It is not improbable that he might have learned this from the Great Greek Physician Craterus, mention’d often by Cicero in his Epistles to Atticus, who, as Porphyrius [(32)] relates, very happily cured a miserable Slave, whose Skin in a strange manner fell off from his Bones, by advising him to feed upon Vipers dressed after the manner of fish.
Be this as it will, in Galen’s time the profitable Qualities of the Viper were very commonly known; himself relating [(33)] very remarkable Stories of the Cures of the Elephantiasis, or Lepra, done by the Viper Wine.
Aretæus, who most probably liv’d about the same time with Galen, and of all the Ancients has most accurately described the Elephantiasis, commends, as Craterus did, the eating of Vipers instead of Fish in the same Diseases [(34)]. And to this purpose I remember, that as Lopes [(35)] in his Relations of the Kingdom of Congo in Africa, takes notice how greedily the Negroes eat Adders, roasting them, and esteeming them as the most delicious Food; so Dampier [(36)] also informs us, that the Natives of Tonquin in the East Indies do treat their Friends with Arack, in which Snakes and Scorpions have been infus’d, accounting this not only a great Cordial, but also an Antidote against the Leprosie, and all other sorts of Poison.
The Physicians in Italy and France do very commonly prescribe the Broth and Gelly of Vipers Flesh for much the same Uses, that is, to invigorate and purifie the Mass of Blood exhausted with Diseases, or tainted with some Vicious and Obstinate Ferment.
From all this it appears, That the main Efficacy of the Viperine Flesh is to quicken the Circle of the Blood, promote its due Mixture, and by this means cleanse and scoure the Glands of those stagnating Juices, which, turning to Acidity, are the Origine of many, at least, of those troublesome Distempers in the Surface of the Body, which go under the Names of Scrophulous, Leprous, &c.
These good Effects are owing to that penetrating, strong Salt, with which the Substance of these Creatures does, in a very great Proportion, abound; and the Reason of this is from the Food they live on, which we have observ’d before to be Lizzards, Moles, &c. whose Nature every one knows to be such as must necessarily, when they are dissolv’d in the Stomach, supply the Blood with a great Quantity of Active and Volatile Parts. And herein lies the Difference between the Flesh of Vipers, and that of other Innocent Serpents, which feeding upon Grass, Herbs, &c. do not recommend themselves to us by any of those Properties which are in so Eminent a Degree found in the former.
Whosoever reflects on what has been said on this Head, will very readily Acknowledge, That our Physicians deal too Cautiously or Sparingly with a Remedy which may be apply’d to very good Purposes, when they prescribe a few Grains of the Pouder of dried Vipers, or make up a small Quantity of their Flesh into Troches; whereas, if Service be really to be done this Way, the Patient ought to eat frequently of Viper-Gelly, or Broth; or rather, as the ancient manner was, to boil Vipers, and eat them like Fish; if this Food will not go down, (tho’ really very Good and Delicious Fare) to make use at least of Wine, in which Vipers have for a long time been infused, by which I know a very obstinate Lepra has been removed; or lastly, in some Cases, especially where Wine is not Convenient, to take good Quantities of their Volatile Salt, in which alone the Virtue of the before-named Medicines does principally reside.
An APPENDIX to the Foregoing Essay; Containing Some Anatomical Observations on the VIPER, and an Account of some other Venomous Animals.
In repeated Dissections of the Viper, comparing the Descriptions given Us by Authors with the Parts themselves, I have found them in many Particulars to be very Defective. I shall however at present confine my self to some Observations made chiefly on those Organs which serve to prepare and emit the Poison.