Garlicke and Leekes mixed together or else to eate the said Garlice and Leekes drinking after them a good draught of svveete Wine vnmixed and very pure or else apply Nigella Romana Sesamyne and sweet water vnto it Some as Arnoldus writeth prescribe for this cure the dunge of a Faulcon or a Scorpion to be bruised all to peeces and layd to the wound But sometimes it happeneth that a mans meate or drinke is corrupted with Stellions that fall into the same from some high place where they desire to be clymbing and then if the same meate or Wine so corrupted be eaten or drunk it causeth vnto the partie a continuall vomiting payne in the stomacke Then must the cure be made also by vomits to auoyd the poyson and by Glysters to open the lower passage that so there may be no stoppe or stay to keepe the imprisoned meate or drinke in the body And principally those thinges are prescribed in this case which are before expressed in the Cantharides when a man hath by any accident beene poysoned by eating of them The remedies which are obserued out of this Serpent are these Beeing eaten by Hawkes they make them quickly to cast theyr old coates or feathers Others giue it in meate after it is bowelled to them that haue the Falling-sicknesse Also when the head feete and bowels are taken away it is profitable for those persons which cannot hold in their vrine and beeing sodden is giuen against the Bloody-flixe Also sodde in wine with blacke Poppy-seede cureth the payne of the loynes if the wine be drunke vp by the sicke patient The oyle of Stellions beeing annoynted vpon the arme-holes or pittes of chyldren or young persons it restraineth all hayre for euer growing in those places Also the
Winter as well as in Sommer and yet the serpents which run wild in the fieldes eate nothing at all during the time of their Chias or Ehiaus that is their lying hid Greuinus that learned man proponeth this question Si serpentes calidi sunt qui fit vt in regros tres aut quatuor menses id est toto illo tempore quâ— delitescunt absque cibo vivunt If saith he Serpents be hot how commeth it to passe that they can liue three or 4. months without all foode that is all the time of their lying secret He maketh in my opinion a sufficient aunswere to this question which for me shall conclude the cause saying Doth it not fall out with Serpents as it doth with some women who beeing full of humor and thicke phlegmaticke matter haue but a little and weake naturall heate yet proportionable to the said humour doe liue a great time by reason thereof without foode or nourishment And for this cause all the hoasts of Philosophers doe define that serpents doe also abstaine from eating a long season For Nature hath clothed them with a more solide skinne and liued them with a more thicke and substantiall flesh to the intent that theyr naturall heate should not easily vanish away and decay in their bodies but remaine therein permanent for the feeding and preseruing of life When they sleepe they seeme to sleepe with open eyes which is elegantly described by Philes in these Greeke verses OpoÌ„s kathéude kai dokeiÌ„ palin blepin Ophis te kai ptox kai thumou pleres león Epipetatai gar he chlamys ton ommaton Allou tinos Chitonos apaloterou Phrorountos autois os dioptras task-óras Which may be englished thus How can the Hare the Serpent and the Lyon bold Both sleepe and see together at one time Within theyr eye-lids a soft skinne their sight doth fold Shielding their apples as glasse doth weakened eyne The foode of Serpents that is permitted them by God is the dust of the earth as may appeare by that first and iust sentence which GOD himselfe gaue vpon them for seducing our first Parents Adam and Eue Gene 3. 14. Because thou hast doone this thing thou art accursed aboue all the Beasts of the field for thou shalt goe vppon thy belly and eate dust all the dayes of thy life And againe Esay 65. 25. Dust shall be meate to the Serpent And least that we should thinke that this curse hath not taken hold vpon the Serpent we may finde the expresse practise heereof Michae 7. 17. Where it is said of Gods enemies that They shall licke the dust like the Serpent Yet Aristotle affirmeth truly that Serpents are Omninori that is deuourers of flesh fish herbes or any other thinges howbeit heerein they passe their kind or else the curse of God reacheth not to any other kinds theÌ„ to that alone which deceiued our first Parents We haue shewed already how they eate and deuour men women children oxen sheepe and goates but whatsoeuer they eate they retaine nothing but the moysture of it and the residue they eiect whole and vndigested VVhatsoeuer is offered them that they take either a bird or a small chicken or an egge hauing it they take hold but of one end as of the head of a chicke or small end of an egge and so set it directly before them then doe they gather themselues together in as short a compasse as may be that so their bodies which seeme long and small beeing extended may appeare great and wide reduced into a short and compacted frame And surely heereby they open and make wider their passage or swallow for then they suddenly goble in the beast or meate before them without any great adoe hauing kept it in their body till it be dryed from all moisture they cast it out againe as they swallowed it vp at another ordinary place But for birds chickens they striue with them till they haue gotten off their feathers or els if they swallowe them whole they eiect the feathers as they doe egge-shells The Serpents of the North doe in the Sommer time eate the flesh of birds herbes and after the eating of them they tast of a little water or milke if they can attaine it or els vvine For this cause they will suck the vdders of Kine or Goates or sheepe as hath been seene in England Yet is their appetite to drinke but smally as is in all other Creatures whose liuers are fungous and soft like Spunges and so are all beastes and creatures which lay egges Aboue all kindes of drinke they loue vvine and thereof they be drunke wherfore in Italy they set pottles of vvine to entrappe Vipers for if once they smell the vvine they enter the vessell gladly and speedily and the vvine or milke whereof they drinke is poysoned by them But in those places of Affrick where it neuer raineth they eate a kinde of black moyst vvorme which hath many legges as is said by Theophrastus And to conclude their meate and drinke is so small that it is receiued for truth Nullum venenatum perit fame vel siti that no venomous beast perrisheth by hunger or thirst The voyce of Serpents is called Sibilus a hyssing and theyr voyce differeth from all other beasts hyssing in the length thereof for the hyssing of a Torreise is shorter and more abrupt Of this hyssing voyce speaketh Lucan saying Quod strident vlulant que ferae quòd sibilat anguis In English thus Gnashing and howling is the voyce of wild beastes Long hyssing in Snakes and Serpents doth rest Among other things notable in a Serpent this is one because it easteth off his old age euery yeere whereof the Graecians tell this fabulous reason Once Man-kinde stroue earnestly with the Gods by supplication for a perpetuall youth that they might neuer waxe old and obtayning their desire they layd the same to be carried vpon an Asse The sillie beast waxing sore athirst in his trauaile at last came vnto a water and thereof endeuoured earnestly to drinke but the keeper of the same water beeing a Serpent denied leaue to the Asse to drinke thereof except he would grant him his carriage which was Perpetuall youth The poore Asse ready to perrish for thirst easily condiscended therevnto Whervppon the Serpent changeth her age for youth and men their youth for old age and the Asse for his punishment is more tormented with thirst then any other beast But to leaue fables and to come more neere the marke the Latines call the casting of their skin Anguina senectus spolium serpentis vernatio the Graecians Opheos derma suphar lebâ—ris geras the Arabeans Geluc Genlut Fulcalhaileb the Italians Spoglia delle serpi and the Spanyards Pelle de la culebra About this Snakes skinne there is great difference among Authors some affirming it to be the very skinne Other that it is nothing but a kind of hard Leprosie growne vpon them during the Winter time vvhile they lye
apply very warme to the wound a Spiders web bruised with a vvhite Onion sufficient Salt and vineger will perfectlie cure it Guil Placentinus will warrant that a Plate of cold Iron laid vppon the wound or Lead steeped in vineger will doe the deed Gordonius counsell is to rub the place with sage and vineger and afterwards to foment it with water and vineger sod together Varignana would haue vs to apply Chalk in powder and invvardly to take the seedes of Mallovves boyled in vvine water and a little vineger Matthiolus much commendeth Sperage being beaten and wrought vp with Hony to annoint the place Likewise Flyes beaten and annointed on the place vvinter Sauoury VVater-cresses with oyle of Momerdica giue most speedie helpe Arnoldus Villanouanus assureth vs that any fresh earth especially Fullers earth is very auayleable and the herbe called Poley vsed as an vnguent or else Goats Milke And Marcellus Empiericus is not behinde his commendations for the vse of Bullockes dung to be applyed as a poulteisse to the stinged part These and many others any man ascribe that hath hadde but an easie tast of the infinity of Physickes speculation for the store-house of Nature and truely learned Physitions which way soeuer you turne you will Minister and giue sufficient store of alexyteriall medicines for the expulsing of this griefe In conclusion one and the selfe same medicament will serue indifferently for the curation of waspes Bees sauing that when we are stung with Waspes more forceable remedies are requyred and for the hurts that Bees doe vs then weaker and gentler are sufficient In the hundreth and nintith yeare before the byrth of our blessed Sauiour an infinite multitude of Waspes came flying into the Market place at Capua as Iulius witnesseth and lighted on the temple of Mars all which when with great regard diligence they were gathered together and solemnly burnt yet for all that they presignified the comming of an enemy and did as it were foretell the burning of the Citty which shortly after came to passe And thus much for the Historie of the Waspe OF HORNETS AHornet is called of the Hebrewes Tsirhah Of the Arabians Zabor and Zambor Of the Germans Ein hornauss Horlitz Froisln Ofertzwuble Of the Flemminges Horsele Of the French-men Trellons Troisons Foulons Of the Italians Calauron Crabrone Scaraffon and Galanron Of the Spaniards Tabarros ò Moscardos Of the Illirians Irssen Of the Slauonians Sierszen Of vs Englishmen Hornets great waspes The Graecians cal them Anthrénas and Anthrenoùs because with their sting they raise an Anthrar or Carbuncle with a vehement inflamation of the whole part about it The Latines call them Crabrones peraduenture of Crabra a Towne so named in the territory of Tusculanum where there is great plenty of them or it may be they are tearmed Crambrones of Caballus a horse of whom they are first engendered according to that of Ouid 15. Metamorphos Pressus humo bellator equus Crabronis origo est That is to say When war horse dead vpon the earth lies Then doth his flesh breed Hornet flyes Albertus tearmeth a Hornet Apis citrina that is a yellow or Orenge coloured Bee Cardan laboureth much to proue that dead Mules are their first beginners Plutarke is of opinion that they first proceed from the flesh of dead Horses as Bees do out of a Buls belly and I thinke that they haue their breeding from the harder more firme and solide parts of the flesh of Horses as Waspes do from the more tender or soft Hornets are twice so great as the common Waspes in shape and proportion of body much resembling one another They haue foure winges the inward not beeing halfe so large as the outward beeing all ioyned to their shoulders which are of a darke brownish and of a Chestnut-like colour these wings are the cause of their swift flight they haue also sixe feete of the same colour and hew that their breast and shoulders are of Their is somewhat long of the colour of Saffron their eyes and lookes are hanging or bending downewards crooked and made like a halfe Moone from which grow forth two peakes like vnto Sithes or two sickles nothing varying in colour frō their feet Their belly is as though it were tied to their shoulders with a very fine thred the forward and middle part whereof is ouercast with a browne colour begirt as it were with a girdle of Saffron The hinder part is altogether yellow easily discerned and remarkable for those eight browne pricks or specks euery one of them being much like vnto a small triangle besides they haue certain clefts or slits on both sides both before and behind by which they can at their pleasure when they list either shrinke vp themselues or draw and gather themselues together and with the same againe lengthen and stretch out their bodies They haue also neere to their belly on both sides foure blacke spots and in their taile they are armed with a strong piercing sting and the same very venomous They make a sound or a buzzing strange noyse more hydeous and dreadfull then waspes doe They are shrewd fierce and cruell quickly angry and wrathfull and although they liue in companies together yet notwithstanding they are euer known to be but of an homely rude curft and vntractable disposition and nature and will neuer be brought by any Art or fashioning to lay aside their vplandish wildenesse as some Herbes will doe that are transplanted into Gardens They are besides this of such a mischeeuous malignity and venemous quality that as some affirme nine of their stings will kill a man and three time nine will be able to kill a strong Horse especially at the rising of the Dog-star and after at which time they haue a more fiery hasty and inflaming nature and men at that season by reason of their large exaltation and sending forth of spirits grow more weake and faint And therefore it is no maruaile though in holy Scripture they are compared or likened to most fierce cruell enemies which should put cast forth the Cananites Hettites and Cheuits Exod. 23. 28. So likewise Ouid in the eleuenth Booke of his Metamorphos hath these words Spicula carbronum ardentia The burning stings of Hornets And Virgill in the fourth booke of his Georgiks calleth them Asperrima most sharp and violent Terence the most eloquent of all Comicall Poets in his Comedy intituled Phormio and Plautus in his Amphytrio haue this Prouerbe Irritaui crabrones I haue prouoked or incensed the great Waspes to anger which I suppose they vsed as a by-word against the properties natures and froward behauiours of women who beeing in their wonted sumish mood if once you go about to ouerthwart them or a little to contrary their wilfulnesse you shall pull an old house ouer your owne head by a further prouocation perhaps if you get you not the sooner out of their sight and reach of
this Serpents History They are brought out of the Easterne Countries or out of Aegypt yet the Monkes of Mesuen affirme that they had seene Scinkes or Crocodiles of the earth about Rome Syluaticus and Platearius in Apulia But howsoeuer their affections may lead them to coniecture of this serpent I rather beleeue that it is an Affrican beast seldome foūd in Asia or Europe They loue the bankes of Nilus although they dare not enter the water and for this cause some haue thought but vntruely that when the Crocodile layeth her egges in the water the young is there also engendered and hatched and is a Crocodile of the water but if they lay theyr egges on the dry Land from thence commeth the Scinke or Crocodile of the earth This folly is euidently refuted because that they neuer lay egges in the water but all vpon the dry Land They are found as I haue said before in Aegypt and also in Affricke and among the Lydians of Mauritania otherwise called Lodya or rather Lybia among the Pastorall or Plow-men Affricans among the Arabians and neere the red Sea for all those at this day solde at Venice are brought from those partes The greatest in the world are in India as Cardan teacheth who are in all thinges like Lizards sauing in their excrements which smell or sauour more strongly and generally the difference of their quantity ariseth from the Country which they inhabite for in the hotter and moyster country they are greater in the hotter dryer Region they are smaller generally they exceede not two or three cubits in length with an answerable proportionable body which is thus described There bee certaine crosse lines which come along the backe one by one somewhat white and of a dusky colour and those that be dusky haue also in them some white spots The vpper part of the necke is very dusky the head and the tayle are more white the feet and all the neather part of the breast and belly are white with appearance vpon them of some scales or rather the skinne figured in the proportion of scales vppon either feete they haue fiue distinct fingers or clawes the length of their Legges is a Thumbe and a halfe that is three inches the tayle two fingers long the body sixe so that the whole length from the head to the tippe of the tayle which is first thicke and then very small at the end is about eyght fingers When they haue taken them they bowell them and fill theyr bodies with Sugar and Silke of Wooll and so they sell them for a reasonable price That which I haue written of their length of eyght fingers is not so to bee vnderstood as though they neuer exceeded or came short of that proportion for some-times they are brought into these partes of the World twenty or foure and twenty fingers long sometimes againe not aboue fiue