^o On Popular Illufions. 



drink human blood, and to eat a human liver, 

 for the cure of epilepfy ; thefe remedies he fup- 

 pofes to have been recommended by witches, 

 who are imagined to be fond of human blood. 

 To prove this, he quotes Apuleius and Philo- 

 ftratus. It is truly ridiculous to find demono- 

 logifts quoting the romance of Apuleius, (which 

 is a palpable fatire on magical flories,) as true 

 hiftory(i). 



Mylius, Mynficht and Hofer (forgotten names) 

 all believed the influence of witchcraft in difeafes. 

 I ihall have occafion to fpeak of the two laft, 

 in treating of the remedies for preternatural 

 complaints. 



Baptifta Porta was not only a demonologift, 

 but a fignaturift, that is, a believer in the con- 

 formity of the virtues of plants to certain ex- 

 ternal appearances, fuppofed to be imprefled by 

 guardian angels. The convallaria, or Solomon's 

 feal, and fome of the ferns, were celebrated re- 

 medies of this kind. A Diflertation de Simpli- 

 cium Signaturis was publilhed at Rome, by 

 Sinibaldo, in 1690. 



Severinus and Hartmann were followers of 

 Paracelfus. 



Fernel faw a demoniac, who fpoke Greek, 

 without underftanding it. 



Merindol, who flouriflied at Aix in Provence, 

 about the beginning of the laft century, had con- 

 fiderable pradice in fafcinatory difeafes; he had 



the 



