Chap. 29.] EEMEDIES DEEIVED FROM THE CHAMiELEOlS'. 315 



pimples ; and it is taken for epilepsy, in doses of two oboli, in 

 oxymel. Used in the form of a pessary it acts as an emmena- 

 gogue. The best kind of crocodilea, is that which is the whitest, 

 friable, and the lightest in weight : when rubbed between the 

 fingers it should ferment like leaven. The usual method is 

 to wash it, as they do white lead. It is sometimes adulterated 

 with amylum^ or with Cimolian earth, but the most common 

 method of sophistication is to catch the crocodiles and feed 

 them upon nothing but rice. It is recommended as one of 

 the most efficient remedies for cataract to anoint the eyes with 

 crocodile's gall, incorporated with honey. We are assured 

 also that it is highly beneficial for afi'ections of the uterus to 

 make fumigations with the intestines and rest of the body, or 

 else to envelope the patient with wool impregnated with the 

 smoke. 



The ashes of the skin of either crocodile, applied with vinegar 

 to such parts of the body as are about to undergo an incision, 

 or indeed the very smell of the skin when burning, will render 

 the patient insensible to the knife. The blood of either croco- 

 dile, applied to the eyes, effaces marks upon those organs and 

 improves the sight. The body, with the exception of the head 

 and feet, is eaten, boiled, for the cure of sciatica, and is found 

 very useful for chronic coughs, in children more particularly : 

 it is equally good, too, for the cure of lumbago. These animals 

 have a certain fat also, which, applied to the hair, makes it fall 

 off ; persons anointed with this fat are effectually protected 

 against crocodiles, and it is the practice to drop it into wounds 

 inflicted by them. A crocodile's heart, attached to the body 

 in the wool of a black sheep without a speck of any other 

 colour, due care too being taken that the sheep was the first 

 lamb yeaned by its dam, will effectually cure a quartan fever, 

 it is said. 



CHAP. 29. — FIFTEEN EEMEDIES DEEIVED FBOM THE CHAMELEON. 



To these animals we shall annex some others that are equally 

 foreign, and very similar in their properties. To begin then 

 with the chamseleon, which Democritus has considered worthy 

 to be made the subject of an especial work, and each part of 

 which has been consecrated to some particular purpose — This 

 book, in fact, has afforded me no smaU amusement, revealing 

 5s See B. xviii. c. 17. 