or sixe fingers long When they lay theyr Egges they commit them to the earth euen as the Crocodiles of the water doe They liue vpon the most odoriferous flowers and therefore is his flesh so sweete and his dung or excrements odoriferous They are enemies to Bees and liue much about Hiues insomuch as some haue thought they did lay their Egges in Hiues and there hatch their young ones But the occasion of this error was that they savve young ones brought by theyr Parents into some Hiue to feede vpon the labouring Bee For the compassing of theyr desire they make meale of any tree which they haue ground in the Mill of their owne mouths and that they mix with blacke Hellebor iuyce or with the liquor of Mallowes this meale so tempered they lay before the hiues wherof assoone as the Bees tast they dye and then commeth the Crocodile with her young ones and lick thē vp and beside Bees I doe not read they are hurtfull to any The Indians haue a little beast about the quantity of a little Dogge which they call Phattage very like to a Scinke or Crocodile of the Earth hauing sharp scales as cutting as a saw There is some hurt by this beast vnto men for which cause I may iustly reckon it among the venomous for if it chance to bite any man if the wounded man fall into a seuer before he make water he dyeth for it but if he first make water the beast dyeth and the man escapeth It is thought that it containeth a kind of naturall magicke witch-craft or sorcery and therefore they say it hath a stupifying power changing the mind from louc to hatred and from hatred to loue againe The powder of this Serpent drunke in Wine if it stirre venerous lust it hurteth the Nerues and sinnewes There be certaine magicall deuises raysed out of this Serpent which are not woorth the writing as not hauing in them any dram of wit learning or truth and therefore I will not trouble the Reader with them but follow on the conclusion of this Crocodiles story in the Narration of the medicinall vertues which are farre moe and more operatiue then those in the former Crocodile for I thinke Almighty GOD blesseth meekenes and innocency with excesse of grace in men and beastes as may be seene in these two kindes of Crocodiles the dung and excrement of the one beeing more worth then the body of the other through harmelesse innocency The body of this Serpent to be dryed after it hath line long in salt and to bee preserued in Noosewort as Ruellius and Marcellus write but truth is there is no need of Salt where Nosewort is applyed because the Arcrimony of this Hearb doth easily dry vp the moysture of the beast keeping Wormes from breeding in it With the powder thus prepared venerious men stirre vp their lustes Mithridate is called Diasincu because it is compounded of the Scinke or Crocodile of the earth and it containeth in it a most noble Antidote against all poysons Gallen had an Antidote against Scorptions which among other thinges containeth in it the flesh of a Crocodile of the Earth wherewithall he cured all them that had beene stung with Scorpions in Lybia It is also good agaynst the byting of mad beastes and pleurises against poysoned Hony or the crudity and loathing that commeth in the stomacke by eating of sound Honny It is profitable against empoysoned Arrowes or Dartes being taken immediately before or after the wound as Apelles hath obserued Serapio did make a medicine compounded of the dung of this Crocodile and applyed the same against the falling sicknesse Of the body of this Scinke except the head and the feete being sod or rosted and eaten by them that haue the Sciattica an old cough especially children or the paine of the loynes giueth them much ease They are also mixed with medicines against the paine of the feete as Galen did for Amarantus the Grammartan They are also good in medicine against the coldnesse of the sinnewes This beast is very hot and therefore increaseth the seede
of man and prouoketh lust and for this purpose the greatest and fattest such a one as is taken in the spring time when they burne in lust for copulation is preferred But this is not to be meant of the fleshy partes but onely of those partes that are about the reynes if a man drinke thereof the weight of a groat in Wine afterwardes for the alaying of the heate thereof the Physitions doe prescribe a decoction of Lentiles with Hony and the seede of Lettice drunke in Water The snout of this Crocodile with the feete drunke in white wine hath the same operation but we haue shewed already that these parts are to be cut offand throwne away because if there be any venome in the beast it lyeth in them A perfume being made of the body and intrals of this Crocodile vnder the wombe of a Woman labouring with child is thought to yeald much help for her safe speedy and easie trauaile or flockes of wooll perfumed therewith and layd to her belly But it is the part of good Physions to be very warie in giuing of medicines for stirring vp of lust in any except in marryed persons and then also when they are young to procure a lawfull issue and posterity in the world otherwise they shall both decay the body for all violent helpes of carnall copulation do in the end prooue detriments to nature if they continue any time and also they are hurtfull to the Soule when not onely the vnnaturall desire of lust but also the intemperate pleasure of sinne is increased thereby and that is a miserable cure which killeth the Soule to help one part of the body Besides all kinds of medicines for this purpose amongst which this Crococodile is the cheefe haue their pecuculier venome and when they are ministred either they haue no effect at all through age or ouermuch impotency or else they worke too violently which is most dangerous or some one hurt or other followeth the poyson and so I will leaue the prosecution of this part The dust of the skinne of this Crocodile being annoynted with Vineger or Oyle vpon any part or member which is to be cut off taketh away the sence of paine in the time of execution The bloud is good for the eyes and taketh away the filthy skinne of the body with the spots and burles in the face restoring the first true natiue and liuely colour The fat taketh away the paine in the reines and causeth a distillation of the seede of man yet this fatte touching the hayre of a man maketh it to fall off and a man annoynted heerewith is safe from the annoyance of Crocodiles although they play with him It also cureth the bytinges of Crocodiles the instillation of this Crocodile foulded vp in the wooll of a blacke Sheepe of the first birth and wherein is no other colour hath power to driue away a quartan Ague And Rasis saith that it beeing hung ouer the head of a woman being in trauaile keepeth her from deliuery In the gall of this Serpent there is a power against the falling off of the hayre especially if the medicine bee made of the rootes of Beetes to neese withall and besides the eyes beeing annoynted therewith and with Hony there is nothing more profitable against suffusions The stones reines haue power to prouoke generation and Aetius prescribeth an Antidote to bee made of the taile of this beast against the gout Great is the vertue of the dung or excrement of this Serpent if the same could be casily found but while it is sought for it looseth the vertue It is called Crocodillia and is profitable to giue a good colour to womens faces that is the best which is whitest short and not heauy feeling like Leauen betwixt the fingers that is smelling somewhat sharp like Leauen It is adulterated with Meale Chalke white-earth or painting but it is descerned by the heauinesse The reason of the vertue of this is because it feedeth vpon the sweetest best smelling Herbs whereby it commeth to passe that it doth not onely smell fragrantly but also containe in it many excellent vertues First therefore it is good for the comelinesse of the face to giue colour to it according to the saying of Horace Colorque stercore fucatus Crocodili A colour in-grained with the dung of a Crocodile and for this cause also is the verse of Ouid Nigrior ad pharij confugit picis opem That is The black Woman goeth to craue helpe of the Fish Pharius to become more beautifull for by the fish Pharius is vnderstood a Crocodile As some thinke eight graynes of this dung or rather the weight of eyght groates with halfe so much Mustard-seede and Vineger cureth the falling off of the haire Arnoldus doth prescribe a composition of the dung and Cantharides for the regenerating and bringing againe of haire that is decayed If a perfume hereof be made and infused by a Tunelli into the holes of Serpents it will driue them away by reason of the sharp and leauenish sauour thereof Tralianus maketh a medicine thereof for an Eye-salue against the whitenesse and bloud-shot-eyes It is good also against dimnesse and suffutions being annoynted with the iuyce of Leekes and to conclude it is drunk in sweetwine and Vineger against the falling sicknesse and also being applyed vnto women stirreth vp their monthly courses And thus much shall suffice for the story of the Crocodile OF THE DART AMong the diuers kindes of Serpents there is one of speciall note which the Graecians call Acontia The Latines Iaculares or Iaculi or Sagitta a Dart or Arrow The Graecians at this day Saetta The Turkes Orchilanne In Calabria and Sicilia Saettone and of the Germans Ein schossz oder angelsch lang The reason of this name is taken from his swift leaping vpon a man to wound and kill him and therfore the Poets say Iaculique volucres speaking of these kindes of Serpentes Albertus and Auicen also calleth them Cafezati and Cafezaci Altararat Acoran and Altinanti The manner of this Serpent is to get vp into trees or hedges and from thence to flie like an Arrow vpon the vpper partes of men and so to sting bite and kill them and of this kind it is thought that was which came vpon the hand of the Apostle Paule whereof the Poet writeth Ecce procul sauus sterilis robore tunci Torsit immisit Iaculum vocat Africa serpens Perque caput Pauli transactaque tempora fugit Nil ibi virus agit rapuit cum vulnere fatum Deprensum est quaefunda rotat quà m lenta volorent Quà m segnis Scythicae strideret arundinis aer In English thus Loe from a farre a cruell Serpent from an Oke Came flying like a Dart in Affrica the same A Dart is cald the head and Temples stroke Of Paule by winding spires to worke his bane But nothing could the poyson there auaile For with the wound he put away his death Faster then swiftest flye or
Toades both of the earth and of the water are venomous although it be held that the toades of the earth are more poysonfull then the toades of the water except those Toades of the water which doe receiue infection or poyson from the water for some waters are venomous But the toades of the Land which doe descend into the Marshes and so liue in both elements are most venomous and the hotter the Country is the more full are they of poyson The Women-witches of auncient time which killed by poysoning did much vse Toades in their confections which caused the Poet in his verses to write as followeth Occurrit Matrona potens quae molle Calenum Porrectura viro miscet sciente rubetam Which may be englished thus There came a rich Matron who mixed Calen wine With poyson of Toades to kill her spouse ô deadly crime And againe in another place Funus promittere patris nec volo nec possum Ranarum in viscera nunquam inspexi In English thus I can nor will of Fathers death a promise make For of Toades poyson I neuer yet a view did take When an Aspe hath eaten a Toade their byting is incurable and the Beares of Pamphylia and Sylitia beeing killed by men after that they haue eaten Salamanders or toades doe poyson their eaters We haue said already that a toade hath two liuers although both of them are corrupted yet the one of them is said to be full of poyson and the other to resist poyson The byting of a Toade although it be sildome yet it is venomous and causeth the body to swell and to breake eyther by Impostumation or otherwise against which is to be applyed common Antidotes as womens milke Triacle rootes of Seaholme and such other things The spettle also of Toades is venomous for if it fall vpon a man it causeth all his hayre to fall off from his head against this euill Parâ—â—elsus prescribeth a plaister of earth mixed with the spettle of a man The common-people doe call that humour which commeth out of the buttocks of a Toade when she swelleth the vrine of a Toade and a man moystned with the same bepissed with a Toade but the best remedy for this euill is the 〈◊〉 of a woman 〈◊〉 as it resembleth the poyson in colour so doth it resist it in nature The bodies of toades â—…and so drunke in Wine after they be beaten to powder are a most strong poyson against which and all other such poyson of Toades it is good to take Plantine and blacke Hollybore Sea-crabs dryed to powder and drunke the stalkes of dogges-tongue the powder of the right-horne of a Hart the melt spleene and hart of a Toade Also certaine fishes called Shell-crabbes the blood of the Sea-Torteyse mixed with wine Cummin and the rennet of a Hare Also the blood of a Torteyse of the Land mixed with Barley-meale the quintessence of Triacle oyle of Scorpions all these things are very pretions against the poyson of Serpents and Toades We haue promised in the story of the Frogge to expresse in this place such remedies as the learned Phisitians haue obserued for the cure of the poyson of Frogges First therefore the poyson of the Frogge causeth swelling in the body depelleth the colour 〈◊〉 eth difficultie of breathing maketh the breath strong and an involuntary profusion of seede with a generall dulnes and restines of body for remedy whereof let the partie be inforced to vomit by drinking sweet-wine and two drams of the powder of the roote of Reedes or Cypresse Also he must be inforced to walking and running besides daily washing But if a Feauer follow the poyson or burning in the extremities let the vomit be of water and oyle or wine and pitch or let him drinke the blood of a Sea-Torteyse mixed with Cummine and the rennet of a Hare or els sweat in a Furnace or hote-house a long time besides many other such like remedies which euery Phisitian both by experience and reading is able to minister in cases of necessitie and therefore I will spare my further paines from expressing them in this place and passe on to the medicinall vertues of the Toade and so conclude this history We haue shewed already that the Toade is a cold creature and therefore the same sod in water and the body annoynted there-with causeth hayre to fall off from the members so annoynted There is a medicine much commended against the Gowte which is this Take sixe pound of the rootes of Wilde-cucumber sixe pound of sweet oyle of the marrow of Harts Turpentine and Waxe of eyther sixe ounces and sixe Toades aliue the which Toades must be bored through the foote and hanged by a thred in the oyle vntill they grow yellow then take them out of the oyle by the threds and put into the said oyle the slyced roote of Cucumber and there let it seeth vntill all the vertue be left in the oyle Afterwards melt the Waxe and Turpentine and then put them altogether in a glasse so vse them morning and euening against the Gowte Sciatica and paines of the sinewes it hath beene seene that they which haue lyen long sicke haue beene cured thereof and growne perfectly wel able to walke Some haue added vnto this medicine oyle of Saffron Opobalsamum blood of Torteyses oyle of Sabyne Swynes-greace Quicksiluer oyle of Bayes For the scabbes of horses they take a Toade killed in wine and water and so sodde in a brazen vessell and afterwards annoynt the horse with the liquour thereof It is also saide that Toades dryed in smoake or any peece of them carried about one in a lynnen-cloath doe stay the bleeding at the nose And this Fredericke the Duke of Saxonie was wont to practise in this maner he had euer a Toade pierced through with a peece of wood which Toade was dried in the smoake or shadow this he roled in a lynnen cloth and when hee came to a man bleeding at the nose he caused him to hold it fast in his hand vntill it waxed hote and then would the blood be stayed Whereof the Phisitians could neuer giue any reason except horrour and feare constrained the blood to runne into his proper place through feare of a beast so contrary to humane nature The powder also of a toade is said to haue the same vertue according to this verse Buffâ— vstus sistit naturae dote cruorem In English thus A Toade that is burned to Ashes and dust Stayes bleeding by gift of Nature iust The skinne of a Toade and shell of a Torteyse either burned or dryed to powder cureth the Fistulaes Some adde heere-vnto the roote of Laurell and henne-dunge salt oyle of Mallowes The eyes of the Toade are receiued in oyntment against the wormes of the belly And thus much shal suffice to haue spoken of the history of the toade forgs OF THE GREENE SERPENT IN Valois there are certaine Greene-serpents which of their colour are called Grunling and I take
