CHAP. XXIV. Of the bitings of Toads.
THough Toads want teeth, yet with their hard & rough gums they so strait∣ly presse or pinch the part which they shall take hold on, that they will * 1.1 force their poison thereinto, and so over the whole body by the pores of the pressed part. Moreover, they cast forth their venome by urine, spittle and vomit upon herbes, but chiefly upon Strawberries, the which they are reported greatly to affect. Hence many suddenly and ignorantly catch their deaths.
I heard from a man of very good credit, that there were two merchants not farre * 1.2 from the Citie Tholouse, who whilest dinner was providing, walked into the garden that belonged to the Inne, where they gathered some sage leaves, and unwashed as they were, put them into their wine. They had not as yet dined, when being taken with a sudden Vertigo, the whole Inne seemed to run round, then losing their sight, * 1.3 they fell into a sowne, intermixed now and then with convulsions. But they stam∣mered with their lippes and tongues becomming blacke; a froward and horrid look with continuall vomiting, and a cold sweat, the forerunner of death, which present∣ly seazed upon them, their bodies becomming exceedingly much swolne. But the Justices of the place suspecting that they were poysoned, made the Inne-keeper and the Guests to be apprehended, being examined, they all constantly & with one voice answered, that the dead parties ate of the same meat and drinke which the rest did, but onely that they put sage into their wine. A Physician was asked the question whether sage might be poysoned; he answered, it might: but to come to the purpose, that it must appeare whether any venemous creature had poysoned the plant with her spittle or venemous sanies. This which was lightly pronounced, and only by con∣jecture, was by the eye found to bee true. For at the roote thereof there was found a hole in the ground full of Toads, who got out by putting in of warme water, made it credible that the plant was poysoned by their spittle and urine, whereby you may understand how unwisely they doe, who devoure herbes and fruits newly gathered without washing. Also we must take heed lest falling asleep in the fields, wee lye not neere the holes which toads or other venemous beasts of the like nature have made their habitation. For thence a venemous or deadly aire may be drawn into the lungs. For the same cause wee must abstaine from eating of frogs in the moneth of May, be∣cause * 1.4 then they engender with toads. Oxen in feeding sometimes lick up small toads together with the grasse, which presently will breed their great harme, for thereupon the oxen swell so big, that they often burst withall. Neither is the venome of toads deadly only being taken inwardly, but even sprinkled upon the skin, unless they forth∣with wipe the place, & wash it with urine, water & salt. Such as are poisoned by a toad turn yellow, swell over all their bodies, are taken with an Asthmaticke difficultie of breathing, a Vertigo, convulsion, sowning, and lastly by death it selfe. These so horrid symptoms are judged inherent in the poyson of toads, not only by reason of the ele∣mentary qualities therof, coldness & moisture, which are chiefly predominant there∣in; but much rather by the occult property which is apt to putrefie the humors of that body whereto it shall happen. Therfore it wil be convenient to procure vomit, espe∣cially * 1.5 if the poison be taken by the mouth, to give gly sters, & to weaken the strength of the poison by hot and attenuating Antidotes, as treacle & mithridate dissolved in good wine; but in conclusion to digest it by bathes, stoves, and much and great ex∣ercise. Rondeletius in his book de Piscibus, affirmes the same •…•…ings of the cursed ve∣nome of toads, as we have formerly delivered: yet that they seldome bite, but that they cast forth either their urine, the which they gather in a great quantity in a large bladder, or else their venemous spittle or breath against such as they meete withall, or assaile; besides, the herbs which are tainted by their poisonous breath, but much