Chap. 11.] REMEDIES FOE AFEECTTONS OF THE THKOAT. 433 



salt, and used for the cure of these diseases. The buprestis*' 

 is an insect but rarely found in Italy, and yerj' similar to a 

 scarabaeus, with long legs. Concealed among the grass, it is 

 very liable to be swallowed unobserved, by oxen in particular ; 

 and the moment it comes in contact with the gall, it causes 

 such a degree of inflammation, that the animal bursts asunder; 

 a circumstance to which the insect owes its name. Applied 

 topically w^ith he-goat suet, it removes lichens on the face, 

 owing to its corrosive properties, as previously^" stated. A 

 vulture's blood, beaten up with cedar resin and root of white 

 chamaeleon — a plant which we have already*^^ mentioned — and 

 covered with a cabbage leaf, when applied, is good for the cure 

 of leprosy ; the same, too, with the legs of locusts, beaten up 

 with he-goat suet. Pimples are treated with poultry grease, 

 beaten up and kneaded with onions. One very useful sub- 

 stance for the face is honey in which the bees have died ; but a 

 sovereign detergent for that part is swans' grease, which has 

 also the property of etfacing wrinkles. Brand-marks^' are 

 removed by using pigeons' dung, diluted in vinegar. 



CHAP, 11. EEMEDIES FOR AFFECTIONS OF THE THROAT. 



I find it stated that catarrhs oppressive to the head may be 

 cured by the patient kissing a mule's nostrils. Aifections of 

 the uvula and pains in the fauces are alleviated by using the dung 

 of lambs before thej' have begun to graze, dried in the shade. 

 Diseases of the uvula are cured with the juices of a snail pierced 

 with a needle ; the snail, however, must be then hung up in the 

 smoke. The same maladies are treated also with ashes of 

 burnt swallows, mixed with honey ; a preparation which is 

 equally good for affections of the tonsillary glands. Sheep's 

 milk, used as a gargle, alleviates diseases of the fauces and 

 tonsillary glands. Millepedes, bruised with pigeons' dung, are 

 taken as a gargle, with raisin wine ; and they are applied, exter- 

 nally, with dried figs and nitre, for the purpose of soothing 

 roughness of the fauces and catarrhs. For such cases, too, 

 snails should be boiled unwashed, the earth only being re- 

 moved, and then pounded and administered to the patient in 

 raisin wine. Some persons are of opinion that for these pur- 



5^ See B. xxii. c. 36. Belon takes it to be the Lixus paraplecticus. 

 «o In B. xxix. c. 30. ^i ju 13, ^-^n g. 21. " u Stigmata." 



YOL. V. r P 