to drinke Wine abundantly Theophrastus and Asclepiades doe write that many are cured by the sound of good Musicke as the like is already shewed in the cure of the poyson of the Phalangium and no maruaile for Ismenias the Theban affirmeth that he knew many in Baeotia that were cured of the Sciatica by hearing of the musicall sound of a good pype Of the Medicines which may be made of the Uiper THe eating of Vipers is an admirable remedie against the Leprosie And beeing prepared after that sort as was mentioned immediatly before in the former Section they are ministred to the sicke person sitting in the sunne yet his head must be well couered or shadowed Neither indeed to eate Vipers once alone or twice is sufficient but it must be done often sith it is without danger and moreouer bringeth great commoditie And let the Vipers be new and taken out of moist places for those which are bred neere the Sea are very thirstie and dry The broth also of sod Vipers is for such persons good supping meate The flesh of Vipers is in temperature apparantly hot and dry and purgeth the whole body by sweat here-vppon many sore tormented with Leprosie by eating and drinking them haue beene cured Auerroes saith the flesh of Tyrus clenseth Leprosie because it driueth the matter thereof to the skinne and therefore they that drinke it fall first into the passion of Tyria that is the pilling of the skinne and after are cured of it Chuse the Vipers of the Mountaine especially beeing white and cut off their heads tayles at once very speedily and then if the issue of blood be plentifull and they continue aliue and wallow to and fro a long time these are good After their beheading let them be made cleane and sod and let the diseased party eate of them and of their broath And by the drinking of wine wherein a Viper dyeth or liueth certaine haue beene cured accidentally or by an intent to kill them The Leaper must first drinke the broth of Vipers decocted in manner as afore-saide then let him eate the flesh no otherwise then as mutton or fowles which daily men dine with but fasting and in the morning this flesh must be eaten halfe a Viper at once and some-time a whole viper according to the strength of the partie diseased After the eating whereof hee must not eate or drinke in the space of sixe houres but if hee doe sweat it is most expedient that in his sweat hee looke to himselfe very carefully And the skinne is wont to flca off from the Leaper as it vsually befalleth Serpents A man may easily see the flesh of Viders to be hot and dry when they are dressed as Eâ—les And that they purge the whole body thorow the skinne thou mayest learne euen by those things which my selfe beeing a young man had experience of in our Countrey of Asia which things seuerally and in order I shall relate A certaine man infected with the disease which men call Elephas that is Leprosie for a time conuersed still with his companions till by his company conuersation some of them were infected with the contagion of the disease and hee now became lothsome to smell and filthy to sight Building therefore a cottage for him neere the Village on the top of a banke hard by a fountaine there they place this man and daily bring to him so much meate as was sufficient to sustaine life But at the rising of the Dog-starre when by good hap Reapers reaped not farre from that place very fragrant wine was brought for them in an earthen vessell he that brought it set it downe neere the Reapers and departed but when the time was come that they should drinke it a young man taking vp the vessell that according to their maner hauing filled a boule hee might mingle the Wine with a competent measure of water hee poured the Wine into the boule and together with the Wine fell out a dead Viper Wherefore the Reapers amazed thereat and fearing least if they dranke it they should receiue some harme thereby chose rather indeed to quench their thirst by drinking vvater but when they departed thence of humanitie in pietie gaue the wine to this Leper supposing it to be better for him to die then to liue in that misery Yet hee when hee had drunke it in a wonderfull manner was restored to his health for all the scurfe of his skinne fell off as the shalles of tender shelled creatures and that which remained appeared very tender as the skinne of Crabs or Locusts when their outward shell is taken away Another example by a chaunce not much vnlike hapned in Mysia a Country of Asia not farre from our Cittie A certaine Leper went to wash himselfe in Spring-water hoping thereby to receiue some benefit Hee had a maid-seruaunt a very fayre young woman importuned by diuers suters to her the sicke man committed both certaine other things pertaining to the house also the store-house When they therefore were gone into the roome to which a filthy place and full of Vipers adioyned by chaunce one of theÌ„ fell into a vessell of Wine there negligently left and was drowned The mayd esteeming that a benefit which Fortune offered filled that Wine to her maister and hee dranke it and there-by in like sort as he that liued in the cottage was cured These are two examples of experiment by casuall occasion Moreouer I will adde also a third which proceeded from our imitation When one was sicke of this disease in mind more then the common sort philosophicall and despising death tooke it exceeding grieuously and said it were better once to suffer death then to liue so miserable a life and drinking wine so mingled with poyson he became a Leper and afterward wee cured his Leprosie by our accustomed medicines Also a fourth man tooke Vipers aliue but that man had onely the beginning of this disease therefore our care and industry was very speedily to restore him to health wherfore hauing let him blood and by a medicine taken away melancholy wee bad him vse the Vipers he had taken beeing prepared in a pot after the manner of Eeles And he was thus cured the infection euaporating thorow the skinne Lastly also a certaine other man very rich not our Country-man but of the middle of Thracia admonished by a dreame came to Pergamus where God commaunded him by a dreame that hee should daily drinke the medicine which was made of Vipers and outwardly he should annoynt his body and not many dayes after his disease became the Leprosie And againe also this infirmitie was afterward cured by the medicines which God commaunded Matthew Grady fedde Chickins and Capons with the broth and flesh of Vipers mingled with bread till they cast theyr feathers purposing by them to cure the Leprosie A certaine Noble-woman in this Citty infected with this malady the Leprosie after diuers infortunate attempts of many came to
morall such are crafty and polliticke Princes and people yet Moses shoulde take them as he did his Serpent by the tayle and cause them to bende vnto him like as it were a wand or else some other little walking staffe and also that his power should be vnresistable because his Serpent deuoured others The Magitians or Sorcerers as Iannes Iambres resisted him and also turned their rods into Serpents But Moses did it by true pietie they by diabolicall delusions as false Christians many times worke miracles by outward signes of true pietie and therefore Moses rodde ouer-came the Sorcerers Serpents because the end of fraude and falshood is to be ouercome by truth pietie From this changing of rods into Serpents came the seuerall metamorphosing of sundry other things into Serpents also as that tale of Orpheus head after he was torne in pecces by the Thrasian women and the same throwne into a Riuer was taken vp in Lemnos The Poet describeth it thus Hic ferus exposito peregrinis anguis arenis Os petit spar sos stillanti rore capillos Lambit hymniferos inhiat diuellere vultus Tandem Phoebus adest morsusque inferre parantem Arcet in Lapidem rictus Serpentis apertos Congelat patulos vt erant indurat hiatus In English thus No sooner on the forraine coast now cast a-land they were But that cruell natur'd Snake did straight vpon them fly And licking on his ruffled haire the which was dropping dry Did gape to tyre vpon those lippes that had beene wont to sing The heauenly hymnes But Phoebus straight preuenting that same thing Dispoints the Serpent of his baite and turnes him into stone With gaping chaps c. So Isacius Tzetzes writeth that when Tiresia found Serpents in carnall copulation in Cithaeron he slew a femall who presently after death was turned into a Woman then also he slew a male who likewise beeing dead was in the same place and manner turned into a man When Cadmus was sent by his Father to seeke out his sister Europa that vvas rauished by Iupiter with straight charge not to returne backe againe except he could finde her hauing spent much time in seeking her to no purpose because he could not find her and not daring to goe backe againe to his father hee was warned by the Oracle that hee should goe into Baeotia to build a Cittie Comming thether he sent his companions to the Fountaine of Mars that was in the Countrey to fetch water where a great Serpent came and killed them at the last Cadmus not finding their returne went likewise to the same Fountaine where he found all his men slaine and the Serpent approching to assaile him but he quickly killed it Afterward he was admonished by Pallas to strew the teeth of the same Serpent vppon the ground which he performed and then out of those teeth saith Ouid arose a multitude of Armed-men who instantly fell to fight one with the other in such cruell and bloodie manner that at the last there were but fiue of them all left aliue which fiue by the will of Pallas were preserued to be the Fathers of the people of Thebes And so Apollonius faineth that with the helpe of men bred of Serpents teeth came Iason to obtaine the Golden-Flecce They faine also that Achelous when hee stroue with Hercules about Deianira turned himselfe into diuers shapes and last of all into a Serpent or as some say into a Riuer So likewise Cadmus afore-said beeing ouer-come with the sight and sence of his owne miseries and the great calamities that befell to his Daughters Nephewes forsooke Thebes and came into Illyrium where it is said that hee earnestly desired of the Gods to be turned into a Serpent because a Serpent was the first originall of all his extremities Antipater faineth Iupiter to be turned into a Serpent and Medusa refusing the loue of Neptune is also fained by Ouid to be turned into a Serpent when he writeth Hanc pelagi rector templo vitiasse Minerua Dicitur aversus est castos Aegide vultus Nata Iouis texit neue hoc impune fuisset Gorgoneum crinem turpes mutauit in Hydros Nunc quoque vt attonitos formidine terreat hostes Pectore in aduerso quos fecit sustinet angues In English thus It is reported how she should abusde by Neptune be In Pallas Church from which fowle fact Ioues daughter turnd her eie And least it should vnpunisht be she turnd her seemely haire To loathsome Snakes the which the more to put her foes in feare Before hir breast continually she in her hand doth beare Pierius writeth that the myrtle rod was not lawfull to be brought into the Temple of Necates and that a Vine braunch was extended ouer the head of her signe and whereas it was not lawfull to name wine they brought it into her Temple vnder the name of milke and that therein continually liued harmelesse Serpents The reason of al this was because that her owne father Faunus fell in loue with her whom she resisted with al modesty although she were beaten with a myrtle rodde and made to drinke Wine but at last the beastly father was transformed into a serpent and then hee oppressing her with the spyres of his winding body rauished her against her minde These and such like stories and Fables are extant about the beginninges of serpents all which the Reader may consider to stirre vp his minde to the earnest and ardent meditation of that power that of stones can make men of Rocks water of water wine and of small roddes great serpents Then thus hauing expressed the originall of serpentes in their creation it followeth now to adde the residue of this Chapter about their generacion It is a generall rule that all beasts wanting feet and haue long bodies performe their worke of carnall copulation by a mutuall embracing one of the other as Lampreys and serpentes And it is certaine that two serpents in this action seeme to be one body and two heads for they are so indiuisibly vnited and conioyned together and the frame of their body is altogither vnapt for any other manner of copulation When they are in this action they send forth a ranke sauour offensiue to the sence of them that doe perceiue it And although like vnto many Fishes they want stones yet haue they two open passages wherin lyeth their generatiue seed and which being filled procureth them to their veneriall lust the seede it selfe being like a milky humour and when the female is vnder the male she hath also her passages to receiue the seed as it were into the celles of hir wombe and there it is framed into an egge which she hideth in the earth an hundred in a cluster about the quantity of a Birdes egge or a great bead such as are vsed sometime by women And this is generall for all serpents except Vipers who lay no egges but hatch in their wombes their young ones as
bodie If you take the dryed skinne and lay it vppon the tooth on the inner side it will mittigate the paine thereof specially if it proceede from any hote cause In like sort the same skinne washed with spettle and with a little peece of the taile laid vppon any Impostume or Noli me tangere it will tame and master the paine causing it to putrefie more easilie and gentlie and scarcely leauing behind any cicatrise or skarre And if a woman beeing in extremitie of paine in child-birth do but tye or bind a peece of it on her belly it will cause the birth immediatly to come away So the skinne beeing boyled and eaten performeth the same effects that the Serpent doth The blood of a Serpent is more precious then Balsamum and if you annoynt your lips with a little of it they will looke passing redde and if the face be annoynted there-with it will receiue no spot or fleck but causeth it to haue an orient and beautifull hue It represseth all scabbinesse of the body stinking in the teeth and gummes if they be there-with annointed The fat of a serpent speedily helpeth all rednes spots other infirmities of the eyes and beeing annoynted vpon the eye-liddes it cleereth the eyes exceedingly Item put them into a glassed spot and fill the same with Butter in the Month of May then lute it well with paste that is Meale well kneaded so that nothing may euaporate then sette the pot on the fire and let it boyle wel-nigh halfe a day after this is done straine the Butter through a cloth and the remainder beate in a morter and straine it againe and mixe them together then put them into water to coole so reserue it in siluer or golden boxes that which is not cuaporated for the older the better it is and so much the better it will be if you can keepe it fortie yeeres Let the sicke patient who is troubled eyther with the Goute or the Palfie but annoynt himselfe often against the fire with this vnguent and without doubt he shall be freed especially if it be the Goute All these prescriptions and directions were taken from the writings of a certaine namelesse Author Hippocrates saith that a Hart or Stagge hauing eaten any Serpents the wormes in their guttes are thereby expelled And Absyrtus hath the same words that Harts by eating of a Serpent doc kill and expell wormes from their guttes Hierocles to a certaine medicine which he prepared for the Strangulion in a horse mingled the dung of a Lyzard Stèar herpetou that is as I interpret it the fat of a serpent the blood of a Doue c. Laurence Rusius saith that it is good to giue the flesh and decoction of Serpents to madde beating and striking horses And that the fatte of a Serpent c. doth cure the puffing or swellings that arise in horses backs which come by meanes of any compression or close sitting and thrusting downe Item the vnguent that droppeth from a Serpent whilst he is rosted on a spit is highlie commended for Fistuloes that are in horses hoofes Galen and Rasius doc counsell vs to cut in peeces a snake or serpent and to lay the fat there of vpon a sticke and to annoint the outward parts of the hoofe of any horse Horseleaches liue Mise the greene Lyzard being burned if they be giuen to a Hawke in her meate they do cause a speedie mutation of her feathers or wings and the same effect haue little Riuer-fishes finely beaten or stamped if they be cast vpon any meate Item the Serpent that is speckled and of diuers and sundry colours of all others hath the least poyson and in the German tongue it is called Huf peraduenture it is that which we call a snake if I say you take this serpent and boyle it with Wheate and giue the same Wheate to a Henne to feede vpon beeing mingled amongst her meate and drinke with the venim of a Serpent a Hawke beeing fedde with the flesh of such a Henne forth-with casteth her sicke feathers and is freed from any other disease if she haue any at all as Albertus saith The old skinne of an Adder or Snake that he casts off in the Spring-time if it be rubbed vpon the eyes cleereth the sight as Pliny saith And Galen biddeth vs if any be troubled with blood-shotten eyes to take the old cast-skinne of serpents being beaten with Sea-water ' to annoynt them there-withall And Cardan saith that the cast-skin of a snake if the eyes be rubbed there-with euery morning that they will neuer be very dim of sight nor yet euer haue any pinne or webbe in them Amongst compositions that are made for the eyes they vse to mixe the cast-skinne of snakes as Diocles affirmeth adding further that the old age or cast-skinne of a snake beeing boyled in vvine is an excellent helpe for paine in the eares if a little thereof be dropped into them Boyle the cast skinne of a snake with toppes of Poppy and droppe a little thereof into the cares if any be troubled vvith paine thereof and this is an excellent remedy as Galen in his third Booke De Composit medicam sec loca hath taught vs hauing himselfe learned the same from Archigenes The cast-skinne of serpents being burned in a pot or on a hot burning tyle-shard if it be mingled with oyle of Roses and so dropt into the eares is prooued to be very effectuall against all sores and sicknesses of the eares but especially against the stinking sauour of them or if they be puralent or full of matter then to be mixt with vineger Some vse to mingle Bulls gall there-with and the iuyce of the flesh of Torteises beeing boyled Marcellus saith that if you take the gall of a Calfe with a like quantitie of Vineger and mixe them with the cast-skinne of a serpent if then you dippe a little vvooll into this medicine and put it into the eare that it helpeth very much especially if with a spunge being soked in warme-warme-water you first foment the eare Dioscorides and Galen doe affirme that the cast-skinne of a serpent if it be boyled in Wine doth cure the tooth-ach if the pained place be washed there-with But yet in intollerable paines of the teeth this is prooued more singuler Take the cast-skinne of a Serpent and burne it then temper it with oyle till it come to the thicknes or consistence of hard Hony and couer the tooth being first scoured and clensed there-with annoynting all the neere places to the same and put some of it into the hollownes of the tooth And as Archigenes saith if you lay the cast-skinne of a snake vnto the teeth not beeing burnt they will all fall out It cureth likewise the lowsie euill called Phthiriasis And Galen prescribeth this cast-skin of snakes or serpents for a remedie against the Cholick if it be put into a brasse pot with some oyle and so burnt to powder if then it be dissolued in oyle and the
