Middle Ages. 
I will give one inftance from Apuleius, 
of that credulity and faperftition, which^ 
fandioned by antiquity, yet prevailed in the 
adminiftration of remedies ^ and exhibits a 
melancholy proof of the wretched ftate of 
phyfic, which, through fo many ages, had 
not broke the fhackles of druidical magic 
and impofition. As a cure for a difeafe^ 
called by the French Noue rEqzdlktfey you 
are direfted to take feven ftalks of the herb 
lions-foot y feparated from the roots ; thefe 
are to be boiled in water in the wane of the 
moon. The patient is to be waflied with 
this water, on the approach of night, ftand- 
. ing before the threlhold,^ on the outfide of 
his own houfe, and the perfon who per- 
forms this office for the fick, is alfo not to 
fail to wafh himfelf. This done, the lick 
perfon is to be fumigated with the fmoke 
of the herb Arijiolochia^ and both perfons 
are then to enter into the houfe together, 
taking ftrid care not to look behind them 
while returning ; after which, adds the au- 
thor, the fick will immediately become 
well. 
A book under the name of Macer's 
Herbal^ 
