SECT. XVII.—ON THE CENCHRINUS.
When a person is bitten by the cenchrinus, the bite is like that of the echidna, mortification supervenes, and the flesh melts away, having been previously swelled as in dropsy, and he becomes lethargic and comatose. Erasistratus says that the liver, bladder, and colon are affected; for upon dissection these parts were found corrupted. Wherefore they are remedied by a cataplasm composed of the fruit of lettuce with linseed, and by pounded savory, and by wild rue, and by wild thyme triturated with asphodel; and two drachms of the root of centaury should be immediately given in a draught with three cyathi of nine, or the root of birthwort in like manner, and so also cresses and gentian.
Commentary. According to Nicander, the cenchrinus, called also the lion, has a body of varied size, and marked with punctated squamæ.
Dioscorides and Actuarius give exactly the same account of this serpent as our author. Haly Abbas in like manner describes it as occasioning mortification and putridity of the part. (Theor. viii, 21.) Isidorus says of it, “Cenchris serpens in flexuosis qui semper iter rectum efficit. De quo Lucanus: Et semper recto lapsurus limite cenchris.”
Sprengel conjectures that it is a variety of the coluber berus, or viper, which is highly probable. According to Belon, it is three palms long, of the thickness of the little finger; of a cinereous colour, with black spots. Aëtius makes it to be the same as the acontias, which there can be no doubt was the same as the jaculus of Lucan. Yet Lucan treats of the jaculus and cenchris separately. (Phars. ix.)