rather that hennes or young birds beeing of a very hot nature and complexion doe easilie concoct and disgest notable poyson and their stomacks do consume most dry hard seedes which the strongest man liuing cannot doe which may easily also be prooued by this argument that many times by their rauening they swallowe downe sand and little stones which they doe easily dissolue and their croppes very soone discharge without any offence to them at all And therefore the spirits of an invenomed person beeing helped and refreshed with the liuely and strong naturall heate of these fowles thus applyed and receiuing and acquiring strength from the part wounded and so hastily leaping out as it were and quickly sparkling forth they doe expell shut and draw out the poyson Now after we haue described the generall method of curing this mischieuous euill we will now descend to particular remedies obseruing euer this rule order that first I will speake of such meanes as are topicall or such as are outwardly applyed and next of such as be taken inwardly and in both of them I will first describe compound before I speake of simple medicaments This one lesson you must carry with you that many remedies are prescribed and set downe which be not onely good for the bytings of serpents but also for the bitings and stingings of all other venomous creatures as namely of Scorpions Tarantulaâ—s Spyders and the like But yet sith these doe properly respect Serpents I vvill in this place first sette them downe beginning first according to my promise with such compounded Medicines as are applyed outwardly for helpe against the stinging of Serpents Theriaca Andromachi applyed plaister-wise is notable for this purpose So there bee other vehement strong plaisters whose vertue is to attract expell and discusse venime of which are those which are made of Salt Niter Mustard-seede and Rosemary-seedes Dittanie or Dittander and the roote of Chamaeleon and this that followeth is of singuler vertue Take of the scumme froth or spume of siluer one pound Ceruse and of the best Turpentine of either as much as of the former old oyle three pounds waxe sixe ounces Ammoniacum Thymiama foure ounces and of Galbanum as much boyle the Ceruse the scumme of siluer and the oyle so long that they will not cleaue vnto the hands then melting the other ingredients incorporate them all together and vse them when neede is for any bytings c. There is an Emplaister fathered vpon one Epigonus bearing his name for this Epigonus beeing in close prison and condemned to die for reuealing this Medicine had his pardon granted him and was freely discharged because he there-with healed the daughter of the Emperour Marcus for beeing sorely wounded by a Serpent in her breast and all other Phisitians dispayring of helpe yet with this shee was recouered It is also good for all new and old Vlcers and for such as are either bytten by men or by any kinde of venomous creeping wormes and serpents Take of Squamma aeris which is the scales and offall of Brasse blowne from it in melting of Ammoniacum Aloes hepatica Verdegrease of Aes vstum of Frankinsence Sal ammoniacum Aristolochia rotunda of euery one halfe an ounce Turnep-seedes three scruples of the roote of Dragonwort halfe an ounce seedes of Mugwoort nine scruples pure wax fiue pound of Colophonia one pound old oyle three ounces sharp Vinegar halfe a spoonefull Mustard-seede three scruples Spodium nine scruples Stone-Allom and Opopanax of either halfe an ounce Infuse the metalline ingredients for three dayes space in Vineger and beate and powder them together melting those that are to be melted then sprinkle on those that are dry and all of them being throughly wrought and made vp according to the form of an Emplaister vse them where necessitie requireth Antonius Fumanellus a late Phisitian prescribeth an experimented and as hee calleth it a diuine oyle against any poyson taken into the body or the byting of any venomous beasts and serpents whether it be receiued inwardly by drinking it downe or annoynted outwardly vpon the body this is it that followeth Take of oyle of Oliues one pound the flowers and the leaues of the herb called S. Iohnswort brused boyle them for the space of three houres and straine them then boyle againe other fresh flowers and leaues of the same herbe and straine them hard and doe so againe the third time then adde to them of the rootes of Gentian and Tormentill of eyther one ounce boyle and straine them as you did before and reserue this oyle for your vse Andreas Matthiolus in his Commentaries vpon Dioscorides doth exceedingly coÌ„mend oyle of Scorpions because beeing annoynted vpon the pulses outwardlie it is as hee affirmeth a singuler remedie not onely against any poyson taken inwardlie into the bodie by the mouth but for the bytinges and stinginges of any venomous creature whatsoeuer The way to prepare and make it he describeth at large in his Praeface vpon the sixt book of Dioscorides which I thinke needlesse heere to describe to auoyde tediousnes therefore if any one be desirous to know the composition of it let him read Matthiolus in the place before cyted Vnquenched Lyme mixeth with Honnie and oyle and applied to the place the thick-nes of a cerote is good against the wounds that come by any venomous beastes byting Now I thinke it meete to set downe those simple medicaments which are outwardlie to be applied eyther by laying on or by annointing against the sting and venomous byting of Serpents It is best first to foment the sore place with hote vinegar wherein Catmint hath been boyled and in stead of Vineger one may take salt-Salt-water or Sothern-wood Maidenhaire and Garlick either in drinke meate or to be vsed as an oyntment The roote of Aram of Astrologe the leaues of the true Daffadill and oyle of Balme is most effectuall also Beellium and the roote either of the white or black Beete is good against the bytings of Serpents Betonie Coleworts especiallie the Wild-coleworts Calamint the leaues of the wild Figge-tree Centorie Onions Germander Chamaeleon the herbe called Fleabane wilde Carrets Rocket Heath Fennell Figges Winter-cherries Enula Campana Barly-meale the Day-lilly Hisop the Flower-deluce-roote Horehound Balme Water-cresses Basill Origan Plantine Leekes Turneps Madder Rue Verven Mustard-seede Scabiose and S. Iohnswort all these plants are greatlie praised amongst the Writers of Phisick for the mischiefes abouesaid Pliny is of opinion that the bowels or entralls of Serpents themselues beeing applyed will surelie cure the wounds of all other Serpents although they seeme incurable A liue serpent beeing caught if it be brused beaten and stamped in water and the hurt place fomented there-with will assuredlie helpe and doe much ease Quae nocuit serpens fertur caput illius aptè Vulneribus jungi sanat quae sauciat ipsa Vt Larissea curatus Telephus hosta Qu. Serenus Which may be thus englished What Serpent hurteth men say by long experience His
à terra from the earth which it vseth or of ater blacke which is the colour that it beareth or from atrox fierce for there is no serpent of that quantitie more fierce angry or hurtfull as well as nadere from natrix The Latines doe expresse this kind of serpent by the word Coluber whereof some giue sundry reasons either because colit vmbras it haunteth and liueth in hedges shadowye places or els à lubricis tractibus of his winding pace or path Gelenius deriueth it of the Greeke word Râ—lobouros which signifieth wanting a tayle because the snakes which are about houses are sometimes found without tayles which haue been strooke off my men but this opinion hath no reason for the Adder which is not domesticall Indeede I confesse that Pliny vseth Coluber for a generall word for serpents when he saith Coluber in aqua viuens which deceiued Theophrâ—stus Gaza applying it to the water Serpent And so Erasmus and others translate Ophis coluber that is the generall greeke word for a Serpent an Adder There is also Colubra as in Lucilius Varro Nonius Marcellinus appeareth wherevnto agree Horace Virgill and Cornelius Celsus The Italians call this serpent Lo Scorzone scorsoni Colubra la scorzonara la scorsona The French Colenure The Spanyards Culebra and at this day the Grecians Nerophis And thus much for the name except I may adde these verses of Virgill in his Georgicks Aut tecta assuetus Coluber succedere vmbrae Pestis acerba boum pecâ—rique aspergere virus Fouit humum Cape saxa manu cape robora pastor Tollentemque minas sibila colla tumentem Deijce iamque fuga tumidum caput abdidit altè Cum medij nexus extremaque agminae caudae Solvuntur turdosque trahit sinus vltimas orbes In English thus Or when the Adder vsing house or shade Bred in the earth the bane of sheepe and neate Then shepheard take both stone in hand and blade To quash his swelling necke and hissing threat Or when his fearefull heà d he puts full deepe in earth To flye thy wrath him sunder in the midst Or cut his tayle if no part els appeareth For that will stay his pace while on 't thou treadest This is vsuall to call a water-Adder a house-Adder a Land-snake and such other but catachrestically confounding one kind with another And thus much for the name of this Serpent The parts differ not from the generall description before recited it is long like an Eeele and hath many Epithets as virides colubri greene Adders long rough venomous diuers coloured swelling slyding winding blew terrible secret hurtfull Medusaean Cyniphian Gorgonean Lybissine biting spotted wreathing black bending heauy scalie and diuers such other as the Gramarians haue obserued But concerning the colour hereof it is most commonly blacke on the backe sometimes greenish and yellowish The scales of it are more sharpe then of the Snake therefore the Egyptians were wont to say of the Thebane Adders that they had a certaine appearance of hornes vppon them as we shall shew more at large in the story of Cerastes or the horned serpent Victorius speaking of the great wormes which are bred in mens bellies doth call them Caecas Colubras blind Adders but otherwise the Adder which is proper to the earth is not blind but seeth as sharply as any other serpent either by day or by night They are hoter then the snakes and therefore liue more in the shadowes and lye for the most part round folded vp together like a rope as the Poet noteth saying Hirtus vt coluber nodoso gramine tectus Ventre cubat flexo semper collect us in orbem In English thus As the rough Adder in knotty grasse is couered Lyeth on her belly and round in circle gathered They are a craftie subtill venomous beast biting suddenly them that passe by them wherevpon Iacob said that his sonne Dan should be Coluber in via an Adder byting the horse heeles When she hath bitten with her forked or twisted tongue shee infuseth her poyson vvhereof and the remedy seming there-vnto there is this history in Ambrosius Paraeus At what time saith he Charles the ninth lay at Melines I and Doctor Le Feure the Kings Phisitian were sent for to cure a certaine Cooke of the Lady Castropersees who was bitten by an Adder as he was gathering wilde Hops in a hedge The Cooke as soone as he was bitten in the hand sucked the wound with his mouth thinking therby to mittigate the paine and draw out againe the poyson but as soone as his tongue touched the wound presently it so swelled that he could not speake and besides is arme or shoulder swelled into a high bunch or tumour which did put him vnto painfull torments insomuch that he swounded twice in our presence his face and colour changed as though he would presently die Whereat we all despayred to cure him yet did not forsake him nor left to try some meanes to ease his torments Then wee washed his tongue with Triacle mixed with an equall proportion of white vvine and Aqua vitae then also I caused the arme to be scarified all ouer and launced the place where the Adder had bitten him out of which flowed abundance of corrupt mattery blood Then we washed the vvound with Triacle and Mithridate in Aqua vitae so we caused him to be layd into a warme bedde there to svveat and commaunded to keepe him awake which was done accordingly and so the next day the swelling was abated the malignant symptomes were all euacuated so we gaue order to keepe the vvound or launced place open afterward the Cooke began to be well againe This one example in stead of many I thought good to insert into this place that hereby the generall cure may be learned and followed It agreeth with all other serpents in the changing or putting off the skin for after that by fasting it hath made his flesh low and abated then by slyding thorough a narrow passage whereof Virgill thus writeth Qualis vbi in lucem coluber mala gramina pastus Lubrica conuoluit sublato pectore targa Frigida sub terra tumidum quem bruma tegebat Arduus ad solem linguis micat ore trisulcis Nunc positis nouus exuuijs intidusque iuventa Which may be englished thus Euen as the Adder in the spring ill fedde and leane Moueth her winding limbes holding vp her brest Whom winters cold whiles hyd in earth made swell In sunne-shine with her treble tongue exprest Doth licke and make to shine her skinne neate youth Renueth and casts old coate for heate ensueth S. Ierom saith that when the Adder is thirstie and goeth to drinke she first of all at the water side casteth vp her venome least that by drinking it descend into her bowels and so destroy herselfe but after that she hath drunke she licketh it vp againe euen as a souldiour re-armed after he was disarmed The voyce of
this serpent is hissing although it be verie seldome heard And it is said that when Craesus vndertooke to wage vvarre with Cyrus the suburbes of Sardis vvere all filled with Adders which vvere deuoured aftervvard by horses in the pastures Whereat the King and people vvere not a little moued But the Priestes after consultation with the Oracle tolde them that it signified howe strangers should deuoite the people of that Cittie because that Adders were bred in those coastes therefore they tooke them to signifie naturall inhabitants and because horses came from other Countries therefore strangers as Cyrus and his souldiours should be thereby signified And this is to be noted that the enemies of this serpent are the same that are common to other and the Hart aboue all other beasts of the earth Yet this Serpent saith S. Ambrose will kill a Lyon runne away from a Hart. ¶ The Medicines arising out of this beast are briefely these The water wherein an Adder is preserued aliue is a remedy against the poyson of a Toade Also Adders or Vipers included in a pot with the scrapings of Vines and therein burnt to ashes do help the vvennes or Kings-euill And Pliny also affirmeth that if a man which hunteth Crocodils beate about him any part of the fatte of an Adder or the gall mixed vvith the herbe Potamigiton he cannot be hurt by that beast Serpents and Adders especially deafe Adders signifie vntepentant wicked men and also discord as the Poet describeth it vvhen Alecto sent a Serpent Snake or Adder to moue cōtention in the familie of Amata Libro 7. Aenead And thus much for the Adder OF THE AMMODYTE THis Serpent I call after the Greeke name Ammodytes an Ammodyte It is also found to be called Ammodyta and Cenchrias or rather Centrias or Centrites because of the hardnes of their tayles vvhich are also clouen on the vpper side The Italians call it Aspido del corno because it hath vpon the vpper chap a hard warte like a horne The head of this Serpent is longer greater then a Vipers head and her chappes vvider besides the late expressed difference vpon the vpper lippe and yet it may well be termed a kind of Viper It is Immanis fera a fierce wilde beast in length not aboue a cubite hauing diuers blacke spots vpon the skinne and certaine appearances of strakes or small lines vpon the backe The colour of the other parts is euer like the sand wherin it keepeth maketh abode according to these verses of Lucan Concolor exustis atque indiscretus arenis Ammodytes In English thus The Ammodyte indiscreete on the Land Doth hold the colour of the burning sand The Countries most of all annoyed with these Serpents are Lybia Italy and Illiria especially about Gortinium and the Mountaines of Lampidia Their harmes are not inferiour to the stinging and poyson of Aspes for Matthiolus writeth that hee hath knovvne some to die thereof vvithin three houres after the wound receiued And if