Chap. 38.] REMEDIES FOR FEVERS. 47 



of sea-crabs with oil ; river crabs, ^^ bruised and burnt to ashes 

 and kneaded up with oil; or else fat of the silurus.^^ In 

 diseases of the joints, the paroxysms are modified by applying 

 fresh frogs every now and then : some authorities recommend 

 that they should be split asunder before being applied. The 

 liquor from mussels -^ and other shell-fish has a tendency to 

 make flesh. 



CHAP. 37. REMEDIES FOR EPILEPST. 



Epileptic patients, as already-^ stated, are recommended to 

 drink the rennet of the sea-calf, ^^ mixed v/ith mares' milk or 

 asses' mill^ or else with pomegranate juice, or, in some cases 

 with oxymel : some persons, too, swallow the rennet by itself] 

 in the form of pills. Castoreum'^^ is sometimes administered, in 

 three cyathi of oxymel, to the patient fasting ; but where the 

 attacks are frequent, it is employed in the form of a clyster, 

 with marvellous effect. The proper proportions, in this last case' 

 are two drachmae of castoreum, one sextarius of oil and honey' 

 and the same quantity of water. At the moment that the 

 patient is seized with a fit, it is a good plan to give him cas- 

 toreum, with vinegar, to smell. The liver, too, of the sea- 

 weaseP'' is given to epileptic patients, or else that of sea-mice, -^ 

 or the blood of tortoises. 



CHAP. 38. (10.)— EEMEDIES FOR FEVERS. THE FISH CALLED 

 ASELLFS : ONE REMEDY. THE PHAGRUS : ONE REMEDY. THE 

 BAL^NA : ONE REMEDY. 



^ Eecurrent fevers are effectually checked by making the pa- 

 tient taste the liver of a dolphin, just before the paroxysm 

 comes on. Hippocampi ^^ are stifled in oil of roses, and the pa- 

 tients are rubbed therewith in cold agues, the fish, also, being 

 worn as an amulet by the patient. In the same way, too, the 

 small stones that are found at full moon in the head of the fish 

 called ''asellus "^7 are worn, attached in a piece of linen cloth 

 to the patient's body. A similar virtue is attributed to the 



18 Our crawfish. i9 See B. ix. cc. 17, 25, 75 



20 " Mituli." See Chapter 31 of the present Book. 



21 In B. viii. c. 49. -ii See Kote 14 above. 

 23 See Chapter 13 of the present Book. 



2* See B. ix. c. 29. 2^ See B. ix. cc. 35 76. 



26 See B. ix. c. 1. 27 See B. ix. c. 28. 



