HELICIDjE. SNAIL. 3 



dance, however, in excavating on the sites of Roman 

 stations, and at Lyrane, in Kent (Portus Leraanis), 

 Mr. Wright has seen them dug up in masses almost as 

 large as ordinary buckets, and completely embedded to- 

 gether.* In France also empty shells of the apple 

 snail have been met with amongst the ruins of Roman 

 villas, in the neighbourhood of Auch, Agen, and in Pro- 

 vence; and in the Danish "kjokkenraoddings," Helix 

 nemoralis has been found in small quantities. 



As a medicine, snails were recommended for other 

 diseases besides consumption, and Helix aspersa, the 

 common garden snail, was generally used. 



In a quaint old book, entitled 'A Rich Storehouse 

 or Treasurie for the Diseased, wherein are many ap- 

 proved medecines for divers and sundrie diseases which 

 have been longe hidden, and not come to light before 

 this time ; first set forth for the benefit of the poorer 

 sorte of people that are not of abilitie to goe to the Phy- 

 sicians,' by Master Ralph Bower, we find : — " Snales 

 which bee in shells, beat together with bay salt and 

 mallowes, and laid to the bottomes of your feet, and to 

 the wristes of your hands, before the fit corameth, ap- 

 peaseth the ague." Again : — "Take 20 garden snailes, 

 and beate them (shelles and all) in a morter, untill you 

 perceiue them to be come to a salue ; then spread a little 

 thereof upon a linnen cloath, and lay it to the place 

 grieued, and when one plaister is dry, then take that of, 

 and put on another, and it will both heale the sore place 

 and draw it." For corns, he recommends " blacke sope 

 and snailes, of each a like quantitie, stampe them togi- 

 ther, and make a plaister thereof, and spread it upon a 

 piece of tine linnen cloth, or else upon a piece of white 

 * ' The Celt, the Koman, and the Saxon.' 



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