The next document presented is the Medicina de Quadrupedibus of Sextus
Placitus, an unknown personage, who adds to the interest of his
narrative by pretending that “a king of the Egyptians, Idpartus he was
highten,” sent this treatise to the Emperor Octavius Cæsar, “for,” he
said, “I wist thee worthy of this.” Probably this manuscript was not
a translation at all; if it was, the pretended authors were almost
certainly fictitious. Most of the instructions here given relate to the
medicinal uses of animals. The idea that foxes’ lungs will strengthen
ours is hardly dead yet. Here it is in this old Saxon document:--
“For oppressive hard drawn breathing, a fox’s lung sodden and put into
sweetened wine, and administered, is wonderfully healthy.”
The fox had many other uses. Foxes’ grease would heal many kinds
of sores. His sinews soaked in honey would cure a sore throat; his
“naturam” wrapped round the head would banish headache; his “coillon”
rubbed on warts would break them up and remove them; and dimness of
sight could be relieved by his gall mingled with honey. The worst
recipe is:
For disease of joints. Take a living fox and seethe him till the bones
alone are left. Let the man go down therein frequently, and into
another bath. Let him do so very oft. Wonderfully it healeth.
There are scores of cures from parts of animals, some of them very
disgusting. A few more specimens of decent ones must suffice.
For oversleeping, a hare’s brain in wine is given for a drink.
Wonderfully it amendeth.
To get sleep a goat’s horn laid under the head turneth waking into
sleep.
For sleep lay a wolf’s head under the pillow; the unhealthy shall sleep.
Let those who suffer apparitions eat lion’s flesh; they will not after
that suffer any apparition.
For any fracture, take a hound’s brain laid upon wool and bind upon the
broken place for fourteen days; then will it be firmly amended, and
there shall be a need for a firmer binding up.
If thou frequently smearest and touchest children’s gums with bitches’
milk, the teeth wax without sore.