SECT. VIII.—ON THE STING OF THE SCORPION.
When one has been stung by a scorpion, the part immediately begins to inflame, becoming hard, red, tense, and painful, being seized at one time with heat, and at another with cold; and when pain is an attendant symptom, it has remissions and exacerbations. These symptoms are followed by sweating, a sense of shivering, trembling, coldness of the extremities, tumour of the groins, and erection of the genital member: sometimes there is a discharge of flatus by the anus with a loud noise, and horripilation, and a painful discoloration on the skin, the pain resembling the prick of a needle. These are immediately relieved by having the juice of the fig poured into the wounds, and the scorpion which stung the person may be pounded and applied to the bite; afterwards salts triturated with linseed and the seed of marshmallows may be applied. Native sulphur, mixed with rosin or turpentine, is also of service; and in like manner, galbanum, spread out into the shape of an oblong pledget and applied, or calamint pounded and applied; and crude barley-flour prepared in wine and the decoction of rue; and in like manner the pounded seed of the herb trefoil may be applied with advantage. They may also take propomata containing two drachms of birthwort, more particularly of its bark with wine; or gentian pounded, or pennyroyal properly boiled, and ten bay-berries bruised, and calamint long boiled with oxycrate, and cyperus with wine; and in like manner, rue, the juice of the fig, and laserwort, if at hand; but otherwise we must use the Parthian juice. The fruit of trefoil and the seed of basil-royal may be taken in a draught with advantage. Silver immediately applied to the wound has a wonderful effect. The benefit of all these may be increased by the frequent use of the bath, copious perspirations, and drinking strong or diluted wine. The following compound propomata may be taken: Of sulphur vivum to the size of an Egyptian bean, with eight grains of pepper in half a hemina of wine, or the juice of laserwort triturated with crabs in wine, or equal parts of gith, Ethiopian cumin, and the seeds of the chaste-tree in wine.
For severe stings of scorpions and phalangia. Of the lees of wine, dr. xvi; of pellitory, dr. iv; of the seed of wild rue, dr. iij; of castor, of the seeds of rocket, of each, dr. ij; let them be mixed with the blood of the sea-tortoise. The dose is four oboli with wine, or three cyathi of unmixed vinegar.—Another: Of pellitory, of birthwort, of each, oz. iv; of pepper, dr. ij; of the juice of the laserwort, dr. j. The dose is the size of an Egyptian bean.
Commentary. Nicander describes several species of the scorpion. The white, he says, is innoxious. The red occasions a fiery heat with restlessness and great thirst. The black brings on inquietude, delirium, and laughter. The green occasions chilliness with horror. The symptoms superinduced by the other species are also detailed. (See Theriac. 775.) Ælius Promotus gives a very circumstantial description of the effects produced by the sting of the different species of scorpions, but it would appear to be mostly taken from Galen and other Greek authorities. On the nature of the scorpion, see further, Pliny (H. N. xi, 25); and Ælian (vi, 20.)
On the medical treatment, see in particular Dioscorides (vi, 44); Aëtius (xiii, 19); Nonnus (269); Actuarius (Meth. Med. vi, 10); Celsus (v, 27); Rhases (ad Mansor. viii, 3); Haly Abbas (Theor. viii, 22, and Pract. iv, 33); Alsaharavius (Pract. xxx, 2, 20); Avicenna (iv, vi, 5.)
Galen gives a variety of prescriptions for the composition of antidotes for the cure of persons stung by scorpions. The following one may be taken as a specimen of them: Of birthwort, dr. iv; of pepper, dr. ij; of opium, dr. j; of pellitory, dr. iv; form into trochisks of the size of an Egyptian bean, and give to swallow along with two cyathi of undiluted wine. (De Antidot. ii.) Rhases gives another receipt of Galen’s for the sting of the scorpion, viz. equal parts of opium and of the seed of henbane given with honey. (Contin. xx, 24.)
On the use of venesection for the cure of the sting of the scorpion, Celsus says, “Cognovi tamen medicos qui ab scorpione ictis nihil aliud quam ex brachis sanguinem miserunt.” Rhases has pointed out the proper time and circumstances which require venesection: “When you have administered the theriac, and the pain has subsided, if fever supervene, bleed the patient on the following day in the morning, and give him barley-water and diluent food.” The symptoms as detailed by Haly Abbas are pain, swelling, hardness, and inflammation, which occasionally superinduce asphyxy and epilepsy. He directs a ligature to be put immediately around the member, and a bruised scorpion to be applied to the wound. He also mentions cataplasms with olive oil, and recommends the internal use of wine either alone or with garlic. The treatment as given by Alsaharavius is very similar. Dioscorides, Aëtius, Haly Abbas, Alsaharavius, Actuarius, and Nonnus, omit to mention venesection.
The veterinary surgeons recommend bleeding, scarifications, and burning with red-hot irons. See Vegetius (Mulom. iii, 77, and Geopon. xvi, 20.)
Sprengel remarks that Nicander’s division of scorpions is adopted by modern naturalists. (Hist. de la Méd.) Conrad Gesner gives a very elaborate dissertation on them. The scorpio Europæus, L., is not venomous. The African, however, is a very dangerous reptile. The inhabitants of Morocco, at the present day, treat its bite with the ligature, the cautery, and by applying the body of a dead scorpion to the wound. See Jackson’s Morocco (108). The Arabian authorities describe a highly venomous species of scorpion, which they call scorpius rastellans, carrareti, and algreta. See in particular Rhases, Haly Abbas, and Alsaharavius.