Scallops[288] also, taken as food, act detergently upon the bladder: the male fish is by some persons called “donax,” and by others “aulos,” the female being known as “onyx.”[289] The male scallop has a diuretic effect: the flesh of the female is sweeter than that of the male, and of an uniform colour. The eggs, too, of the sæpia promote the urinary secretions, and act detergently upon the kidneys.
CHAP. 33.—REMEDIES FOR INTESTINAL HERNIA, AND FOR DISEASES OF THE RECTUM. THE WATER-SNAKE: ONE REMEDY. THE HYDRUS: ONE REMEDY. THE MULLET: ONE REMEDY. THE PELAMIS: THREE REMEDIES.
For the cure of intestinal hernia the sea-hare is applied, bruised with honey. The liver of the water-snake,[290] and that of the hydrus,[291] bruised and taken in drink, are remedial for urinary calculi. Sciatica is cured by using the pickle of the silurus[292] as a clyster, the bowels being first thoroughly purged. For chafing of the fundament, an application is made of heads of mullets and surmullets, reduced to ashes; for which purpose they are calcined in an earthen vessel, and must be applied in combination with honey. Calcined heads, too, of the fish known as mænæ[293] are useful for the cure of chaps and condylomata; as also heads of salted pelamides,[294] reduced to ashes, or calcined cybium,[295] applied with honey.
The torpedo,[296] applied topically, reduces procidence of the rectum. River-crabs,[297] reduced to ashes, and applied with oil and wax, are curative of chaps of the fundament: sea-crabs, too, are equally useful for the purpose.
CHAP. 34.—-REMEDIES FOR INFLAMED TUMOURS, AND FOR DISEASES OF THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. THE SCIÆNA: ONE REMEDY. THE PERCH: FOUR REMEDIES. THE SQUATINA: THREE REMEDIES. THE SMARIS: THREE REMEDIES.
The pickle of the coracinus[298] disperses inflammatory tumours; an effect which is equally produced by using the calcined intestines and scales of the sciæna.[299] The sea-scorpion,[300] too, is used for the same purpose, boiled in wine, and applied as a fomentation to the part affected. Shells of sea-urchins, bruised and applied with water, act as a check upon incipient inflammatory tumours. Ashes of the murex, or of the purple, are employed in either case, whether it is wanted to disperse inflammatory tumours in an incipient state, or to bring them to a head and break them. Some authorities prescribe the following preparation: of wax and frankincense twenty drachmæ, of litharge forty drachmæ, of calcined murex ten drachmæ, and of old oil, one semisextarius. Salt fish, boiled and applied by itself, is highly useful for the above purposes.
River crabs, bruised and applied, disperse pustules on the generative organs: the same, too, with calcined heads of mænæ,[301] or the flesh of that fish, boiled and applied. Heads of salted perch,[302] reduced to ashes, and applied with honey, are equally useful for the purpose; or else calcined heads of pelamides,[303] or skin of the squatina reduced to ashes.[304] It is the skin of this fish that is used, as already[305] stated, for giving a polish to wood; for the sea even, we find, furnishes its aid to our artificers. For a similar purpose the fishes called “smarides”[306] are applied topically; as also ashes of the shell of the murex or of the purple, applied with honey; which last are still more efficacious when the flesh has been burnt with the shell.
Salt fish, boiled with honey, is particularly good for the cure of carbuncles upon the generative organs. For relaxation of the testes, the slime[307] of snails is recommended, applied in the form of a liniment.