TORPEDO. 123 



them on grounds which ignorant men of power and wealth 

 could understand, to have omitted the mention of such matters 

 in a work intended to represent the full extent of knowledge 

 then existing in the world, would have been to render himself 

 exposed to a reproach not less severe than, though the reverse 

 of, that so often in modern times brought against him. 



But as regards many of the instances of a strange and now 

 incredible kind to which Pliny has given a place in his work, 

 and especially those concerning the Torpedo, he is careful to 

 exrjress or imply his doubts, although as a faithful copyist he 

 feels himself bound to transcribe them. In addition then, to 

 the information, that the local application of this fish was a 

 remedy for some obscure disease of the spleen, we will only 

 adduce one instance of the accepted practice of the magical 

 physicians of that age, reported to us by this writer. It was 

 important that this fish should be caught when the moon was 

 in the celestial sign Libra, and that it should be kept in the 

 open air for three days. If after this it were simply brought 

 into the room where a woman was in a state of parturition, 

 it would secure her speedy safety; and it would appear that it 

 might thus be carried from one patient to another with equal 

 success. 



The first physician of real abilities who directed his attention 

 to the study of the medical properties of this fish was Galen; 

 who prescribed the application of the living fish to cases of 

 periodical headache with much success; and we learn also from 

 Scribonius Largus, quoted by Matthiolus in his Commentary on 

 Dioscorides, that a freedman of Augustus Caesar was relieved 

 or cured of a fit of the gout by the same means. But it is 

 not a little remarkable, and suggests some doubt of this sup- 

 posed instance, that this case, which from the eminent station 

 of the patient, must have been widely talked of, was not known 

 to Pliny or Celsus; careful as the former has shewn himself to 

 have been to collect all the information on every subject then 

 attainable, and well acquainted, as he may be supposed also 

 to have been, with all that was of interest connected with the 

 court of Augustus. And how little the true nature of this 

 remedial influence continued to be understood, appears from 

 the writings of Paulus iEgineta, himself a physician of emi- 

 nence; but who knew so little of the source of this powerful 



