LEECH BOOK, II. 297 



fill against all dangerous infirmities, cither against Book li. 

 fever, or against typhus, or against poison, or against ^'''' ''''^' 

 evil air. Writings also say, that he who employs the 

 leechdom is able to preserve himself for twelve months 

 against peril of all infirmities. 



5. Then again, against itch, and that all the body 

 may be of a clean, and glad, and bright hue : take oil 

 and dregs of old wine, equally much, put them into a 

 mortar, mingle well together, and smear the body with 

 this in the sun. Against an elf and against a strange 

 visitor,' rub myrrh in wine and as mickle of white 

 frankincense, and shave off a part of the stone called 

 agate into the wine, let him drink this for three morn- 

 ings after his nights fast, or for nine, or for twelve. For 

 land disease or nostalgia, boil wormwood so dry (or) 

 so green, as he hath there, in oleum infirm orum, the 

 oil of extreme unction, till a third part of the oil is 

 boiled away, and smear all the body at the fire with 

 it, and a mass priest shall perform the leechdom, if a 

 man hath means to pet one. For a bite of r'-ano- 

 weaving spider, smudge hydromeP on iron. For dia- 

 rhoea, boil in milk horse gall and black snail, sip in 

 the morning and evening. A head salve ; myrrh and 

 aloes, and libanum or frankincense, of all a like quan- 

 tity, mingle with vinegar, smear the head therewith. 

 For the same ; sulfur and swails apple, myrrh and 

 fi-ankincense of every sort ; nine English worts, pule- 

 gium, bramble, apple, lupin, bishopwort, femiel, rough 

 waybroad, vipers bugloss, the hoar wort, lithewort, of 

 all these equal quantities ; oil of unction, holy water, 

 holy salt,'^ common oil, smear thyself with this up- 

 wards on the head, when thou hast rubbed them. 



Ixvi. 



Of the stone which liight agate. It is said that it 

 hath eight virtues. One is when there is thunde)-, it 



' Interpreted by Herbarium cxi. 3. I ^ Salt which has had the formula 



^ Perhaps 'S'weaf. | of benediction pronounced over it. 



