ARANEID.E — TRUE SPIDERS. 357 



arrived at the years of puberty; the boy, too, must not 

 show himself to the patient for three days, and during those 

 three days neither of them must touch the ground with his 

 feet uncovered. The white Spider with very elongated, 

 thin legs, beaten up in old oil, forms an ointment which is 

 used for the cure of albugo. The Spider, too, whose web, 

 of remarkable thickness, is generally found adhering to the 

 rafters of houses, applied in a piece of cloth, is said to be 

 curative of defluxions of the eyes."^ 



As a remedy for the ears, Pliny says : " The thick pulp of 

 a Spider's body, mixed with oil of roses, is used for the 

 ears ; or else the pulp applied by itself with saifron or in 

 wool.'" 



For fractures of the cranium, Pliny says, cobwebs are 

 applied, with oil and vinegar; the application never coming 

 away till a cure has been effected. Cobwebs are good, too, 

 he continues, for stopping the bleeding of wounds made in 

 shaving.^ They are still used for this purpose, as also the 

 fur from articles made of beaver. 



In Ben Jonson's Stable of News, Almanac says of old 

 Penny boy (as a skit upon his penuriousness), that he 



Sweeps down no cobwebs here, 

 But sells 'em for cut fingei^s ; and the Spiders, 

 As creatures rear'd of dust, and cost him nothing, 

 To fat old ladies' monkies.* 



And Shakspeare, in his Midsummer-Night's Dream, 

 makes Bottom say to the fairy Cobweb : 



"I shall desire you of more acquaintance, good master Cobweb. 

 If I cut my finger, I shall make bold with you."^ 



Pills formed of Spiders' webs are still considered an in- 

 fallible cure for the ague.^ Dr. Graham, in his Domestic 

 Medicine, prescribes it for ague and intermittent fever. And 

 Spiders themselves, with their legs pinched off, and then 



1 Nat. Hist., xxix. 38. 



2 Ibid., xxix. 39. 3 Ibid., xxix. 3G. 



4 Staple of News, A. ii. So. 1, vol. v. p. 219. Lond. 1816. '* A 

 Spider is usually given to monkeys, and is esteemed a sovereign 

 remedy for the disorders those animals are principally subject to." 

 — James's Med. Diet. Spiders are also fed to mocking-birds, not 

 only as food, but also as an aperient. 



5 Mid. Night's Dream, Act iii. Sc. 1. 



6 Vide Eventful Life of a Soldier. Edinbg. 1852, 



31* 



