THE ANGLO-SAXON HERBALS 21 



Let me drink among the teeth 



And set me on the gums, 



That I may devour the blood of the teeth 



And of the gums destroy their strength. 



Then shall I hold the bolt of the door. 



So must thou say this, O Worm, 



May Ea smite thee with the might of his fist." 



Closely interwoven with these elements of Indo-Germanic 

 origin we find the ancient Eastern doctrine which ascribes 

 disease to demoniac possession. The exorcisms were originally 

 heathen charms, and even in the Leech Book there are many 

 interesting survivals of these, although Christian rites have to a 

 large extent been substituted for them. Both mandrake and 

 periwinkle were supposed to be endowed with mysterious powers 

 against demoniacal possession. At the end of the description 

 of the mandrake in the Herharium of Apuleius there is this 

 prescription : — ■ 



" For witlessness, that is devil sickness or demoniacal \ 

 possession, take from the body of this same wort mandrake by 

 the weight of three pennies, administer to drink in warm water 

 as he may find most convenient — soon he will be healed." — 

 Herh. Ap., 32. 



Of periwinkle we read : — 



" This wort is of good advantage for many purposes, that is 

 to say first against devil sickness and demoniacal possessions 

 and against snakes and wild beasts and against poisons and for 

 various wishes and for envy and for terror and that thou mayst 

 have grace, and if thou hast the wort with thee thou shalt be 

 prosperous and ever acceptable. This wort thou shalt pluck 

 thus, saying, * I pray thee, vinca pervinca, thee that art to be 

 had for thy many useful qualities, that thou come to me glad 

 blossoming with thy mainfulness, that thou outfit me so that I 

 be shielded and ever prosperous and undamaged by poisons and 

 by water ; ' when thou shalt pluck this wort thou shalt be 