they doe not dye within short time then doth the blood issue forth in abundant maner out of the hurt and the wound swelleth Afterward all is turned into matter and then followeth dulnes in the head and distraction in the mind they liue long which endure it three dayes and it was neuer knowne that any liued aboue seauen dayes this also beeing obserued that those that be hurt by a femall doe dye soonest For together with their byting they infuse a vehement payne which causeth swelling and the sore to runne I find the cure hereof in Aetius to be thus first of all Triacle must be giuen to the sicke person to drinke and also layd vpon the wound also drawing or attractiue playsters and such poultesses which are fit for running vlcers But first before the playsters scarifie all the places about the hurt and bind the vpper parts hard then launce the sore a little with a Pen-knife and let him drinke sweete water with Rungwort Gourdes Castoreum and Cassia Auicen prescribeth in the cure of these Serpents venorn Castoreum Cinnamon the roote of Centory of each two ounces with Wine and the roote of long Hartwort of Assoasier the iuyce of the roote Gentian And for emplaister Hony sod and dryed and so pounded the rootes of Pomgranats and Centory the seede of Flaxe and Lettuce and wilde Rew And so I conclude with Doctor Gesner Percussus ab Ammodyte festinet ad remedium sine quo nemo affugere He which is hurt by an Ammodyte let him make hast for a remedy without which neuer man escaped death OF THE ARGES AND ARGOLAE THere is mention in Galen and Hippocrates of a Serpent called Arges Now Arges signifieth in Greeke white swift idle ill mannered of this Serpent Hippocrates telleth this story There was saith he a young man drunke which lay asleepe vpon his backe in a certain house gaping Into this mans mouth entered a serpent called Arges the young man perceiuing it in his mouth striued to speake and cry but could not and so suddenly gnashing his teeth deuoured and swallowed downe the Serpent After which he was put to intollerable paines his hands stretching quiuering like as a mans that is hanged or strangled and in this sort he cast himselfe vp and downe and dyed It seemeth therefore that this Serpent hath his name from the sudden destruction he bringeth to the creatures it smiteth and therefore in auncient time we read that Mercury was called Argiphon for killing of Serpents THe Argolae are onely mentioned by Suidas for he saith that Alexander brought them to Alexandria from Arges cast them into the riuer to expell and deuour the Aspes where they continued a long time till the bones of the Prophet Ieremy were brought out of Egypt vnto Alexandria which slew them as the same Author writeth And thus much of these two kindes of Serpents OF ASPES IN Hebrewe as appeareth Deut. 32. the Aspe is called Pethen in Psal 58. Akschub in Isa 59. and Ier. 8. Zipheoni an Aspe or a Cockatrice worse then a Serpent The Arabians Hasyos and Hascos the Greekes Aspis the Italians Aspe and Aspide the Spaniardes Biuora the French Vnaspic the Germans Ein sclang genannt and the Latines Aspis About the notation or deriuation of this word there is some difference among Writers Aristophanes deriueth it from Alpha an intensiue Particle and Spizo which signifieth to extend either by reason of his sharpe-shrill hissing or for the length of his body Others deriue Aspis from Hios which signifieth venome or poyson therefore saith the Scripture The poyson of Aspes because that is a predominant poison The Latines call it Aspis quod venenum aspergit morsu bycause it sprinkleth abroad his poyson when it biteth Besides we read of Aspis a Buckler an Island in the Lycian Sea a Mountaine in Affrike and there is fashion of camping Souldiours in the fielde called Aspides The Epithets declaring the nature of this pestiferous Serpent are
entreate not spending any time to confute those who haue wrote that it is incurable on the contrary it shall be manifest that both by Chirurgery and Medicines compound and simple this both hath beene may happily be effected First it is necessary when a man is stunge or bitten by a Serpent that the wounded part be cut off by the hand of some skilfull Chirurgeon or else the flesh round about the wound with the wound it selfe to bee circumcised and cut with a sharpe Rasor then let the hottest burning thinges be applyed euen the searing yron to the very bone For so the occasion beeing taken away from the poyson to spread any further it must needes die without any further damage Then also the holes in the meane time before the eiection must be drawne eyther with cupping-glasse or with a Reede or with the naked rumpe of a Ringdoue or Cocke I meane the very hole set vppon the bitten place And because the place is very narrowe and small it must be opened and made wider the blood be drawne forth by scarifications and then must such medicinall herbes be applyed as are most opposite to poyson as Rew and such like And because the poyson of Aspes doth congeale the blood in the veynes therfore against the same must all hote thinges made thinne be applyed as Mithridatum Triacle dissolued in Aqua vitae the same also dissolued into the wound then must the patient be vsed to bathings fricasing or rubbing and walking with such like exercises But when once the wound beginneth to be purple greene or blacke it is a signe both of the extinguishment of the venome also of the suffocating of naturall heate then is nothing more safe then to cut off the member if the partie be able to beare it After Cupping-glasses and scarifications there is nothing that can be more profitably applyed then Centory Myrre and Oppium or Sorrell after the manner of a plaister But the body must be kept in dailie motion and agitation the wounds themselues often searched and pressed and sea-Sea-vvater vsed for fomentation Butter likewise the leaues of Yew are very good to be applyed to the bytings of Aspes And in the Northerne Regions as witnesseth ' Olaus Magnus they vse nothing but branne like a playster and theyr cattell they annoynt with Triacle salt all ouer the bunch or swelling And thus much for the Chirurgicall cure of the biting of Aspes In the next place wee may also relate the medicinall cure especially of such thinges as are compound and receiued inwardly First after the wound it is good to make the party vomit then afterward make him drinke iuyce of Yew and Triacle or in the default thereof wine as much of the iuyce as a groate waight or rather more But for the tryall of the parties recouery giue him the powder of Centory in wine to drinke and if he keepe the medicine he will liue but if he vomit or cast it vp he will die thereof But for the better auoydance purging out of the digested venome distributed into euery part of his body giue the party Garlicke beaten with Zythum vntill he vomit or els Opponax in wine allayed with water also Origan dry and greene After the vomit the former antidoticall medicines may be vsed And the northerne people vse no other Triacle then Venetian Whereas there are aboundance of all manner of Serpents in the Spantsh Islands yet neuer are any found there to vse Triacle neither doe they account of it as of a thing any whit vertuous but in stead thereof they vse the bearded Thapsia Gilliflowers and red Violets and the herbe Auance boyled in wine Vinegar the sharpest that may be gotten a sound mans vrine wherwithall they bathe the wounded part although much time after the hurt receiued But saith Amb Paraeus it is much better for the patient to drinke thereof fasting before meate two howres three ounces at a time And by the help of this notable experiment the Inhabitants of those Ilands are nothing afraid to offer theyr bodyes to be bitten by the most angry Aspes And thus much for compound medicines in generall It is saide that the first and chiefest easie remedy for such as are bitten by Aspes is to drinke so much of the sharpest Vineger as he can sensibly perceiue and feele the same vpon the right side of his midreffe because that poyson first of all depriueth the liuer of sence For Pliny saith that hee knew a man carrying a bottle of Vineger to be bitten by an Aspe whiles by chaunce he trode therevpon but as long as he bore the Vineger and did not set it downe he felt no paine thereby but as often as to ease himselfe hee set the bottell out of his hand he felt torment by the poyson which being related to the Phisitians they knew thereby that Vineger drunke into the stomacke was a soueraigne antidote against poyson Yet some say that the first knowledge of this vertue in vineger grew from the necessitie which a little boy bytten by an Aspe had of drinking and finding no other liquour but a bottle of vineger dranke thereof a full draught and so was eased of his paine For the reason is that it hath both a refrigeratiue and also a dissipating vertue as may appeare when it is poured on the earth because it yeeldeth a froth and therefore when it commeth into the stomacke it disperseth all the infected humours The Northerne Shepheards doe drinke Garlicke and stale Ale against the bytings of Aspes And some hold opinion that Anniseede is an antidote for this sore Other vse Hart-wort Apium seed and wine Aron being burned hath the vertue to driue away serpents and therefore beeing drunke with oyle of Bayes in blacke wine it is accounted very soueraigne against the bytings of Aspes The fruite of Balsame with a little powder of Gentian in vvine or the iuyce of Mynts keepeth the stomacke from the Crampe after a man is bytten by an Aspe Other giue Castoreum with Lignum Cassiae and some the skinne of a Storkes stomacke or mawe There be certaine little filthy and corrupt wormes bred in rotten wood or paper called Cimices these are very profitable against poyson of Aspes or any other venomous byting beast and therefore it is said that Hennes other pullen do earnestly seeke after these wormes and that the flesh of such fowle as haue eaten thereof is also profitable for the same purpose Athaeneus also writeth how certaine thieues were condemned to be cast to serpents to be destroyed now the morning before they came forth they had giuen them to eate Cytrons when they were brought to the place of execution there were Aspes put forth vnto them who byt them and yet did not harme them The next day it beeing suspected the Prince commaunded to giue one of them a Citron and the other none so when they were
by the sides of their Cells as Waspes and Bees we need not doubt but that they doe all other matter after their manner and if they couple together they doe it by night as Cats do or else in some secret corner that Argus with his hundreth eyes can neuer espye it Hornets gather meate not from floures but for the most part they liue vppon flesh whereby it commeth to passe that you shall often finde them euen in the very dunghills or other ordure They also proule after great Flyes and hunt after small Byrdes which when they haue caught into their clutches after the manner of hungry Hawkes they first wound them in the head then cutting it asunder or parting it from the shoulders carrying the rest of the body with them they betake themselues to their accustomed flyght The greater sort of them dye in the hard winter because they store not themselues sufficiently aforehand with any sustenaunce as Bees doe but make their prouision but from hand to mouth as hunger enforceth them as Aristotle enformeth vs. In like sort Landius hath well obserued that Hornets both day and night keepe watch and Ward besides the Hiues of Bees and so getting vpon the poore Bees backs they vse them in stead of a waggon or carry age for when the silly Bee laboureth to be discharged of his cruell Sytter the Hornet when he hath sucked out all his iuyce and cleane bereft him of all his moysture vigour and strength like an vnthankefull Guest and the most ingratefull of all winged creatures he spareth not to kill and to eate vp his fosterate and chiefe maintainer They feede also vppon all sweete delicious and pleasant thinges and such as are not vntoothsome and bitter and the Indian Hornets are so rauenous and of such an insasiate gluttony as Ouidius reporteth that they fly vpon Oyle Butter greasie Cookes all sorts of sharpe sawce vsed with meates and all moyst and liquid thinges not sparing the very Napkins and Table clothes and other linnen that is any way soyled which they do filthily contaminate with the excrements of their belly with their Viscous laying of their egges But as they get their liuing by robbery and purloining of that which others by the sweat of their browes by their owne proper wits and inuention and without the ayde helpe of any do take great paines for so againe they want not a reuenge to punish a prouost Marshall to execute them for their wrongfull dealings tearmed of some a Gray Broch or Badger who in the full of the Moone maketh forcible entrance into their holes or lurking places destroying and turning topsie-turuy in a trice their whole stocke famile and linage with all their houshold stuffe and possessions Neither do they onely minister foode to this passing profitable and fat beast but they serue in stead of good Almanackes to country people to foretell tempests and change of weather as Hayle Raine and Snow for if they flye about in greater numbers and bee oftner seene about any place then vsually they are wont it is a signe of heate and fayre weather the next day But if about twilight they are obserued to enter often their nestes as though they would hide themselues you must the next day expect raine wind or some stormy troublesome or boysterous season whereupon Auienus hath these verses Sic crabronum rauca agmina si volitare Fine sub Autumni conspexeris athere longo Iam vespertinos primos cum commouet ortus Virgilius pelago dices instare procellam In English thus So if the buzzing troupes of Hornets hoarse to flye In spatious ayre bout Autumnes end you see When Virgill starre the euenings lampe espie Then from the Sea some stormy tempest sure shall be Furthermore since it is most certaine that those remedies which do heale the stingings of Waspes do also help those wounds and griefes which hornets by their cruell stinging cause yet notwithwanding as Aggregator hath pronounced the Zabor is the Bezoar or proper antidote of his owne hurt if he be oftentimes applyed with Vineger and Water Oyle and Cow-dung tempered together In like sort all manner of soiles and earths that are myry and muddy are much commended in this case such as Bacchus applyed to bald Selenus who was wounded with Hornets when longing for a little Hony he iogged shaked their nests thinking he had lighted vpon some Bees Hony which Ouid most elegantly 3. Fastocum hath described in these verses Millia crabronum coëunt vertice nud◠Spicula defigunt oraque prima notant Ille cadit praeceps calce feritur aselli Inclamatque socios anxiliumque vocat Concurrunt Satyri turgentiaque ora parentis Rident percusso claudicat ille genu Ridet ipse Deus limumque inducere monstras Hic paret monitis linit ora luto In English thus Of Hornets thousands on his head full bare And on his face their poysond speares sticke fast Then headlong downe he fell and Asses foot him smote Whiles he for help his voyce to fellowes cast The Satyres flocke came runne apace and did deride Their sires swellen mouth whiles Asse had made him lame The God himselfe did laugh yet shewed an earth to hide The wound which he receiued and so did heale the same If any one be desirous of moe medicines against the perillous and transpeircing stinging of these horne-mad Hornets he shall finde store of them digested together in the History of Waspes for their remedies are common belonging as well to the one as to the other there being no other difference but this that here they must be giuen in a greater measure or quantity and their vse ought longer to be continued And let this suffice to to haue spoken thus much of such insectes or Cut-wasted vermine as are winged and liue in companies and routes together Now will I make choyce to describe such as are winged and liue solitarily least I should seem to lose my selfe in this troublesome and vast Ocean of Physicall contemplation ⧠OF CANTHARIDES or Spanish Flyes THis kinde of Cut-wast is called of the Graecians Kantharis and among the Latines it changeth not his name Of the Frenchmen Cantaride Of the Italians Cantarella Of the Spaniards Cubillo Of the Germans Grüne Kefer Goldkaefer Amongst the Belgies or Netherlanders it is tearmed Spaensche Vlieghe and of vs English-men Cantharides and Spanish Flyes I haue seene two sorts of Cantharides the one great and the other small Of the greater sort some are thicke and long bodyed which are found among wheat and these are thicke grosse and vnwieldy like vnto Beetles they are also of sundry colours and changeable hew with Golden streekes or lines crossing their winges and these are best to bee vsed in Physicke They of the other lesser kind are leane and thinne scragges and staruelings broad hairy heauy and sluggish and for physicall vses little worth The greater sort also are not alwaies of a glistering green
