The historie of the vvorld: commonly called, The naturall historie of C. Plinius Secundus. Translated into English by Philemon Holland Doctor of Physicke. The first [-second] tome

CHAP. IIII.

¶ How to procure a sweet breath. Meanes to take away the spots that blemish the fac•…•…: [unspec A] and to amend the infirmities incident to the throat.

IT is said, that for to rectifie the offence of a strong and stinking breath, and to make it sweet and pleasant, it is good to rub the teeth with the ashes of mice burnt, and incorporat with honey. Some there be, who mingle therewith the root of fennell. If the teeth be pricked or scraped with a vulturs quill, it will cause the breath to be sowre: but to doe the same with the quill or prick of a porkepine, is a singular thing to strengthen the teeth and keepe them fast in the head. As touching the sores in the tongue, or the scabs and little vlcers breaking out about the lips, a decoction of swallowes sodden in honied wine, healeth them: but if the lips be chap∣ped, [unspec B] there is not a better thing than to annoint them with the grease of a goose or hen. For the same purpose serueth the tried or rindled grease of sweatie wooll, being incorporat with the pouder of gall-nuts: also the white cobwebs that spiders doe weave, or else the little fine ones which they work vnder the planks and floors of high losts, or roufes of housen. * 1.1 If one chance to burne his month inwardly with some scalding broth or otherwise, the milke that a bitch gi∣ueth is a present remedie therefore.

As touching the spots that infect the skin of the face; the foresaid tried grease of wool vnwa∣shed, called oesypum, incorporat with the hony of the Island Corsica (which of al other is coun∣ted most vnpleasant and vntoothsome) is proper to subtiliat and scoure them: the same also laid to the face vpon a lock of wooll, causeth the scurfe or scales whereby the skin seemeth to pill, for to fall away: howbeit some thinke it better to put hony thereto. But say there appeare vpon [unspec C] the face any foule and thick morphew that hath pierced deep into the skin, it is good to rub the same with dogs gall; but first the place ought to be pricked thick with a needle that the medi∣cine may enter in. If the skin look wan, or black and blew, take the light of rams or other sheep, cut them into thin slices like to skins, and lay them hot to the place; or els apply therto pigeons dung. The fat of a goose or hen, is a singular thing to preserue & keep soft, smooth, and dilicat, the skin of the face. As for the ringworms or illfauoured tetters called Lichenes, there is a pro∣per liniment made either of the dung of mice incorporat with vinegre, or the ashes of an vrchin tempered with oile. But in this cure, the face ought to be bathed and fomented before with vi∣negre and salnitre. For to take away any spots or pimples arising in the face, there is not a better [unspec D] thing to apply to them than the ashes of the little broad snails which are commonly found in euery place, incorporat with honey. And in truth, the ashes of any snails whatsouer, are astrin∣gent and hot, by reason of a certain abstersiue qualitie that they haue; which is the reason that they enter into potentiall cauteries, or caustick & corrosiue medicines: and therfore they serue in liniments for to kill scabs, scurfs, mange, and leprosie; yea and to scoure away the foule spots called Lentils. Moreouer, I read in authors of certain pismires greater than the rest, called Her∣culaneae, the which being stamped with a little salt put to them, are good for all the infections of the skin mentioned in the former receit. There is a kind of insect or flie called Buprestis, pas∣sing like to a long legged beetle; but seldom or neuer be any such found in Italy: kine and oxen catch much harme by this flie; for many times as they grase, they lick it vp with the grasse and swallow it down: and hereupon it tooke that name Buprestis: for no sooner commeth it to the [unspec E] gall, but it inflameth and setteth the beast into a great heat, wherupon it swelleth vntill it burst againe. So corrosiue it is (as I haue said before) that being incorporat with goats sewet, and so reduced into a liniment, it takes away the tettars called Lichenes that be in the face. The bloud of a vuitur [i. ageire] tempered with the root of white Chamaeleon (I mean the herb so called) and the rosin of cedar, heales the leprosie, so that this liniment be couered with colewort leaues. Of the same effect are the feet of locusts braied in a mortar and incorporat with goats tallow. The greace of a cock, capon, or hen, wel stamped & wrought with an Onion, is singular to scoure the spots and specks of the visage: also the hony wherin a number of bees were stifled and killed is proper for the said purpose: But aboue all, the greace of a swan is commended both for to [unspec F] cleanse the skin of the face from all flecks and freckles, and also take away wrinkles. As for the markes remaining after the cauterie or hot yron, there is no better means to take them out, than a plastre of pigeons dung and vinegre. If the rheume cause the mur, the pose, or heauinesse in head, I find a pretie medicine to rid it away, by kissing only the little hairie muzzle of a mouse.

