Chap. 14.] THE TORTOISE. 17 



hcmina of wine. Sometimes, too, it is taken by asthmatic 

 patients, with baiiey-meal and vinegar, in pieces about the 

 size of a bean ; one of these pieces being taken each morn- 

 ing and evening at first, but after some daj-s, two in the 

 evening. In cases of epilepsy, the mouth of the patient 

 is opened and this blood introduced. For spasmodic affections, 

 when not of a violent nature, it is injected, in combination with 

 castoreum, as a clyster. If a person rinses his teeth three 

 times a year with blood of tortoises, he will be always ex- 

 empt from tooth-ache. This blood is also a cure for asthmatic 

 affections, and for the malady called " orthopnoea," being admi- 

 nistered for these purposes in polenta. 



The gall of the tortoise improves the eye-sight, effaces sears, 

 and cures affections of the tonsillary glands, quinsy, and all 

 kinds of diseases of the mouth, cancers of that part more par- 

 ticularly, as well as cancer of the testes. Applied to the nos- 

 tiils it dispels epilepsy, and sets the patient on his feet : 

 incorporated in vinegar with the slough of a snake, it is a 

 sovereign remedy for purulent discharges from the ears. Some 

 persons add ox-gall and the broth of boiled tortoise-flesh, with 

 an equal proportion of snake's slough ; but in such case, care 

 must be taken to boil the tortoise in wine. Applied with 

 honey, this gall is curative of all diseases of the eyes ; and 

 for the cure of cataract, gall of the sea-tortoise is used, in 

 combination with blood of the river- tortoise and milk. The 

 hair, too, of females, is dyed^ with this gall. For the cure of 

 injuries inflicted by the salamander, it will be quite sufficient 

 to drink the broth of boiled tortoise-flesh. 



There is, again, a third® kind of tortoise, which inhabits mud 

 and swampy localities : the shell on its back is flat and broad, 

 like that upon the breast, and the callipash is not arched and 

 rounded, the creature being altogether of a repulsive appear- 

 ance. However, there are some remedial medicaments to be 

 derived even from this animal. Thus, for instance, three of 

 them are thrown into a fire made with wood cuttings, and the 

 moment their shells begin to separate they are taken off : the 

 flesh is then removed, and boiled with a little salt, in one con- 

 gius of water. When the water has boiled down to one third, 



^ To make it of a yellow or golden colour, Dalechamps says. 

 ^ Ideniitied by Ajasson with the Emys lutaria of Modern Natural 

 History. 



VOL. VI. C 