by the people according to the saying of Iuuenall Crocodilon aderat parshaec Egypti Illa pauit saturam serpentibus Ibim Which may be englished thus This part of Egypt Crocodiles adore That the Ibis fed with Serpents store But the reasons of diuine worshippe or honour giuen to the Crocodiles are worth noting that the diligent Reader may the better haue some taste of that auncient blindnes whereby our fore-fathers were misleddge and seduced to forsake the most glorious and euer-blessed principles of Diuinitie for arguments of no waight First therefore the Idolatrous Priestes thought there was some diuine power in the Crocodile because it wanted a tongue for the Deitie or Diuine speech hath no neede of a voyce to expresse his meaning according to the saying of the Graecians Kai di apsophoa bainoon keleuthon kai dikes ta thueta agrikata diken For by a mute and silent way it ascendeth and bringeth all things mortall to a vocall iustice which speaketh in action though not in voyce euen as all that is in the Crocodile is action and not voyce Secondlie by reason of a certaine thinne smooth skinne comming from the midst of his fore-head where-withall it couereth his eyes so that when it is thought to be blind yet it seeth euen so is it with the Diuine power for euen then when it is not seene yet doth it see perfectly all mortall things Againe by theyr egges nests they vsually fore-shew the ouer-flowing of Nilus to the infinite benefit of their country wherein they liue for thereby the husband-men know when to till their Land and when not when to sow and plant and leade foorth theyr flockes and when not vvhich benefite is also ascribed to Diuinitie and therefore the Crocodile is honoured with diuine power Againe it layeth threescore egges layeth threescore yeeres which number of three-score was in auncient time the first dimension of heauen and heauenly things Cicero also speaking against this Egyptian vanitie saith that they neuer consecrated a beast for a God but for some apparant vtilitie as the Ibis for deuouring of Serpents and the Crocodile for beeing a terrour to theeues and therefore the Arabian and Lybian theeues durst not come ouer the Riuer Nilus to robbe the Egyptians for feare of the Crocodiles There is a tale in Diodorus Siculus of the originall of a Crocodiles diuine worshippe which although it cannot be but fabulous yet I haue thought good to insert it in this place to shew the vanitie of superstition and Idolatry There was a King of Egypt called Minas or as Herodotus calleth him Menes who following his houndes in hunting into a certaine marish of Moeris fell in with his horse and there stucke fast none of his follovvers daring to come after him to release him so that he had there perrished had not a crocodile come and taken him vp vppon his backe and sette him safe vppon the dry Land For which miracle the said King there built a Citty and caused a Crocodile to be vvorshipped which was called Sychus by all the inhabitants of that Citty and also gaue all the said Marish of Moeris for the sustenance of the same It was nourished with bread flesh wine cakes sodde flesh and sweete new wine so that when any man came to the Lake wherein it was kept the Priests would presently call the Beast out of the water and being come to the Land one of them opened his mouth and the other put in meate delicacies and VVine This Crocodile of Moeris is the same that is called Arsinoe and like to that at Thebes about which they did hang iewels of gold siluer and iemmes of earings bracelets and such other thinges of price When it dyed they did season the body thereof with salt buried it in the holy Tombes or burying Pots The same also are called Ombitae I meane the people of that Egypt which dwell in Arsinoe and for the loue of the Crocodiles they abandon all manner of Hawkes their enemies insomuch that many times they take them and hang them vp in publique vpon gallowes for that purpose erected And further they keepe certaine dayes of tryumphes like the Olympiades and games of honour and so farre they were blinded with that superstition that they thought themselues exceedingly blessed if they lost their children by them and thought themselues much honoured if they saw them with their eyes fetched out of the streetes and playing places by Crocodiles Againe all the Egyptians holde opinion that the Crocodile is a Diuinatour vvhich they prooue by the testimonie of Ptolomeus who calling one of these sacred Crocodiles which was the oldest and best of all he would not aunswere him and afterward offering him meate he also refused it whereat many wondered and some of the Priests sayde it was some prognosticall signe either of the Kings death or his owne so it fell out shortly after for the same Crocodile dyed As though a Swine might not as well be accounted diuine seeing it also refuseth all meate and prouocation at the time of theyr sicknes and before death There is a citty in Egypt called Apollinopolis the citty of Apollo where the inhabitants abhor condemne the worship of crocodiles for when they take any of them they hang thē vp and beate them to death notwithstanding their teares cryings and afterward they eate them but the reason of their hatred is because Typhon their auncient enemy vvas clothed with a Crocodiles shape Others also say the reason of their hatred is because a Crocodile tooke away and deuoured the daughter of Psamnites and therfore they enioyned all their posteritie to hate Crocodiles To conclude this discourse of Crocodiles inclination euen the Egyptians themselues account a Crocodile a sauage and cruell murthering beast as may appeare by their Hieroglyphicks for when they will decypher a mad man they picture a crocodile who beeing put from his desired prey by forcible resistance hee presently rageth against himselfe And they are often taught by lamentable experience what fraude malice to man-kind liueth in these beasts for they couer themselues vnder willowes greene hollow bankes till some people come to the waters side to draw and fetch water and then suddenly or euer they be aware they are taken and drawne into the water And also for this purpose because he knoweth that he is not able to ouer-take a man in his course or chase he taketh a great deale of water in his mouth casteth it in the path-waies so that when they endeuour to run from the crocodile they fall downe in the slippery path and are ouer-taken destroyed by him The common prouerbe also Crocodili lachrimae the crocodiles teares iustifieth the treacherous nature of this beast for there are not many bruite beasts that can weepe but such is the nature of the Crocodile that to get a man within his danger he will sob sigh weepe as though he were in extremitie but suddenly he
of time wherein their rage sheweth it selfe by byting and when not but also the difference of place and region for that they byte in some Countries and not in other When they haue bitten there followeth a vehement payne and sâ—abbe vppon the place for the cure whereof there must be taken a decoction of Frogges and the broth must be drunke and the flesh applyed to the sore or else other common remedies against the poyson prescribed in the Treatise following The poyson hereof is great and not inferiour to the poyson of any other Serpent for sometimes by creeping vpon Apple-trees it infecteth and poysoneth all the fruite so that those which eate the same dye and languish they know not whereof and if the heele of a man doe but touch any small part or portion of the spettle of a Salamander it maketh all the hayre of the body to fall of The poyson it selfe is not cold as some haue thought but hote like to the poyson of Cantharides and therefore to be cured by the same meanes as by vomits Glysters Ephemeron and such like Onely Swyne doe eate Salamanders without harme or damage for there is in them a kinde of resistance in nature and yet if man or dogge doe chaunce to eate of that Swyne that hath eaten a Salamander it hath beene obserued that they perrished by the same And this poyson spreadeth it selfe the further when it is dead because it is strengthened by putrefaction and wine or water wherin one of these lyeth dead is empoysoned made mortall thereby to others But in our dayes Salamanders are not so venomous if there be any credite in Brasauolus howbeit I haue heard and read that if at this day a Salamander gâ—… heape of corne she so infecteth it that whatsoeuer eateth of that Corne dyetl sit were of poyson and the Kine of Helueria which are sucked by Salamanders doe euer after remaine barren and without milke and sometime also they dye of that euill And as Arnoldus writeth it casteth forth a certaine mattery white humour like milke out of the mouth wherevpon if a man or any other liuing creature doe but tread he is poysoned thereby and at the least all the hayre of their body falleth off and in like sort they inâ—ect herbes plants of the earth by theyr poyson Sometimes it happeneth that beasts or men haue swallowed Salamanders and then the tongue is inflamed and all the body falleth into grieuous torment by cold corruption and putrefaction part after part and also paines in the fundament in the stomack likewise dropsies and impostumation in the belly crampe of the guttes and relention of vrine For the cure whereof they giue sweete water Calamynts Saint Iohns-wort â—od with the shells Pine-apples leafes of Cypresse Galbanus and hony or Rozen Ammoniacke and Styrax New cow-milke the meale made of flax-seede with sweete water sweet wine and oyle to cause vomits Scammony a decoction of Calamints and figges fatte Baâ—on or hogges-flesh and also the egges of a Torteyse with the flesh thereof besides infinite other remedies ordained by the goodnesse of Almighty God as Phisitians knowe by their owne studie and daily experiments And therefore I hold it sufficient for mee to haue lightly touched them referring those that are desirous to know more vnto the learned collection of Carromus Out of the Salamander it selfe arise also some medicines for it hath a septick power to eate and corrode to take away hayres and the powder thereof cureth cornes and hardnes in the feete The hart tyed to the wrist in a blacke skinne taketh away a quartane-Ague and also Kiradides writeth that being bound vnto a womans thigh it stayeth her monthlie flowers and keepeth her barren But this is worthily reproued for vntruth and therefore I will not commend it to the Reader And thus much for the Salamander OF THE SCORPION SCorpios in Greeke is attributed both to the Scorpion of the Land and of the Sea although some-times for difference sake the scorpions of the earth be called Scorpios chersaios The deriuation is manifold according to some Writers either of Scorpizein ton+'ion that is dispersing his poyson or of Sckanoos erpein because the motion of it is oblique inconstant and vncertaine like as the flame of fire beaten with a small wind The Graecians also vse for a Scorpion Blestas because it casteth poyson octopos from the number of his eight feete And in Ethyopia there is a kind of Scorpion which the Greeks call Sybritae The Latines doe vse indifferently Scorpius Seorpio nepa Cancer also vinula and Geptaria as we find in Ponzettus The Arabians haue many words as Harrab Acrob Achrach and Satoracon Hacparab algerarat algeterat and algenat and alkatareti for little Scorpions which draw their tayles after them Howbeit among these names also Algarat signifieth that little kind of scorpions Algararat the Scorpion with bunches on his backe The Hebrewes according to the opinion of some call a Scorpion Acchabim The Italians Scurtigicio and Scorpione terrestre The French Vn scorpion the Spanyards Alacram alacrani which name they haue also giuen to an Iland in the west-Indies subiect to their dominion In Castilia it is called Escorpion and in Germany Ein scorpion The Countries which breed Scorpions are these that follow in Egypt neere the Citty Coptus are many very great and pestilent stinging Scorpions who kill as soone as they smite Also Ethyopia and Numidia abound with Scorpions especially the latter wherin as writeth Leo Affric are euery yeere found very many that die of their wounds Tenas one of the Cyclades Ilands is called Ophiessa because it yeeldes many Serpents and Scorpions Also in that part of Mauritania which is neere the vvest are Scorpions with wings and without wings likewise in Iberia Caria Lybia And it is also said that once there were many Scorpions brought into India into that part of the Country where the Rhicophagi dwell By the way betwixt Susis in Persia and Media there were wont to abound Scorpions vnder euery stone and turffe for which cause when the King of Persia was wont to goe into Media he gaue commaundement vnto his people to scoure the way by vsing all meanes to kill them giuing gifts to them that killed the greatest number of Scorpions There is an auncient towne in Affricke called Pescara wherein the abundance of Scorpions do so much harme that they driue away the inhabitants all the Sommer-time euery yeere vntill Nouember following And in like sort Diodorus declareth of many other places vtterly forsaken to auoyd the multitude of Scorpions as namely one part of Arabia and the region of India about Arrhatan or the riuer Estumenus likewise neere the Cynamolgi in Ethyopia There is also a Citty called Alabanda standing betwixt two hills or mountaines like as a chest turned inward which Apollonius calleth Cistam inuersam Scorpionibus plenam a chest turned inward full of Scorpions In an Island of
Canaria also are many Scorpions and those most pestilent which the Turkes gather as often as they may to make oyle of Scorpions In Italy especially in the Mount Testaceus in Rome are also Scorpions although not so hurtfull as in Affrica and other places and it is thought that Psylli whose nature cureth all kind of venomous Serpents harmes did onely for lucers sake bring Serpents and Scorpions into Italy and there they left them whereby they encrease to that number multitude which now we see them haue And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the Countries of Scorpions The kindes of Scorpions I finde also to be many but generally they may be referred vnto twayne whereof one is called the Scorpion of the earth and the other the Scorpion of the water or of the Sea whose discourse or history is to be found among the fishes for we in this place doe onely write of the Scorpion of the earth which is also called by Auicen a wild Scorpion Of this kind there are many differences First they differ in sex for there are males and females and the female is greater then the male beeing also fatte hauing a grosser body and a greater sharper sting but the male is more fierce then the female Againe some of these haue wings and some are without wings and some are in quantitie greater then a Beane as in Heluetia neere Rapirsnill by Zuricke The Scorpions called Vinulae are of reddish colour as it were rose-rose-water and wine mixed together and from thence it is probable that they tooke their name and from their colour the Authours haue obserued seauen seuerall kinds The first is white and the byting of this is not deadly The second is reddish like fire flamant and this when it hath wounded causeth thirst The third is of a pale colour and therefore called by the Graecians Zophorides these when they haue wounded a man cause him to liue in continuall motion and agitation of his body so as he cannot stand still but remaineth distract without wit alway laughing like a foole The fourth kind is greenish and therefore termed Chloaos which hauing wounded causeth intollerable trembling shaking and quiuering and also cold so that if the patient be layd in the hot sunne yet he thinketh that he freezeth like hayle or rather feeleth hayle to fall vpon him The fift kind is blackish-pale and it is called Empelios it hath a great belly and broade whereof the poyson is great and causeth after stinging an admirable heauinesse and sorrowfull spirit This kind is called by Gesner Ventricosum because of the large belly by the Arabians Algetarat and by Ponzettus Geptaria It eateth herbes and the bodyes of men and yet remaineth insatiable it hath a bunch on the backe and a tayle longer then other Scorpions The sixt is like a Crabbe this is called by Elianus a flamant Scorpion it is of a great body and hath tonges and takers very solide and strong like the Gramuell or Creuish is therefore thought to take the beginning from that fish The seauenth is called Mellichlorus because of the honny-colour thereof or rather waxe-colour and the wings it hath on the backe are like the wings of a Locust Also Scorpions do differ among themselues in regard of their outward parts for some of them haue wings as those in India which are spoken of by Strabo Nicander others and therefore many times when they settle themselues to flie they are transported by the wind from one country to another There is also another difference obserued in their tayles and in their stings for some of them haue sixe knots on their tayles and some of them seauen and those which haue seauen are more hardy fierce but this falleth out very sildome that the Scorpions haue seauen knots in their tayle and therefore much sildomer to haue nine as writeth Apollodorus For if any haue seauen then is there likewise in them a double sting for there is also another difference some of them hauing a single and some a double sting yea some-times a treble one and the sting of the male is more thicke and strong then the sting of the female And to conclude there is also a difference in motion for some of them holde vp theyr tayles from the earth and these are not much venomous others againe draw them along vpon the earth a little rowled together and these are most deadly and poysonfull some of them also flye from one Region to another as we haue shewed already Againe there is nothing that giueth a man a more liuely difference then the consideration of their poyson for the Scorpions of Pharus and that part of the Alpes neere Noricum doe neuer harme any liuing creature and therfore are they suffered to abound so as they liue vnder euery stone In like sort in the I le Sanguola the Scorpions are like vnto those that are in Castilia or Spayne for there the sting of the Scorpion dooth not bring death yet they cause a smarting paine like the paine that commeth by the stinging of a Waspe differing heerein that the Scorpions stinging is more lasting continueth longer then the stinging of a Waspe for it tarrieth about a quarter of an houre and by the byting thereof all are not payned alike for some feele more and some lesser paine Contrary to these are the Scorpions of Pescara in Affrick who euer with theyr tayles vvound mortally And those in Scythia which are great and hurtfull vnto men and beastes kylling swyne who doe not much care for any other serpent especially the blacke swyne who doe also dye the sooner if they drinke immediatly after the wound receiued The like may be said of the Scorpions of Egypt And thus much for the different kinds of Scorpions wherein nature produceth a notable varietie as may appeare by all that hath been said Now it followeth that wee likewise make some relation of theyr congruity one with another They are all little liuing creatures not much differing in proportion from the great Scarabee or Horse-flie except in the fashion of theyr tailes Their backe is broad and flat distinguished by certaine knots of seames such as may be seene in Sea-crabbes yet theyr head differeth and hath no resemblance with the Crabbe because it is longer and hangeth farre out from the body the countenaunce whereof is fawning and virgin-like and all the colour a bright browne Notwithstanding the fayre face it beareth a sharpe sting in the tayle which tayle is full of knots where-withall it pricketh and hurteth that which it toucheth And this Pliny affirmeth to be proper to this insect to haue a sting in the tayle and to haue armes For by armes hee meaneth the two crosse sorkes or tonges which come from it one both sides in the toppes whereof are little thinges like pynsons to detaine and hold fast that which it apprehendeth whiles it woundeth with the â—â—ing in the tayle
