[73.] Cerastes, from κερας, a horn, is a serpent of one or two cubits in length, of a sandy colour in the body, and near the tail void of scales; upon its head something rises like horns, and the parts about the belly are covered with scales, orderly disposed, which as it creeps along makes a rustling noise like hissing. Æt. Tetrab. 4. Serm. 1. cap. 28.
[74.] Dipsas, a serpent called by that name, from the immoderate thirst, which is caused by its bite. It is found in maritime places, is about a cubit in length, thick, and becoming gradually smaller towards the tail. Id. cap. 22.
[75.] Hæmorrhois.) Paulus Ægineta tells us, persons bit by an hæmorrhois are tormented with pains, their bodies become short and small, there is a violent hæmorrhage from the wound, and if there is a cicatrix in any part of the body, it bursts and bleeds: the stools are bloody, the blood discharged is grumous, blood is brought up from the lungs by coughing; and being seized with a vomiting of blood they die immediately. He adds, that remedies must be applied before the symptoms appear; for after they come on, all means are vain.
[76.] Chersydrus.) The name of this imports it to be an amphibious animal, from χέρσος terra, and ὕδωρ aqua.
[77.] The Phalangium is unknown to Italy, and is of several kinds; one like an ant, but much larger, with a red head, the rest of its body black and variegated with white spots. The bite of this is worse than that of a wasp. The Greeks gave this name also to two species of spiders, the lupus, and another downy with a large head. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. xxix. cap. 4.
[78.] Pastinaca fish was of the plani kind, and had a cartilage instead of a spine. The aculeus, or κεντρὸν of this fish is a remedy for the tooth-ach, as Dioscorides informs us, and Celsus himself mentions, lib. vi. cap 9. Dale calls it the poison fish, fire, or fierce flaw. The liver is said to be good against itching; in oil it removes lichens and lepras.—This cleansing quality attributed to it, makes it probable our author intends it here, for no such virtue is attributed to the water, or sea-parsnip.
[79.] Now this is a very bad kind.) One of the great sources of corruption is a false punctuation; and as I could make no sense of this sentence as it now stands, I have translated it agreeably to the following; Namque pessimum id genus est. Fereque primum id fit, quod cacoethes à Græcis nominatur. As it stood before, the cacoethes was called the worst kind, which our author contradicts immediately, by saying that no other species but that can be cured. Some of the older editions read ob quæ for namque, that is, ‘Upon these accounts this is a very bad kind.’ Which appears to agree better with the context.
[80.] None of these can be removed but the cacoethes.) Here again the sense of the author is manifestly corrupted by the punctuation in Linden and Almeloveen; but Morgagni[ JK ] has set it to right in this manner:—Tolli nihil nisi cacoethes potest: reliqua curationibus irritantur; et quo major vis adhibita est, eo magis. Quidam usi sunt, &c. The translation is conformable to this. Which reading is almost the same with Constantine’s.
[81.] Of a good juice.) See book ii. chap. 20.
[82.] Probe.) One kind of the probe or specillum of the ancients was broad at one extremity for the purpose, which Celsus here mentions. Vide Scultet. Armament. Chirurg. tab. 8. fig. 6.