CHAP. 41. (27.)—THE MEDICINAL REMEDIES WHICH HAVE BEEN
BORROWED FROM ANIMALS. [1]
The bird also, which is called the ibis,[2] a native of the same
country of Egypt, has shewn us some things of a similar
nature. By means of its hooked beak, it laves the body
through that part, by which it is especially necessary for
health that the residuous food should be discharged. Nor, indeed, are these the only inventions which have been borrowed
from animals, to prove of use to man. The power of the
herb dittany, in extracting arrows, was first disclosed to us by
stags that had been struck by that weapon; the weapon being
discharged on their feeding upon this plant.[3] The same animals, too, when they happen to have been wounded by the
phalangium, a species of spider, or by any insect of a similar
nature, cure themselves by eating crabs. One of the very best
remedies for the bite of the serpent, is the plant[4] with which
lizards treat their wounds when injured in fighting with each
other. The swallow has shown us that the chelidonia[5] is
very serviceable to the sight, by the fact of its employing it
for the cure of its young, when their eyes are affected. The
tortoise recruits its powers of effectually resisting serpents, by
eating the plant which is known as cunile bubula;[6] and the
weasel feeds on rue, when it fights with the serpent in the
pursuit of mice.[7] The stork cures itself of its diseases with wild
marjoram, and the wild boar with ivy, as also by eating crabs,
and more particularly those that have been thrown up by the
sea.[8] The snake, when the membrane which covers its body
has been contracted by the cold of winter, throws it off in the
spring by the aid of the juices of fennel,[9] and thus becomes
sleek and youthful in appearance. First of all, it disengages
the head, and it then takes no less than a day and a night in
working itself out, and divesting itself of the membrane in
which it has been enclosed. The same animal, too, on finding
its sight weakened during its winter retreat, anoints and refreshes its eyes by rubbing itself on the plant called fennel or
marathrum; but if any of the scales are slow in coming off,[10] it
rubs itself against the thorns of the juniper. The dragon relieves the nausea which affects it in spring, with the juices of
the lettuce.[11] The barbarous nations go to hunt the panther,
provided with meat that has been rubbed with aconite,
which is a poison.[12] Immediately on eating it, compression
of the throat overtakes them, from which circumstance it is,
that the plant has received the name of pardalianches.[13] The
animal, however, has found an antidote against this poison in
human excrements; besides which, it is so eager to get at
them, that the shepherds purposely suspend them in a vessel,
placed so high, that the animal cannot reach them even by
leaping, when it endeavours to get at them; accordingly, it
continues to leap until it has quite exhausted itself, and at last
expires: otherwise, it is so tenacious of life, that it will con-
tinue to fight long after its intestines have been dragged out of
its body.
When an elephant has happened to devour a chameleon,
which is of the same colour with the herbage, it counteracts
this poison by means of the wild olive. Bears, when they
have eaten of the fruit of the mandrake, lick up numbers of
ants.[14] The stag counteracts the effect of poisonous plants by
eating the artichoke. Wood-pigeons, jackdaws, blackbirds,
and partridges, purge themselves once a year by eating bay
leaves; pigeons, turtle-doves, and poultry, with wall-pellitory,
or helxine; ducks, geese, and other aquatic birds, with the
plant sideritis or vervain; cranes, and birds of a similar nature,
with the bulrush. The raven, when it has killed a chameleon, a contest in which even the conqueror suffers, counteracts the poison by means of laurel.
1. Cuvier remarks upon this and the following Chapter, that they are
entirely fabulous. The diseases, remedies, and instructions given by the
animals are equally imaginary, although Pliny has taken the whole from
authors of credit, and it has been repeated by Plutarch, De Iside, and by
Ælian, Anim. Nat. B. ii. c. 35, and many others. Ajasson, vol. vi. p.
446; Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 426.—B.