and orbicular Yet Gesner reporteth that he had one sent him of the proportion of a Lentill and as great as the fist of a man within euery egge appeare certaine smal things like the tailes of Serpents or Leaches beeing in number tenne fiue greater and fiue smaller one folded or lapped within another And these haue also little pustules vppon the skinne or crusts whereof one doth not touch the other Out of these egges come the young ones but I cannot affirme what great affection the old ones beare vnto them or that when many Snakes lay their egges together euery one in that multitude hath skill to discerne her owne egges from the other For I haue beene with other my colleagues or Schoole-fellowes when I was young at the destruction of many thousands of them and neuer perceiued that the old Snake did with any extraordinary affection fight for their egges but rather forsooke them and suffered vs to do with them what we pleased which some-times we brake sometimes scattered abroade vpon the dunghill out of which wee digged them and some-times wee cast them into the next Riuer we came at but neuer saw any of them recollected againe to their former place by the Snakes although the place were very full of them and therefore I conclude for mine owne experience that Snakes cannot be perceiued to beare any exceeding loue in nature to their egges or young ones Theyr ordinary foode for the most part is earth frogges vvormes Toades and especiallie Paddocks or crooke-backed Frogges Newtes and small fishes The Foxes and Snakes which are about the Riuer Nilus are at continuall variance and besides the Harts are by nature common enemies to all Serpents They are not in venom inferiour to other Serpents for they infect the waters neere to houses and are many times the causes of diseases and death whereof the Phisitians cannot discerne When they bite or sting there followeth extreame paine inflamation greenenes or blacknes of the wound dizzines in the head and death within three dayes Whereof dyed Phyloctetes Generall of the Fleete of Greece in Lemnos Daedalus Menalippus The cure of this euill must be by Origan stamped and layd to the sore with lye oyle or ashes of the roote of an Oake with pitch or Barly-meale mixed with honny and water and sod at the fire And in drinke take wilde Nosewort Daffadill-flowers and Fennell-seede in Wine And it is also said that a man carrying about him the Liuer of a Snake shall neuer be bytten by any of that kinde And this Liuer is also prescribed against the stone in the bladder beeing drunke in strong drinke And thus much for this Serpent ¶ Of Spyders and their seuerall sorts And first of those that are commonly called Phalangies THIS kinde of venomous creature of the Latines is called Arnanaeus or Aranea of Cicero in his bookes Denatura Deorum Araneola and Araneolus Of the Graecians Arachnes or Arachne Hesichius termeth it Stibe The Hebrewes name it Acobitha Acbar Acabith and Semamith The Arabians Sibth Phihib In the Germaine tongue Spinn and Banker In English Attercop Spyder and Spynner Of the Brabanders Spinne In Fraunce Araigne In Italy Ragno and Ragna In Spayne Arana or Taranna Of the Illyrians it is called Spawanck Of the Polonians Pajak and Pajeczino Of the Hungarians Pox. Of the Barbarians Roatan Kersenat Isidore in his twelfth booke saith that the Spyder is termed Araneus because she is both bred and fedde in the ayre but heerein hee hath fallen into a double errour For if they liued onely in the ayre and by the ayre as hee would seeme to enforce I maruell to what end and purpose they should so busily make and pitch theyr nettes for the ensnaring of flyes And if they receiue their first beeing and breeding in the ayre I cannot see to what purpose they doe eyther lay egs or exclude small little wormes after their coupling together But we will easily pardon this presumptious Etymologist and deepe diuer into Interpretations with others also of the same humour whose ordinary custome thus to dally and play with words is with them esteemed as good as Statute-law for the most part There are many sorts of Spyders and all of them haue three ioynts apeece in their legges Estque caput minimum toto quoque corpore paruum est In latere exiles digiti pro cruribus haerent Latera venter habet de quo tamen illa remittet Stamina Which may be englished thus Little is theyr head likewise the body small All ouer is and fingers thinne vpon the sides In steed of legges out of the bellyes flancke doe fall Yet out of which she makes her webbe to glyde All Spyders are venomous but yet some more and some lesse Of Spyders that neyther doe nor can doe much harme some of them are tame familiar and domesticall and these be cōmonly the greatest among the whole packe of them Others againe be meere wilde liuing without the house abroade in the open ayre which by reason of their rauenous gut and greedy deuouring maw haue purchased to thēselues the names of wolfes and hunting-Spyders The least sort of these weaue no webbes at all but the greater beginneth to make a small and harsh webbe about hedges nie vnto the earth spreading and setting the same abroade in the very entry and in voyde places neere their lurking holes their deceitfull nets obseruing very diligently the stirring of their deceitfull webbes and peroeiuing them moouing though neuer so lightly she maketh no stay but with all speed possible hasteneth her selfe to the place and whatsoeuer shee there findeth she seazeth vppon as her lawfull prize The most dangerous hurtfull Spyders are called Phalangia if they byte any one for they neuer strike their poyson is by experience found to be so perrillous as that there wil a notable great swelling immediatly follow therevpon These kindes of venomous Spyders are of two sundry sorts for some of them are lesser and some greater The lesser sort are very vnlike one to another and of changeable colours violent libidinous hot styrring sharpe-topped holding on their pace and way as it were in iumping manner or leaping-wise and these I find to be called by Aristotle in his xj booke De Animal Psullas or Pulices and Pitheci or Simij Of some they are called Oribates because they are vsuallie found among Trees that grow vppon Mountaines They are also called Hypodromi because they liue vnder the leaues The Phalangium or Phalanx Spyder is vnknowne in Italy as Pliny saith there are found many sorts of them One sort of them is very like vnto a great Pismire but much bigger hauing also a redde head but all other parts are blacke speckled and garnished with many white spots running all alongst their bodies This formicarian or Pismire-like Phalanx of Aetius is described to haue a body much resembling soote in colour his necke ash-coloured and his backe glistering as it were with many
S. Roch the pestilence notwithstanding that S. Sebastian hath some skill in it also Saint Cosmus and Damian are good for all byles and swelling diseases S. Iob for the pocks S. Appolin for the tooth-ach S. Petronella can driue away all manner of Agues And S. Vitus or Vitulus we may well call him S. Calfe that in times past excelled in the musicall Art doth direct all Dauncers or such as will leap or vault So that if this Saint be invocated and pacified with musicall harmonie and melodious sound of instruments he will be an excellent Apothecarie Doctor for the curation of any that are wounded with a Tarantula Supersticious people fondly imputing that to the Patron and Proctor some-times of Musick which ought rather to be attributed to Musicke it selfe and motion of the body Dioscorides concerning the common bytings of hurtfull Spyders or Phalangies vvriteth thus The accidents saith he that doe accompany the bytings of Spyders are these that follow The wounded place waxeth red yet doth it not swell nor grow very hot but it is some-what moyst If the body become cold there will follow trembling and shaking the groyne and hammes doe much stroute out are exceeding distended there is great prouocation to make water and striuing to exonerate nature they sweat with much difficultie labour and paine Besides the hurt persons are all of a cold sweat and teares destill from their eyes that they grow dym-sighted there-with Aetius further addeth that they can take no rest or sleepe sometimes they haue erection of the yarde and the heade itcheth other-whiles the eyes and calfes of the legges grow hollow and lanke the bellie is stretched out by meanes of wind the whole body is puffed vppe but in especiall the face they make a maffeling with theyr mouth and stammer so that they cannot distinctly be vnderstood Some-times they can hardly voyd vrine they haue great paine in the lower parts the vrine that they make is waterish and as it were full of Spyders-webbes the part affected hath a great pricking and swelling which Dioscorides as you reade a little before will by no meanes yeeld to and it is a little red Thus farre Aetius from whom Paulus Aegineta Actuarius Ardoynus and some others differ but a little In Zacynthus an I le in the Ionian-Sea on the West of Peloponesus if any there be hurt of a Phalangium they are otherwise and more grieuously tormented then in any other place for there the body groweth stiffe and benummed besides it is very weake trembling and exceeding cold They suffer also vomiting with a spasme or crampe and inflamation of the virge besides an intollerable paine in their eares and soales of their feete The people there doe cure themselues by bathes into which if any sound man after that doe enter to wash himselfe or be drawne into the same by any guile or deceitfull meanes hee will foorth-with fall into the same greefes passions that the other sicke patient endured before he receiued remedie And the like to this writeth Dioscorides in his Chapter of Trifolium asphaltites in these words following The decoction saith he of the whole plant beeing vsed by way of fomentation bathing or soking the body ceaseth all those paines which are caused by the byting or stinging of any venomous Serpent and with the same bathing or fomenting whatsoeuer vlcerous persons shall vse or wash himselfe withall he will be affected and haue the same accidents as he that hath beene bitten of a Serpent Galen in his booke De Theciaca ad Pisonem ascribeth this to miracle accounting it a thing exceeding common reason and nature but I stand in doubt that that Booke vvas neuer Galens but rather fathered vpon him by some other man And yet Aelianus writeth more miraculously whē he affirmeth that this hapneth to some helthy persons such as be in good plight state of body neuer so much as making any mention of vlcer or sore Thus much of the symptomes accidents passions or effects which sticke and waite vpon those that are hurt by Spyders And now come I to the cure The generall cure according to the opinion of Dioscorides is that first there must be scarification made vpon the wounded place and that often and cupping-glasses must as often be applyed and fastened with much flame to the part affected Absyrtus counsell is to make a fumigation with egge-shells first steeped in water and then beeing cast on the coales with Harts-horne or Galbanum to perfume the venomed part there-with After that to vse sacrifications to let bloud or to sucke the place or to draw out the venom with cupping-glasses or which is the safest course of them all to apply an actuall cautery except the place affected be full of sinnewes Lastly to prouoke sweat well either in bed couering the patient well with cloathes or it is better by long and easie walking to procure sweating In some to attaine to the perfect curation you must worke both with inward outward meanes such as here shall be prescribed and set before your eyes whereof the most choyce and approued I haue set downe for the benefit of the Reader and first I wil beginne with Dioscorides Inward Medicines out of Dioscorides TAke of the seedes of Sothern-wood Annise Dill the wilde Cicer of the fruite of the Cedar-tree Plantine and Trifolie of each a like quantity beate them to powder by themselues before you doe mixe them The dose is two drammes to be taken in Wine Likewise one dramme of the seedes of Tamariske drunke in Wine is very effectuall Some vse a decoction of Chamaepytis and the greene Nuts of the Cipres-tree in Wine There be some which prayse the iuyce of Croy-fishes to be taken with Ashes Milke and Smallage-seede and this Medicine experience hath approoued and confirmed for the ceasing of all paynes Lye made of Figge-leaues is drunke with good successe against all bytings of Spyders It is good also to take the fruite of the Turpentine-tree Bay-berries leaues of the Balme and the seedes of all sorts of Carrets or to drinke the iuyce of Mirtle-berries of the berries of Iuy or Mull-berries the iuyce of Colewort-leaues and of Cliues or Goose-grease with Wine or Vineger A dramme of the leaues of Beane-Trifoly drunke in wine the decoction of the rootes of a Sparagus Iuyce of Sen-greene or any opening iuyce is good for the same Some vse with very good successe the leaues of the Hearbe called Balme with Niter and Mallowes boyled both leafe and roote and so taken often in a potion The leaues of the Hearbe called Phalangium with his floures and seedes The seedes of Nigella also serue to the same end Medicines out of Galen TAke of Aristolochia of Opium of eyther alike much foure drammes of the roots of Pelletorie of Spayne three drams Make thereof Trochisces to the quantitie of a Beane The dose is two Trochisces with three ounces of pure wine The Ashes of a Ramms hoofe tempored with Hony
