The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-08-28
STRANGE MEDICINES.

The history Of medicine has no more
CURIOUS chapter than that which de-
scrioes the various substances at one
period or another employed for The
treatment OF disease. The subject is
treated IN very entertsiuing way by
MIR. r. l.. SimmoRds, in the Chemist
and Draggsst, who. however, limits his
oDssrvstioRs to remedies derived from
the animal kingdom. We cite q few
instances Of this old-time empiricism
t0ey AFFORD no bad criterion for measur-
ing the progress Of the human intel
lect:
lssects once formed o class of medi.
cines, considered very effective in Ger.
tam csses. and time was when the
doctor would order. . dose Of three gnats
or three drops Of laiy-bird milk. just
- be might order three grains of cslo-
mel On our day. Wood hcs. ants and
beetles uscd 70 be prescribed Tor the
eese q toeehsches3 EhssAmsd bsetls ID
saten by tAst vemea Of Egypt and re-
Rarded - IN emblem Of fertility. The
oiIsbsatls sxudssa { dep yellow oil from
the joints Of the legs. which was es =
tsemed diuretic and used in rheumatic
complaints it has also been recon-
mendcd in hydrophobia. In some
cases the effects attributed to these
carious remedies may possibly be pro-
duced by them, 40 for instance when
Turkish women eat. cooked with but
ter. the btaps sulcata 10 sort of beetle)
with view to the development OF fat !;
but when the same remedy is repre-
sented a. an antidote against earache
and the sting OF ths scorpion. we are
less inclined to believe in its efficacy.
IL A,wood's History of Dominica
wa are told that the fat Of snakes is
esteemed an excellent remedy for rheu-
matism and sprains and by the vulgar
in Persia . bard green substance about
the size OF . bean, found in the body Of
O certain species of serpent. is reckoned
al infAllible cure for the bites of ven
omous reptiles. Among the ancisnts
serpents' flesh was in high repute as q
medicament. and Was also used for
food. like the flesh Of the turtle On
the continsnt OF Europe vipers have
still place in the POI ular phsrma
copeia. and Mr.. Simmonds asserts that
the Italians to this day occasionally
regale themselves with aljelly made Of
ssewed vipers.' In Guatemala lizards
eaten alive are supposed to cure cancer.
As late ss 1918 lions fat belonged to
the msteria medica OF the British phsr-
macopRia. Amoug the ancients, Galen
prescribed 1t as an antidote for poi
sons. The smell of it was said to drive
away serpents. The Roman physicians
had great faith in remedies derived
from this animal. Pliny enumerates
the following First. as d cosmetic, the
fat mixed with oil of roses gives deli,
cacy to the complexion; and secondly,
as AN unguent. it cures affections of the
joints. The gall mixed with water
cured weak eyes mixed with the fat.
and taken internally, it was remedy
for epilepsy. Quartan fever was cured
by giving to the patient the heart
roasted, but quotidian fevers were
treated with the fat and oil of roses.
The natives of the Malay peninsula eat
tiger flesh, believing 1t to be q specific
for ell diseases. besides imparting 10
the one who partskes Of it the animals
courage and sagaeity.
Discarded from the service of the
physician. o few mollusks have found a
resting place in the popular materia
msdics. Slugs and snails were an
ciently and in some parts are to this
day popular remedy in copsumptive e
complants. They srs souetimes made
into . muoilaginous broth |; sometimes
swallowed raw. Snails are to this day
kept on sale in London markets for
tkis purpose. =