532 NATURAL HISTORY. 



bodies, laid on heaps unburied. The other ingre 

 dients are, the blood-stone in powder, and some 

 other things, which seem to have a virtue to stanch 

 klood ; as also the moss hath. And the description 

 of the whole ointment is to be found in the chemical 

 dispensatory of Crollius. Secondly, the same kind 

 of ointment applied to the hurt itself worketh not 

 the effect ; but only applied to the weapon. Thirdly, 

 which I like well, they do not observe the confecting 

 of the ointment under any certain constellation ; 

 which commonly is the excuse of magical medicines 

 when they fail, that they were not made under a fit 

 figure of heaven. Fourthly, it may be applied to 

 the weapon, though the party hurt be at great dis 

 tance. Fifthly, it seemeth the imagination of the 

 party to be cured is not needful to concur ; for it 

 may be done without the knowledge of the party 

 wounded : and thus much has been tried, that the 

 ointment, for experiment s sake, hath been wiped 

 off the weapon, without the knowledge of the party 

 hurt, and presently the party hurt hath been in great 

 rage of pain, till the weapon was re-anointed. 

 Sixthly, it is affirmed, that if you cannot get the 

 weapon, yet if you put an instrument of iron or 

 wood, resembling the weapon, into the wound, 

 whereby it bleedeth, the anointing of that instrument 

 will serve and work the effect. This I doubt should 

 be a device to keep this strange form of cure in re 

 quest and use ; because many times you cannot come 

 by the weapon itself. Seventhly, the wound must be 

 at first washed clean with white wine, or the party s 