and drunke with Wine Remedies of Diophantes against the bytings of Phalangies Take of Astrologe or hartwort 4. drams of Pelletorie of Spaine as much Pepper 2. drams Opium one dram make thereof Trochisces to the quantity of a Beane take two of them in a good draught of pure Wine Another more excellent Take of the seedes of wilde Rue Rocket-seede Styrax Sulphur viuum of either alike much sixe drammes of Castoreum two drammes commix them to make Trochisces as before with the bloud of a Creuish The dose is one scruple and a halfe in Wine Another Take of Myrrhe Castoreum and Styrax of either one dram Opium two drammes of Galbanum three drammes Smallage-seedes and Annise-seedes of either alike two ounces and a halfe Pepper thirty graines make them vppe with Wine so much as is sufficient Another Take of Myrrhe fiue ounces of Spiknard sixe drammes of the the flower of Iuncus Rotundus two drammes and a halfe Cassia foure drams Cynamon three drammes white Pepper one dramme and a halfe Frankinsence one dramme and halfe a scruple Costus one dramme make them vp with Atticke Hony The dose is the quantity of a Hasell-Nut to be taken either in Mulse or water Remedies out of Apollodorus TAke of wilde Comin two ounces and a halfe the bloud of a Sea-Tortoyce foure drammes the rennet of a Fawne or Hare three drammes the bloud of a Kid foure drams make them vp with the best Wine and reserue it to your vse The dose is the quantity of an Oliue in a draught of the best and purest Wine Another Take of the seedes of Trifolium Bituminosum of round Astrologe the seeds of wilde Rew the seedes of Ervum dryed in the Sunne of each alike 6. drams worke them with Wine and make Trochisces thereof euery one of them weighing foure drams The dose is one Trochisce Read more in Galan in his second booke De Antid where any man may finde many for the same purpose which he had gathered and selected from diuers Authours Out of Aetius and Paulus Aegeneta TAke of Sulphur Viuum and of Galbanum of either foure drammes of bitter Almonds excorticated one dramme of the Gumme called Benzoin foure drammes temper them in Wine and after their Maceration worke them vp with some Hony to be taken inwardly Being thus prepared it may likewise be applyed outwardly Another Take of Ameos two drammes roots of Floure-deluce one dram or else of Saint Iohns-wort or Trifolium Bituminosum drinke them out of Wine Or take of Annise-seedes wilde Carrets Comin Nigella Romana Pepper and Agaricke of either one dramme and drinke them Or take the leaues of the Cipres-tree or the Nuts beaten in Wine and three quarters of a pinte of the best Oyle and giue it to drinke And to this end they doe prescribe Bay-berries Scorpion-grasse wilde-Timbe Calamint Chamepytis either to be taken by themselues alone or with Rew and Pepper Asclepiades vsed these that follow Take of the seedes of Angelica and Calamint of eyther alike much and powned together to bee taken in sixe ounces of Wine oftentimes in a day Another Take of Benzoin the seedes of the wilde-Carret of dry Mintes and Spicknard a little quantity temper them vp with Vineger The dose is one dramme with pure water and Vineger mixed together about fiue or sixe ounces Another more excellent Take Garlicke and eate it and a bath made of the same with Wine and likewise al those Medicines which doe heale the bytings of Vipers are notable in these cases Paulus Aegineta commendendeth all these very highly and so dooth hee the seedes of Agnus Castus or the leaues of the White-Popler Out of Nicander TAke of the purest Turpentine that distilleth out of the Pine-tree and eate or drink it for this is a very effectuall medicine which as Bellonius reporteth he hath found to be true by experience Out of Auicenna THE fruite of the Mirtle-tree Doronicum Masticke Assa Faetida Dedder or With-wind and his root the Nut of India and white Bdellium drunke with wine Take of the rootes of Aristolochie rootes of Floure-deluce of Spicke Pellitory of Spaine the seedes of the wilde Carrot blacke Hellebor Commin the rootes of the true Daffadill of the fruite of the Carob-tree the leaues of Dates toppes of Pomgranates Cynamon of the iuyce of Rue Crai-fishes Styrax Opium and Carpobalsamum of eyther alike one ounce all of these being powdered make thereof Trochisces the weight of one dramme or foure scruples which is their dose Take also in Wine the decoction of the seedes of Trifolium Bituminosum Cipres-Nuts and the seedes of Smallage Besides let him drinke the graynes or fruite of the Pine-tree Comin of Aethiopia the leaues and rinde of the Plane-tree the seedes of Siler Montanum blacke and wilde Cicers the seeds of Nigella Sothern-wood and Dill Astrologe or Hartwort the fruite of the Tamariske tree for all these are very effectuall to cure the hurtes that come by byting of any venomous Spyder The iuyce also of wilde Lettice and of Houselike is excellent The decoction of Cypres Nuts beeing boyled especially with Cynamon the broath of Crai-fishes and of Goose-flesh and likewise the decoction of the rootes of Asparagus in Wine and water Another Take of Astrologe and Comin of each three drammes to be drunk in warme water an excellent and approoued antidote Take of the seeds of Git or Nigella tenne drammes Comin-seede Dancus-seede or wilde-Carret of either fiue drammes Spiknard Bay-berries round Aristolochie Carpobalsamum Cynamon roots of Gentian seedes of the Mountaine Siler and Smallage of euery one alike two drams make a confection with Hony The dose is the quantity of a Nut with old Wine A confection of Assa Take of Assa Faetida Myrrhe and leaues of Rue of euery one alike quantity temper them together with Hony The common is one dram or two at the most in Wine Certaine other selected Medicines out of Absyrtus Albucasis Lullus Rhazes and Ponzettus TAke of white Pepper thirty graynes drinke it often in a draught of old Wine Giue also the Hearbe Tymbe in Wine Absyrtus Let him drinke after it a Spoonefull of Wine distilled with Balme Lullus Take of dry Revv of Costus Horsemint Pelletory of Spayne Cardamomum of each alike of Assa Faetida a fourth part Honny so much as is sufficient commixe them The dose is the quantity of a Hasell Nut in drinke Albucasis The brayne of a Hen drunke vvith a little Pepper out of sweet Wine or Vineger and Water myxed together A notable Treacle or Antidote against the bytings of Phalangies or venomous Spyders Take of Tartarum six drammes of yellovv Sulphur eyght drammes Rue-seedes three drammes Castoreum and Rocket-seede of eyther tvvo drammes vvith the bloud of a Sea-Tortoyce make an Opiate The dose is tvvo drammes to bee taken in Wine Another Take of Pellitory of Spaine and the roote of the round Aristolochie of each one part of White Pepper halfe a part Horehouud foure parts temper them vp vvith Honny the dose that
is to bee giuen is one dramme Another Take of the rootes of Capers the rootes of long Aristolochie or Hartwort Bay-berries rootes of Gentian of each a like quantity to bee taken in Wine or let him drinke Diassa with svveete strong Wine Comin and the seedes of Agnus Castus Another Take of the seedes of Nigella tenne drammes of Daucus and Comin-seedes of each alike fiue drammes seedes of wilde Rue and Cypres Nuttes of eyther three Drammes Spiknard Bay-berries round Astrologe Carpobalsamum Cynaomn the root of Gentian seeds of Trifolium Bituminosum and of Smallage-seede of either two drammes make a confection with Hony so much as is sufficient Giue the quantity of a Nut with old Wine Rhazes Out of Pliny Celsus and Scaliger IT is good to giue fiue Pismires to them that are bitten of any Phalangium or the seedes of Nigella Romana one dram or Mulberries with Hypocistis and Hony There is a secret vertue and hidden quality in the root of Parsely and of wilde Rue peculiarly against those hurts that Spiders infect by their venome The bloud of a Land-Tortoyce the iuyce of Origanum the roote of Behen Album Veruaine Cinquefoile all the sortes of Sengreene Cipres-roots the Iuie of Iuy roots being taken with some sweet Wine or water and Vineger mixed and boyled together are very speciall in this griefe Likewise two drams of Castoreum to prouoke vomiting being relented in some mulse Apollodorus one of the disciples of Democrates saith there is an herb called Crocides which if any Phalangium or other poisonous Spider do but touch presently they fal down dead and their poyson is so dulled and weakened as it can doe no hurt The leaues of the Bull-rush or Mat-rush which are next to the root being eaten are found to giue much help Pliny Take of Myrrhe of Vna Taminea which is the berry of the herb called Ampelos Agria being a kind of Bryony which windeth it selfe about trees and hedges like a vine of some called our Ladies seale of either alike and drink them in 3. quarters of a pinte of sod wine Item the rootes of Radish or of Darnell taken in Wine is very effectuall Celsus But the excellentest Antidote of all other is that which Scaliger describeth whom for his singular learning and deep conceit I may tearme Nostris orbis seculi ornamentum The forme whereof in this place I will prescribe you Take of the true and round Aristolochia of the best Mithredate of either one ounce Terra Sigillata halfe an ounce of those Flyes which are found to liue in the flower of the Herb called Napellus in number 18. iuyce of Citrons so much as is sufficient mixe them altogether For against this mischiefe of Spyders oragainst any other shrewd turnes grieuances or bytings of any Serpents whatsoeuer Are as yet neuer found out so effectuall a remedy or so notable an alexipharmacall Thus far Scaliger The iuyce of Apples being drunke and Endiue are the propper Bezoar against the venom of a Phalangie Petrus de Albano Thus much of inward now wil I proceed to generall outward medicaments and applications Fiue Spiders putrified in common Oyle applyed outwardly to the affected place are very good Ashes made of the dung of draught beasts tempered with vineger and vsed as an ointment or instead of vineger water and vineger boyled together and applyed as before are proued to be singuler Take of vineger 3. pints and a halfe Sulphur viuum two ounces mix them and foment bath or soke the wounded part with a Spunge dipped in the liquor or if the paine be a little asswaged with the fomentation then wash the place with a good quantity of Sea-water Some hold opinion that Achates which is a precious stone vvherein are represented diuers forms whereof some haue the nine masts some of Venus c. will heale all bitings of Phalangies and for this cause being brought out of India it is held at a very deere rate in this Country Pliny Ashes made of fig-tree-leaues adding to them some Salt and wine The roots of the wilde Panax being beaten to powder Aristolochie Barly Meale kneaded together and vvrought vp with vineger Water with hony and salt applyed outwardly for a fomentation The decoction of the herb Balme or the leaues of it being brought to the forme of a Pultes and applyed but we must not forget to vse warme bathes and sometimes to the place agrieued Pliny Cut the vaines that appeare vnder the tongue rubbing and chafing the swelled places with Salt and good store of Vineger then cause the patient to sweat carefully warily for feare of cold Vigetius Theophrastus saith that practitiones do highly commend the root of Panax Chironia Moysten the wound with Oile Garlike bruised Knot-grasse or Barly-meale and Bay-leaues with wine or with the dregs or Lees of wine or wilde Rue applyed in manner of a Cataplasme to the wounded place Nonus Take of Sulphur Vivum Galbanum of each alike 4. drams and a halfe of Euforbium halfe a dram Hasell-nuts excorticated two drams dissolue them and with wine make towardes the curation Flyes beaten to powder and applyed vpon the place affected The fish called a Barble cureth the bitings of any venomous Spider if being raw it be slit asunder in the middest and so applyed as Galen saith Annoint the whole body with a liquid Cerote and foment the place affected with Oyle wherein Trifolium Bituminosum hath beene infused or bath it often with Spongies soked in warme Vineger then prepare make ready cataplasmes of these Ingredients following that is of Knot-grasse Scala Caeli called Salomons-seale Leekes Cheesill or Branne decocted in Vineger Barley-Meale and Bay-berries and the leaues boyled in Wine and Hony Some doe also make Cataplasmes of Rue or herb-grace Goats dung tempered with wine Cypres Margerom and wilde Rue with Vineger An emplaster of Asclepiades Take of the seedes of wilde Rue and Rocket-seeds Stauesackre Rosemary-seedes Agnus-Castus Apples and Nuts or in stead of these two of the leaues of the Cipres-tree of each alike beate and temper them altogether with vineger hony Aetius Apply the decoction of Lupines vpon the affected place the eschar being first remoued then annoint it in the warme Sun-shine or against the fire with the fat of a Goose tempered with wilde Rue and Oyle or else of the pap of Barly and the broth of Lupines make a cataplasme Oribasius The Filberd-Nut that groweth in India healeth the bytings of the Phalangies Auicenna Goates dung dissolued with other conuenient Cataplasmes and Oyle of Worme-wood and the iuyce of Figs helpeth much Kiranides Apply oftentimes a cold peece of iron to the place Petrus de Albano Foment the place very often with the iuyce of the Herbe Plantine Hildegardis The artificiall Oyle of Balme is singular Euonimus A fomentation made of the leaues and stalkes of Imperatoria called Master-wort and continued a good space or else Veruaine bruised and stamped the iuyce being taken in wine and
his owne belly But the colour going and comming is often changed now like pale lead then like blacke and anon as greene as the rust of brasse the gumbes flow with blood and the Liuer it selfe falleth to be inflamed sleepinesse and trembling possesseth the body and seuerall parts and difficultie of making vrine with Feauers neezing and shortnesse of breath These are related by Aetius Aegineta Greuinus and others which worke not alwaies in euery body generallie but some in one and some in another as the humours and temperament of nature doth leade and guide their operation But I maruaile from whence Plato in his Symposium had that opinion that a man bytten and poysoned by a Viper will tell it to none but onely to those that haue formerly tasted of that misery for although among other effects of this poyson it is said that madnes or a distracted mind also followeth yet I think in nature there can be no reason giuen of Platoes opinion except he meane that the patient will neuer manifest his griefe at all And this how-soeuer also is confuted by this one story of Greuinus There was as he writeth a certaine Apothecarie vvhich did keepe Vipers and it happened one day as hee was medling about them that one of them caught him by his finger and did byte him a little so as the prints of his teeth appeared as the poynts of needles The Apothecary onely looked on it and beeing busied either forgot or as hee said afterward felt no paine for an howres space but after the howre first his finger smarted and began to burne and afterward his arme and vvhole body fell to be suddenly distempered there-with so as necessity constrayning him and opportunitie offering it selfe he sent for a Phisitian at hand and by his good aduise thorough Gods mercy was recouered but with great difficultie for he suffered many of the former passions and symptomes before he was cured Therefore by this story eyther Plato was in a wrong opinion or else Greuinus telleth a fable which I cannot graunt because he wrote of his owne experience knowne then to many in the world who would quicklie haue contradicted it or else if he had consented to the opinion of Plato no doubt but in the relation of that matter he would haue expressed also that circumstance Thus then we haue as briefely and plainly as we can deliuered the paines torments which are caused by the poyson of Vipers now therefore it followeth that we also briefely declare the vertue of such Medicines as we find to be applyed by diligent and carefull obseruations of many learned Phisitians against the venom of Vipers First of all they write that the generall rule must be obserued in the curing of the poyson of Vipers which is already declared against other Serpents namely that the force of theyr poyson be kept from spreading and that may be done eyther by the present extraction of the poyson or else by bynding the wounded member hard or else by cutting it off if it be in finger hand or foote Galen reporteth that when he was in Alexandria there came to the Citty a Country-man which had his finger bytten by a Viper but before he came hee had bound his finger close to the palme of his hand and then hee shewed the same to a Phisitian who immediatly cut off his finger and so he was cured And besides he telleth of another country-man who reaping of Corne by chaunce with his sickle did hurt a Viper who returned and did raze all his finger with her poysonfull teeth The man presently conceiuing his owne pertill cut off his owne finger with the same sickle before the poyson was spred too farre and so was cured without any other Medicine Sometime it hapneth that the byte is in such a part that it cannot be cutte off and then they apply a Henne cut insunder aliue layd to as hot as can be also one must first wash and annoynt his mouth with oyle and so sucke out the poyson Likewise the place must be scarified and the partie fedde and dieted with old Butter and bathed in milke or sea-Sea-water and be kept waking and made to walke vp and downe It were too long also needlesse to expresse all the medicines which by naturall means are prepared against the poyson of Vipers whereof seeing no reasonable man will expect that at my hands I will onely touch two or three cures by way of history and for others refer my Reader to Phisitians or to the Latine discourse of Caronus In Norcheria the country of that great and famous Gentilis who translated Auiten there is a fountaine into which if any man be put that is stung or bytten by a Serpent hee is thereof immediatly cured which Amatus Lusitanus approoueth to be very naturall because the continuall cold water killeth the hot poyson The same Authour writeth that when a little maid of the age of thirteene yeeres was bytten in the heele by a Viper the legge beeing first of all bound at the knee very hard then because the maid fell destract first he caused a Surgeon to make two or three deeper holes then the Viper had made that so the poyson might be the more easily extracted then he scarified the place and drawed it with cupping-glasses whereby was exhausted all the blacke blood and then also the whole legge ouer was scarified and blood drawne out of it as long as it would run of it owne accord Then was a plaister made of Garlicke and the sharpest Onyons rosted which being mixed with Triacle was layde to the bytten place Also the maide dranke three dayes of Triacle in wine and foure houres after a little broth made with Garlicke The second day after the abatement of the paine he gaue her the iuyce of Yew-leaues fasting which he commendeth as the most notable Antidote in this kind and so made a second plaister which lay on three dayes more and in the meane time she dranke fasting euery day that iuyce of Yew-leaues whereby her trembling and distracted estate was abated but from the wounded place still flowed matter and it looked blacke Then the foure next dayes the said matter was drawne out by a linnen cloth wherein was Goatesdunge powder of Lawrell and Euphorbium in Wine all mixed together and afterward he made this oyntment which did perfectly cure her Rec of long Aristolochij two ounces of Briony and Daffadill one ounce of Galbanum and Myrrhe of each one ounce with a conuenient quantitie of oyle of Bayes and Waxe This applyed to the bytten place in a â—…en cloth and tentures twice a day did perfectly recouer her health within a month Ambrosius Paraeus cured himselfe with binding his finger hard that was bytten applying to it Triacle dissolued in Aquavitae and drunke vp in lynt or bumbast and he aduiseth in stead of old Triacle to take Mithridate Gesner saith that he saw a mayd cured of the eating of Vâ—pers flesh by beeing constrained