2. Cuvier has given an interesting account of the ibis, the opinions entertained of it by various travellers and naturalists, and a detail of the
examination which he made of two of its mummies, which were brought
by Grobert to Paris, from the wells of Sakhara. These mummies were
found to be similar to those previously examined by Buffon, Shaw, and
others, and proved the ibis of the ancient Egyptians to have been a species
of curlew. This opinion he further supports by a reference to various
sculptures and mosaics, where this bird is represented, and he remarks
upon the errors into which most travellers and historians have fallen as to
it; the only correct account he conceives to be that of the African traveller,
Bruce, who describes and figures it under the name of Abou hannès. See
the extract in Lemaire, vol. iii. p. 633, et seq., from his Recherches sur les
Ossements Fossiles, vol. i. p. 141, et seq. Herodotus gives an account of
the ibis, B. i. c. 75, 76, but it is not correct.—B.
3. The fabulous account of the powers of this herb is referred to in B.
xxv. c. 53, and supported by the highest authorities; among others, by
Aristotle, Hist. Anim. B. ix. c. 6.; Cicero, De Nat. Deor. B. ii. c. 50;
Virgil, Æn. B. xii. c. 412.—B.
4. See B. xxii. c. 45, for a similar cure. It is not known what plant is
here alluded to, but it has been thought to be the cinara, or artichoke.
5. The Chelidonium majus of Linnæus. It probably derived its name
from the swallow, xeli/dwn, because its flowers appear at the time that
bird makes its first appearance in the spring. This supposed property is
mentioned by Ælian, Anim. Nat. B. iii. c. 25. Pliny speaks of its efficacy
in diseases of the eyes, B. xxv. c. 50, and c. 91.—B.
6. Pliny speaks of the medical virtues of cunile bubula, in B. xx. c. 61
Columella, B. vi. c. 13, says that it is a cure for scabies. It is not certain
what is the plant here referred to; it is considered identical with origanum,
by Hardouin, and has been supposed by some to be marjoram, or pennyroyal. The effect of the cunile on the tortoise is mentioned by Aristotle,
Hist. Anim. B. ix. c. 6; by Plutarch, Nat. Quæst.; Ælian, Anim. Nat.
B. vi. c. 12; and by Albertus Magnus, B. viii. Tr. ii. c. 2; but there is
some difference in their statements. Some speak of it as an antidote, enabling the tortoise to counteract the poison of the serpent, while others
regard it as giving the tortoise increased vigour to resist the attacks.
7. Aristotle, ubisupra, and Ælian, Anim. Nat. B. iv. c. 14, refer to this
supposed fact, which is without foundation, so far, at least, as the contest
of the weasels with the serpents and the rue are concerned. The hostility of
the weasel to the mouse is probably correct. Pliny again refers to it, B.
xx. c. 51, and it forms the subject of one of Phædrus's Fables, B. iv.
c. 2.—B.
8. We have the same account in Plutarch.—B. Plutarch speaks, however,
of the river crab.
9. Pliny refers to this effect, B. xx. c. 95; he speaks also of its application to the eyes of the animal; it is probable, that feniculum and marathrum both refer to the same plant; the latter being the ordinary Greek,
and the former the Latin, name. This effect of the feniculum is also
mentioned by Ælian, B. ix. c. 16.—B.
10. "Si vero squamæ obtorpuere;" Hardouin supposes that this applies
particularly to the eyes.—B. There can be little doubt that he is correct
in that supposition.
11. Aristotle, ubi supra, and Ælian, Anim. Nat. B. vi. c. 4, state that the
dragon takes the juice of the picris into the stomach, when overloaded with
food. The exact plant referred to, under that name, cannot be ascertained
for certain; but it appears probable, that it is a wild lettuce or endive, or
some plant belonging to that family.—B.
12. This effect of aconite, and the antidote for it, are mentioned in B.
xxvii. c. 2; they are also mentioned by Aristotle, ubi supra; and by Ælian,
Anim. Nat. B. iv. c. 49, and alluded to by Cicero, De. Nat. Deor. B. ii.
c. 50. It appears from a statement of Tavernier, as referred to by
Hardouin, that the same antidote against poisoned weapons is still employed in the island of Java.—B.
13. From the Greek pardaliagxh\s, "pard-strangle."
14. This is again referred to, B. xxix. c. 39.—B.