450 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XXX. 



is attached to a tree that is being felled, the persons hewing 

 it will never feel cold, and will fell it all the more easily. For 

 so it is, that this is the only one among all the serpents that 

 faces the cold, making its appearance the first of all, and even, 

 before the cuckoo's note is heard. There is another marvellous 

 fact also mentioned, with reference to the cuckoo : if, upon the 

 spot where a person hears this bird for the first time, he traces 

 round the space occupied by his right foot and then digs 

 up the earth, it will effectually prevent fleas from, breeding, 

 wherever it is thrown. 



CHAP. 26. REMEDIES FOR PARALYSIS. 



For persons apprehensive of paralysis the fat of dormice and 

 of field-mice, they say, is very useful, boiled : and for patients 

 threatened with phthisis, millepedes are good, taken in drink, 

 in manner already 24 mentioned for the cure of quinzy. The 

 same, too, with a green lizard, boiled down to one cyathus in 

 three sextarii of wine, and taken in doses of one spoonful 

 dailj', until the patient is perfectly cured ; the ashes also of 

 burnt snails, taken in wine. 



CHAP. 27. REMEDIES FOR EPILEPSY. 



For the cure of epilepsy wool-grease is used, with a modi- 

 cum of myrrh, a piece about the size of a hazel-nut being dis- 

 solved and taken after the bath, in two cyathi of wine : a 

 ram's testes, also, dried and pounded, and taken in doses of 

 half a denarius, in water, or in a semi-sextarius of asses' 

 milk; the patient being forbidden wine five days before and 

 after using the remedy. Sheep's blood, too, is mightily praised, 

 taken in drink ; sheep's gall, also, and lambs' gall in particular, 

 mixed with honey ; the flesh of a sucking puppy, taken with 

 wine and myrrh, the head and feet being first removed ; the 

 callosities from a mule's legs, taken in three cyathi of oxymel; 

 the ashes of a spotted lizard from beyond seas, taken in vine- 

 gar ; the thin coat of a spotted lizard, which it casts like a 

 snake, taken in drink indeed some persons recommend the 

 lizard itself, gutted with a reed and dried and taken in drink ; 

 while others, again, are for roasting it on a wooden spit and 

 taking it with the food. 



It is worth while knowing how the winter slough of this 



24 In c. 12 of this Book. Woodlice are meant. 



