SECT. XXXIV.—ON THE SEA-HARE.
When the sea-hare has been drunk an ill-savoured taste, like that of a fetid fish, supervenes, and after a time the bowels are pained and the urine becomes obstructed, or if any is discharged it is of a purple colour. They loathe and detest all kinds of fishes, and have fetid perspirations mixed with blood. We must give them therefore asses’ milk or must frequently, or a decoction of the root and leaves of mallows, or the root of hogs-fennel triturated with wine, or dr. j. of black hellebore, or of the juice of scammony in honied water, and the warm blood of a newly-killed goose, and river-crabs alone, if they can be borne, may be given. It is a symptom of recovery when they can eat fish.
Commentary. Nicander’s description of the symptoms is like our author’s, and his remedies are hellebore, and scammony, asses’ milk, &c. Haly Abbas recommends only emetics at first, and afterwards milk. When there is continued oppression of breathing he directs us to bleed and give the syrup of poppies. (Pract. iv. 49.) Alsaharavius, like Nicander, depends principally upon drastic purgatives, such as scammony and hellebore. (See also Nonnus, 279.) Galen says it produces ulceration of the lungs. (See Ther. ad Pison. and de Med. sec. gen. i.) For an account of the lepus marinus, see Ælian (H. A. ii, 45; ix, 51; xvi, 19); Pliny (H. N. ix, 48; xxxii, 1); Dioscorides (ii, 20; vi, 34,); Philostratus (vi, 32); Phile (93). According to Schneider, it is called chat marin in France. Gorræus says it is a species of lizard, and resembles the land hare only in colour. Sprengel inclines to think that it is the aplysia depilans. See also Paris and Fonblanque (Méd. Jurisprud. ii, 141.) Rondelet refers it to the class mollusca, and gives a drawing of it. (De Piscibus, xvii.) Bellonius and Gesner give the same account of it, and all agree respecting its poisonous qualities. They describe it as being a mass of nearly unorganized flesh. Virey says it has long appendages like the ears of the hare, but which are its eyes.