Chap. 30.] EEMEDIES DERIVED FEOM CANTHAEIDES. 403 



a liniment for injuries inflicted by the scorpion. Some persons 

 boil down the oil with litharge, and make a sort of plaster of 

 it to apply to the wound. The Greeks give the name of 

 " colotes" to this lizard, as also '* ascalabotes," and ** galeotes :" 

 it is never^'' found in Italy, and is covered with small spots, 

 utters a shrill, piercing noise, and lives on food ; characteristics, 

 all of them, foreign to the stellio of Italy. 



CHAP. 29. EEMEDIES DERIVED FEOM VAEIODS INSECTS. 



Poultry dung, too, is good as an application for the sting of 

 the scorpion ; a dragon's liver also ; a lizard or mouse split 

 asunder ; or else the scorpion itself, either applied to the wound, 

 grilled and eaten, or taken In two cyathi of undiluted wine. 

 One peculiarity of the scorpion is, that it never stings the 

 palm of the hand, and never touches any parts of the body but 

 those covered with hair. Any kind of pebble, applied to the wound 

 on the side which has lain next to the ground, will alleviate the 

 pain. A potsherd too, covered with earth on any part of it, and 

 applied just as it is found, will effect a cure, it is said — the 

 person, however, who applies it must not look behind him, 

 and must be equally careful that the sun does not shine upon 

 him. Earth-worms also, are pounded and applied to the 

 wound; in addition to which, they form ingredients in numerous 

 other medicaments, being kept in honey for the purpose. 



For injuries inflicted by bees, wasps, hornets, and leeches, 

 the owlet is considered a very useful remedy ; persons, too, who 

 carry about them the beak of the woodpecker^^ of Mars are 

 never injured by any of these creatures. The smaller kinds 

 of locusts also, destitute of wings and known as *' attelebi," 

 are a good remedy for the sting of the scorpion. 



There is a kind of venomous ant, by no means common in 

 Italy; Cicero calls it ''solipuga,'* and in Baetica it is known 

 as *'salpuga."^^ The proper remedy for its venom and that 

 of all kinds of ants is a bat's heart. We have already^ stated 

 that cantharides are an antidote to the salamander. 



CHAP. 30. REMEDIES DERIVED FROM CANTHAEIDE3. 



But with reference to cantharides, there has been considerable 



" This is probably an error ; see the Note to B. xi. c. 31. 

 58 See B. X. cc. 18, 41, 44, and 50. 



5^ See B. viii. c. 43. Ajassou remarks that this is a mere fabulous story, 

 in reference to the venom of the ants. ^^ In B. xxix. c. 23. 



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