Chap. 41.] MEDICINAL REMEDIES OF ANIMALS. 293 



has been contracted by tlie cold of winter, throws it oif in the 

 spring by the aid of the juices of fennel/^ and thus becomes 

 sleek and youthful in appearance. First of all, it disengages 

 the head, and it then takes no less than a day and a night in 

 working itself out, and divesting itself of the membrane in 

 which it has been enclosed. The same animal, too, on finding 

 its sight weakened during its winter retreat, anoints and re- 

 freshes its eyes by rubbing itself on the plant called fennel or 

 marathrum ; but if any of the scales are slow in coming off,^^ it 

 rubs itself against the thorns of the juniper. The dragon re- 

 lieves the nausea which affects it in spring, with the juices of 

 the lettuce.''^ The barbarous nations go to hunt the panther, 

 provided with meat that has been rubbed with aconite, 

 which is a poison. ^^ Immediately on eating it, compression 

 of the throat overtakes them, from which circumstance it is, 

 that the plant has received the name of pardalianches.^'' The 

 animal, however, has found an antidote against this poison in 

 human excrements ; besides which, it is so eager to get at 

 them, that the shepherds purposely suspend them in a vessel, 

 placed so high, that the animal cannot reach them even by 

 leaping, when it endeavours to get at them ; accordingly, it 

 continues to leap until it has quite exhausted itself, and at last 

 expires : otherwise, it is so tenacious of life, that it will con- 



^3 Pliny refers to this effect, B. sx. c. 95 ; he speaks also of its applica- 

 tion to the eyes of the animal ; it is probable, that feniculum and mara- 

 thrum both refer to the same plant ; the latter being the ordinary Greek, 

 and the former tlie Latin, name. This effect of the feniculum is also 

 mentioned by ^lian, B. ix. c. 16. — B. 



^^ " Si vero squamae obtorpuere ;" Hardouin supposes that this applies 

 particularly to the eyes. — B. There can be little doubt that he is correct 

 in that supposition. 



^■^ Aristotle, nbi siq)ra^ and ^lian, Anim. Nat. B. vi. c. 4, state that the 

 dragon takes the juice of the picris into the stomach, when overloaded -svith 

 food. The exact plant referred to, under that name, cannot be ascertained 

 for certain ; but it appears probable, that it is a wild lettuce or endive, or 

 some plant belonging to that family, — B, 



^^ This effect of aconite, and the antidote for it, are mentioned in B. 

 xxvii. c. 2 ; they are also mentioned by Aristotle, tchi supra ; and by-5]liaii, 

 Anim. Nat. B. iv. c. 49, and alluded to by Cicero, De. Nat. Deor. B. ii. 

 e. 50. It appears from a statement of Tavernier, as referred to by 

 Hardouin, that the same antidote against poisoned weapons is still em- 

 ployed in the island of Java. — B. 



^" From the Greek TrapSaXiayxVQ^ " pard-strangle." 



