180 History of Nature. [BooK VII. 



draw forth all the Poison from the Body. Varro also testi- 

 fieth, that even at this Day there are a few who cure the 

 Stinging of Serpents with their Spittle. Agatharcides 

 writeth, that in Africa the Psylli, 1 who are so called from 

 king Psyllus, whose Sepulchre is in a part of the Greater 



1 The earliest existing reference that we have to the Psylli, or serpent- 

 charmers, is found in the 58th Psalm, the 8th verse ; and the art is yet 

 practised in the East. These men were, and still are, distinct tribes in 

 their several countries, professing the power they claim to be an inherent 

 and natural function. Lucan, in the 5th book of his " Pharsalia," gives a 

 complete exposition of the ancient belief concerning the charming of ser- 

 pents. He chiefly describes the measures which were taken to protect 

 the Roman camp. When the encampment was marked out, the serpent- 

 charmers marched around it chanting their charms, the mystic sounds of 

 which chased the serpents far away. But not trusting entirely to this, 

 fires of different kinds of wood were kept up beyond the furthest tents, 

 the smell of which prevented the serpents from approaching. Thus the 

 camp was protected during the night. But if any soldier when abroad in 

 the day time happened to be bitten, the Psylli exerted their power to 

 effect a cure. First they rubbed the wounded part around with saliva, 

 to prevent, as they said, the poison from spreading while they assayed 

 their arts to extract it : 



" Then sudden he begins the magic song, 



And rolls the numbers hasty o'er his tongue ; 



Swift he runs on, nor pauses once for breath, 



To stop the progress of approaching death ; 



He fears the cure might suffer by delay, 



And life be lost but for a moment's stay. 



Thus oft, though deep within the veins it lies, 



By magic numbers chased, the mischief flies : 



But if it hear too slow, if still it stay, 



And scorn the potent charmer to obey ; 



With forceful lips he fastens on the wound, 



Drains out and spits the venom to the ground." HOWE. 

 Lane (" Modern Egyptian") gives a particular account of the different 

 methods made use of by the Psylli of the present day when exhibiting 

 their supposed powers. As to the pretensions of ancient as well as mo- 

 dern serpent-charmers, of being in their own persons insensible to the 

 poison of the reptiles, there is no satisfactory proof of it : indeed numerous 

 instances to the contrary have occurred ; and where they escape unharmed, 

 it is to be attributed to the poison fangs having been previously extracted, 

 or to their fearless handling of the deadly creatures. See the note on 

 Ps. Iviii. 5, in the " Pictorial Bible," by Dr. Kitto. Wern. Club. 



