Chap. 19.1 THE RITER-CHAB. 23 



the repute of assuaging quartan and other fevers, and of check- 

 ing amorous propensities. The spleen of these irogs is used as 

 an antidote to the various poisons that are prepared from them; 

 and for all these purposes the liver is considered still more 

 efficacious. 



CHiP. 19. THE ENIITDins: SIX REMEDIES. THE RIVER-CRAB: 



FOURTEEN KKMKDIKS. THE SEA-CKAB ! SEVEN REMEDIES. THE 

 RIVER-SNAIL: SEVEN REMEDIES. THECORACINUS: FOUR REME- 

 DIES. THE SEA-PIG: TWO REMEDIES. 



There is also a snake 41 which lives in the water, the fat and 

 gall of which, carried about them by persons when in pursuit 

 of the crocodile, are said to be marvellously efficacious, the 

 Least not venturing, in such case, to make an attack upon 

 them. As such preservative, they are still more effectual 

 it' mixed with the herbaceous plant known as putamogiton. 4 ' 

 River-crabs/ 1 taken fresh and beaten up and drunk in water, 

 or the ashes of them, kept for the purpose, arc useful in all 

 cases of poisoning, as a counter-poison : taken with asses' 

 milk they are particularly serviceable as a neutralizer of the 

 venom of the scorpion ; goats' milk or any other kind of milk 

 being substituted where asses' milk cannot be procured. AVine, 

 too, should also be used in all such cases, lliver-crabs, beaten 

 up with ocimum, 41 and applied to scorpions, are fatal to them. 

 They are possessed of similar virtues, also, for the bites of all 

 other kinds of venomous animals, the scytale 45 in particular, 

 udders, the sea-hare, and the bramble-frog. The ashes of them, 

 preserved, are good for persons who give symptoms of hydro- 

 phobia after being bitten by a mad dog, some adding gentian 

 as well, and administering the mixture in wine. In cases, 

 too, where hydrophobia has already appeared, it is recom- 

 mended that these ashes should be kneaded up into boluses with 

 wine, and swallowed. If ten of these crabs are tied together 

 with a handful of ocimuni, 4 * all the scorpions in the neigh- 

 bourhood, the magicians say, will be attracted to the spot. 



41 The Enhydris, probably. Sec B. xxx. c. 8. 



See K xxvi. c. 33. 



" 4t Cnncri lluviatiks." Our crawfish, the Fotamobios of Leach. 



<* See B xix. cc. 31, 3G, 44, and U. xx. c. 48. 



45 It i difficult to say whether lie nuans the shrew-mouse here, the 

 bite of which was supposed to be poisonous, or the serpent called Scyt.ilc. 

 mentioned by Lucuu, B. ix. 1. 717. 46 See .Note 44 abo've. 



