i 
Chap. 33.] REMEDIES FOB THE OTHEE POISONS. 4Q7 
The lizard known by some persons as the seps/''''^ and by- 
others as the chalcidice," taken in wine, is a cure for its 
own bite. 
CHAP. 33. REMEDIES FOR THE OTHER POISONS. 
"Where persons have been poisoned by noxious preparations 
from the wild weasel/^ the proper remedy is the broth of an 
old cock, taken in considerable quantities. This broth, too, 
is particularly good, taken as a counter-poison for aconite, in 
combination with a little salt. Poultry dung — but the white 
part only — boiled with hyssop, or with honied wine, is an ex- 
cellent antidote to the poison of fungi and of mushrooms : it is 
a cure also for flatulency and suffocations ; a thing the more to 
be wondered at, seeing that if any other living creature only 
tastes this dung, it is immediately attacked with griping pains 
and flatulency. Goose blood, taken with an equal quantity of 
olive oil, is an excellent neutralizer of the venom of the sea- 
hare : it is kept also as an antidote for all kinds of noxious 
drugs, made up into lozenges with red earth of Lemnos and juice 
of white-thorn, five drachmae of the lozenges being taken in 
three cyathi of water. The same property belongs also to the 
young of the weasel, prepared in manner already''^ mentioned. 
Lambs' rennet is an excellent antidote to all noxious pre- 
parations ; the blood, also, of ducks from Pontus for which 
reason it is preserved in a dry state, and dissolved in wine when 
wanted, some persons being of opinion that the blood of the 
female bird is the most efficacious. In a similar manner, the 
crop of a stork acts as an universal counter-poison ; and so does 
sheep's rennet. A broth made from ram's flesh is particu- 
larly good as a remedy for cantharides : sheep's milk also, taken 
warm; this last being very useful in cases where persons 
have drunk an infusion of aconite, or have swallowed the 
buprestis in drink. The dung of wood-pigeons is particularly 
good taken internally as an antidote to quicksilver ; and for 
'2 See B. XX. cc. 6, 20. It is somewhat doubtful what the " seps " 
really was ; whether, in fact, it was a lizard at all. Littre suggests the Tri^ 
dactylus saurius. 
73 Or Ferret, probably. See c. 16 of this Book. 
7* In c. 16 of this Book. 
From the circumstance that that country was covered with herbs and 
plants of a medicinal nature. 
