Chap. 14.] THE TOHTOTSE. 17 



hcmina of wine. Sometimes, too, it is taken by asthmatic 

 patients, with barley-meal and vinegar, in pieces about the 

 size of a bean ; one of these pieces being taken each morn- 

 ing and evening at first, but after some days, two in tho 

 evening.' In cases of epilepsy, tho mouth of the patient 

 is opened and this blood introduced. For spasmodic affections, 

 when not of a violent nature, it is injected, in combination with 

 castoreum, as u clyster. If a person rinses his teeth throe 

 times a year with blood of tortoises, he will be always ex- 

 empt from tooth-ache. This blood is also a cure for asthmatic 

 affections, and for the malady called " orthopncea," being admi- 

 nistered for these purposes in polenta. 



The gall of the tortoise improves the eye-sight, effaces scars, 

 and cures affections of the tonsillary glands, quinsy, and all 

 kinds of diseases of the mouth, cancers of that part more par- 

 ticularly, as well as cancer of the testes. Applied to the nos- 

 trils it dispels epilepsy, and sets tho patient on his feet: 

 incorporated in vinegar with the slough of a snake, it is a 

 sovereign remedy for purulent discharges from the ears. Some 

 persons add ox-gall and the broth of boiled toi toise-tlesh, with 

 an equal proportion of snake* s slough ; but in such case, care 

 must be* taken to boil the tortoise in wine. Applied with 

 honey, this gall is curative of all diseases of the eyes ; and 

 for tho cure of cataract, gall of the sea-tortoise is used, in 

 combination with blood of the river- tortoise and milk. Tho 

 hair, too, of females, is dyed 5 with this gall. For the cure of 

 injuries indicted by the salamander, it will be quite sufficient 

 to drink the broth of boiled tortoise-flesh. 



There is, again, a third 6 kind of tortoise, which inhabits mud 

 and swampy localities: the shell on its back is flat and broad, 

 like that upon the breast, and the callipash is not arched and 

 rounded, the creature being altogether of a repulsive appear- 

 ance. However, there are some remedial medicaments to be 

 derived even from this animal. Thus, for instance, three of 

 them are thrown into a fire made with wood cuttings, and the 

 moment their shells begin to separate they are taken off: the 

 flesh is then removed, and boiled with a little salt, in one con- 

 gius of water. AVhcn the water has boiled down to one third, 



5 To make it of n yellow or golden colour, flalcchamps snvs. 



6 Idtniitii-d by Ajassou with the Einys lutaria of Modern Natural 

 History. 



VOL. vi. o 



