Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-07-05
CURIOUS REMEDIES.
A COLLECTION OF PRESCRIPTIONS
MADE Nv THE FIRST CENTURY.

ache-Sore Eyes-Relaxed Throat-Hy
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES for Everything.
In the first century Of the Christian er
lived in Rome Caius Plinius Secundus
He was good man and true. a scientis
SO far as his light went, and with a pro
fessional distrust for the prescriptions O
those whom he calls magicians, VIII
strove to cure by spells, amulets ant
charms And he set himself to make
collection of prescriptions for the benef
OF the suffering Romans of his day, being
careful only to insert those which haG
been duly recommended by the faculty
This curious and interesting book wa!
translated into English by DR.. Philemon
Holland, three years before the death Of
Elizabeth, at which time there were grea,
numbers of people who implicitly believed
in the remedies there set down. W.
venture, then, no apology in offering ou,
readers few Of Pliny's choicest prescrip
tions, so old that now they are new.
Fever receives the attention it deserves,
being cured most by a1hulets and remedies
to be worn round the neck; as, for in
stance. you are to take 1.-The right eie Of g
wolfe. salt it. and so tie it about the
necke, or hang it fast to any part Of the
person" Elephants blood was invaluable,
but if the squeamish should turn against
the remedy, poetic substitute is pro-
vided-''a lions heart stepped in oil of
| rosesl"
Deafness was readily curable by COM
pound OF ''goosegrease, fresh butter and
bulls gall. tempered with myrrh and rue,
or the fome that horse doth froth, mixed
with oil of roses"
A very rational remedy is recommended
for toothache: If one bite off piece Of
some tree that hath been blasted with
lightning. provided always"-and here is
the rub-''that he holds his hands behind
him in so doing, the said peece of wood
viii take away the toothache."
Headache was at once cured by having
the forehead touched by 1.-The trunk or
shuttle of an elephaunt;" or, 'if a man
poure vinigar upon the hooks and hindges
Of doors, and make a liniment with the
durt that commeth Of the rust thereof,
and Herewith anoint the forehead" his
headache is at once cured.
Sore eyes were simple matter, and re-
quired only Ito anoint them with VOLTS
grease or swine's marrow" but actual
blindness required, of course, more elab-
crate treatment. 1.-THE g-avie or dripping
of hyene's liver, newly taken out of the
body and rosted, being Incorporated with
clarified hony into an unguent, riddeth a
man from blindness Or If the eyes
squinted. ''if the eies be dipped three
times in that water wherein a man or
woman hath washed their feet, they shall
be troubled neither with blearednease nor
any other infrmity."
The remedy for "relaxed throat" was
simple enough. but the doctor needed to
be of herculean strength. "If the uvula
be falne, it will be up again if the patient
suffer another to bite the haire in the
crowne of his head, and SO to pull him
plamb from the ground"
Should an accident occur in eating,
Pliny is equal to the emergency: "If
peece of bread have gone wrong, or lie in
the way readie to stop the breth, take the
crums of the same 'loafe and put them
into both the cares, you shall see it shall
soone be gone. and doe no further harm"
There are periodical epidemics of hydro
phobia, or rather fear of that horrible
malady, and it is as well to know how to
treat the bite Of dog, whether mad or
sane. This is what Pliny recommends:
''Make decoction Of badger. cuckoo
and swallow, and drink it off" Cramp
was to be cured by "a cataplasme of a
live wolf, sodden in ollie till the said ole
be gelied to the height or consistence Of
q cerot." Pliny seems to take it for
granted that the ''live wolf" would raise
no objections to be thus utilized. The
nervous and shy will be filed with cour-
age if they take the pith or marrow out
of the hyene's backbone, along and incor-
porate with ollie and hony; it is passing
good for .he nerves."
Bees are supposed to die after stinging;
and Pliny tells similarly of serpene, that
"serpents can hurt but once, neither kill
they many together. to say nothing how,
when they have stung or bitten man,
they die for very griefe and sorrow that
they have done such q mischiefe, as II
they had some prick or remorse Of con-
science afterwards.
Pliny has receipts for everybody and
everything; even the ladies are not for.
gotten. For the complexion. 1.-The pas
terne bones Of a young white bulkin, or
steere. sodden for the space of forty daies
and nights together, until such time as
they be dissolved into the liquor; If the
face be wet with fine linnen cloth dipped
in the said decoction, it causeth the skin
to look clean and white. and without any
rivels or wrinkles; but the said Imminent
must be kept all night to the face in the
manner of q maske." For the hair:
"Ants' eggs stamped and incorporst with
flies, likewise pounded together, will give
a lovely black colour to the hair of the
elebrows." To curl the hair: "a camels
taile dried and reduced into ashes and In
corporal with ollie doth curle and frizzle
the hair of the head"
It seems incredible to US that remedies
such as these could gravely be recon-
mended and believed in, and yet such was
the case. It must have required a mar
velous amount of faith to get some Of
these gruesome prescriptions down, and
faith. as we know, works wonders in the
the healing art.-Au the Year Round.