When persons have been bitten by the viper or echidna, or some such venomous animal, pain supervenes, at first of the part which has been bitten, but afterwards of the whole body. In the bite there appear two perforations at a little distance from one another, from which there is a discharge of blood and ichorous fluid, and afterwards of an oily one, but in all cases of a poisonous fluid, which they affirm to be the poison of the reptiles. Swelling comes on around the wound, which is reddish and livid; there is paleness of the whole body, vertigo, and resolution of the stomach, deliquium animi, and in some cases bilious vomitings and dysuria. Around the bite blisters arise, as from burning with fire, the disease spreads by extending to the surrounding parts, and the gums discharge blood. Trembling, heavy sleep, and a cold perspiration succeed these symptoms. Those bitten by the echidna appear to escape with less danger than those by the viper; and of these they run the least risk who have previously taken food. In treating them the most effectual remedy is eating garlic and drinking wine, so that if one can endure this course he will not stand in need of any other remedy. And let them eat also leeks, onions, and acrid pickle. Some likewise give frogs prepared with sauce to eat. The following things are effectual, each of which may be taken with wine: the dried blood of the sea tortoise with wild cumin, the rennet of a hare or a hind to the amount of three oboli, a drachm of the dried testicle of a stag, a whole alkanet with the slender leaves, which also some apply as an amulet. In like manner the juice of leeks, to the amount of half a hemina, in honied water, the juice of baum leaves, wild rue, the brains of domestic fowls, the root of panacea boiled in wine, one drachm of agaric, juniper berries, the root of asphodel, pounded pistachia, the seed of the chaste tree, two drachms of dried weasel, the root and juice of vipers’ bugloss, river and sea crabs alone or with stavesacre, salts and poley, the root of birthwort with equal parts of myrrh, gentian, and bay-berries mixed with honey. The following is an admirable remedy of Oribasius for persons bitten by vipers: Of anise, an acetabulum; of pepper, dr. iv; of the bark of birthwort, of opium, of castor, and of myrrh, of each, dr. j; triturate with must, and form to the size of a Grecian bean, and give according to the patient’s strength in three cyathi of diluted wine.—Another, from the works of Lycus, a medicine for the bites of vipers: Of myrrh, of castor, of pepper, of purslain, of each, dr. j; of the seed of dill, an acetabulum; triturate in must, and give.—Another, from the works of Archigenes: Pound carefully twenty crabs with a sufficient quantity of wheaten flour in a mortar, and having mixed some calamint and salt with it, form trochisks of it, and dry. Use in a cataplasm with milk, and give one in a draught with honied water. But, says he, if you have not river-crabs, use sea-crabs. Goat’s dung applied externally to the wound with wine is a powerful remedy; or bay-leaves boiled with oil, or bay-berries, or calamint, heath, rue, parsley, southernwood, galbanum on a pledget, green marjoram pounded; also young fowls torn in pieces, and applied warm and frequently changed, the flour of tares mixed with wine, the pounded bark of radish, boiled squills, raw barley-flour in oxymel, the leaves of the wild cucumber with fine polenta, the lees of wine in like manner with fine polenta, rue with salts and honey, bran boiled in vinegar, ashes with vinegar, cedar-pitch with salts, liquid pitch with salts. Bathe also with the decoction of trefoil, or of pennyroyal, or with vinegar and brine. When the blisters become bloody let out their contents without taking off the skin, then bathe with much water, and apply a cataplasm of boiled lentils with honey till the cure is completed. The antidote of vipers is particularly efficacious, both when taken in a draught and applied externally.
Commentary. Most of the ancient authorities appear to have considered the echidna the female viper; but, as will be seen below, there is reason to suppose that it was a different species altogether. It is the colubra of Celsus. (v, 27, 3.)
Our author’s description of the symptoms is closely copied from Nicander, who also recommends similar treatment. Dioscorides in like manner directs us to give wine, and various articles of an acrid and calefacient nature, such as garlic, onions, pepper, squills, &c. Archigenes (ap. Aëtium, xiii, 21) affirms that eating garlic and drinking undiluted wine, constitute the most effectual part of the treatment. Of course these things were given upon general principles with the view of supporting the strength and vital heat. Hence it may be understood why the ancients reposed so much confidence in the theriac of Andromachus, most of the ingredients of which were stimulant, acrid, and calefacient substances. The body of the viper, which entered into this famous composition, is said by a modern authority on the Materia Medica, Moses Charras, to contain a certain volatile oil. (See [Book VII, sec. ii], of this work.)
Avicenna delivers his plan of treatment at great length, enumerating many Arabic substances, the nature of which cannot now be easily determined. His general principles, however, seem to have been much the same as those of our author. He recommends in the first place the ligature, and cupping with scarifications. Wine and the theriac are to be given unless inflammatory symptoms come on, in which case the patient is to be bled. (iv, 6.) In another place he praises the juice of the citron as a remedy against the sting of the viper. Haly Abbas recommends immediate amputation of the part when this is practicable, and otherwise directs us to apply a ligature around it, to make scarifications, and use stimulant applications, such as onions, leeks, &c. Like most of the other authorities, he recommends the theriac, and wine, with other stimulants, such as pepper, birthwort, bay-berries, &c. In certain cases he also approves of bleeding. (Pract. iv, 32.) Alsaharavius recommends cupping, the ligature, and in short nearly the same plan of treatment as Haly. (Pract. xxx, 2, 18.)
Garlic was used in common cases as a substitute for the theriac, both internally and in cataplasms. (See, in particular, Geopon. xii, 30.)
On the viper, see Ælian (H. A. x, 9); Phile (70); Galen (Ther. ad Pison.) The ancient stories of the fatal copulation of the male viper with the female, and of the loves of the muræna and viper, are probably fabulous. (See De Pauw, apud Phile.) The latter story is told by Aristotle (H. A. v, 10); Ælian (i, 50); Oppian (Hal. i, 554); Pliny (ix, 23); Athenæus (vii); Achilles Tatius (i.) One of Athenæus’s authorities, however, questions the truth of it. (Deipn. l. c.)
According to Sprengel, the Asiatic ἐχίδνα is the coluber Ægyptius; the ἔχις, probably the C. ammodytes; and the European ἐχίδνα, the C. berus. (Comment. in Dioscor.)
It is clear, however, from Nicander’s description of the viper, that the term ἔχις was applied to a considerable variety of venomous snakes. It must not then be supposed to apply in all cases to the coluber ammodytes. It is also certain, as will be seen under their proper heads, that other serpents, to which specific names were given, such as the cerastes, the hæmorrhus, and the asp, were merely varieties of the vipera.
The seps is not treated of by the Greek authorities on Toxicology, except Nicander, but is briefly noticed by the Arabian under the name of famusus. Avicenna states that the treatment of the viper applies to it. (iv. 6, 3, 48.) From the description of it given by Nicander, it would appear to have been a variety of the hæmorrhus. (See Theriac, 320, with the Commentary of Eutecnius.)