As touching the uvula and paine of the throat, they may be both of them eased and cured [unspec G] with lambs ordure, which passeth from them before they haue bitten grasse dried in the shade. The juice or slimie humor that shel-snails yeeld when they be pricked through with a pin or needle, is singular good in a liniment for to be applied vnto the uvula; prouided alwaies, that those snailes do hang after, in the smoke. The ashes that come of swallows calcined & burnt, it likewise very soueraign, being laid to the grieued place with hony: and in that sort prepared, it serueth also for the inflammation and swelling of the tonsils or amygdals of the throat. For the said tonsils and other accidents of the throat, a gargarisme of ewes milke is right soueraigne. There is a certain creeper called, a * 1.2 Cheeslip, which if it be bruised or stamped, is good for the said infirmities: so is pigeons dung gargarised with wine cuit, or applied outwardly with sal∣nitre & dried figs. If the throat be troubled with hoarsnesse, occasioned by rheume or catarrhe, [unspec H] the foresaid shel-snailes do greatly mitigat the same infirmitie, being first sodden in milke (all saue the earthy or muddy substance which they must be cleansed from) and then giuen in wine cuit to the patient for to drink. Some hold opinion, that the snails found in the Isle Astypalaea, are the best of all other for this purpose, but principally the abstersiue substance that is sound in them. The cricquet called Gryllus, doth mitigat catarrhs & all asperities offending the throat, if the same be rubbed therewith: also if a man doe but touch the amygdals or almonds of the throat, with the hand wherwith he hath bruised or crushed the said cricquet, it will appease the inflammations thereof. To come now vnto the Squinancie: a goose gall incorporat with the juice of the wild cucumber, and hony together, is a most speedie and present remedy for it: also the brains of an owle, and the ashes of a swallow drunk in water wel and hot, is good for the said [unspec I] disease: But for this medicine we are beholden to the Poët Ouid. Note that when I speak of any medicine (for what maladie soeuer) made of swallows, the yong wild ones are alwaies the better and more effectuall in operation: * 1.3 and those you may know easily by the fashion of their nests where they do build: But if you would haue the best indeed, the young ones of that kind which are called Ripariae, passe al the rest for medicinable vses, for so they are commonly named which build in the holes of banke sides. Howbeit, some there be who assure vs, that we shal not need to feare that disease for a yeare together, if we do but eat any young swallow, it skills not of what kind soeuer it be. Now the order of calcining them from their ashes, is to strangle them first, & so to burn them in their bloud within an earthen vessell: and the ashes thus made, is vsually gi∣uen either wrought in past for bread, or else to be drunk: and some there be who mingle withall, [unspec K] the like quantity of the ashes which come of weazils. And this kind of medicine thus prepared, they giue in drink euery day against the kings euill, and falling sicknesse. Moreouer, swallowes kept and condite in salt, are passing good for the Squinancie, taken in drinke to the weight of a dram at a time: and it is said, thet their very nest giuen in drinke, cureth the said maladie. It is a common opinion, that a liniment made with the creepers called Sowes or Multipedes, is most effectuall to cure the said Squinancie. And some there be who aduise to take one and twenty of these worms stamped, and to giue them in one hemine of mead or honied water for the said dis∣ease; but they must be conceiued downe the throat by a pipe or tunnell, for if this medicine touch the teeth once it will do no good. It is said moreouer, that if one drinke the decoction of [unspec L] mice sodden with veruaine, it is a soueraign remedy for that disease: as also that a leather thong made of a dogs skin put thrice about the necke, will doe the deed. And some there be, who in this case vse pigeons dung mixed with oile and wine.

As touching the cricks of the nerues or sinewes that serue the nape of the necke; as also for the cramps that draw the head backward, they say, that a twig or branch of a vine taken out of a puttocks nest, and carried about one hanging to the necke or arme, is a speciall remedie for the abouenamed accidents.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Si feruentia •…•…s intus exusse∣rint: peraduen ture he mea∣neth the hot sores within the mouth, called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.2

  Multipeda.
• * 1.3

  For the mar∣tinets or swal∣lowes called Apodes, build not, but lay and breed in chinks and cranies of old walls.