Natural history in Shakespeare's time : being extracts illustrative of the subject as he knew it / Made by H. W. Seager, M. B., &c. Also pictures thereunto belonging.

  • Seager, H. W. (Herbert West), 1848-
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Natural history in Shakespeare's time : being extracts illustrative of the subject as he knew it / Made by H. W. Seager, M. B., &c. Also pictures thereunto belonging. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

    319/376 (page 307)
    alway venom, and fighteth against the common spinner [spider], and overcometh their venom and biting, by benefit of plantain ; and his venom is accounted most cold, and [a]stonieth, — therefore each member that he toucheth, it maketh less feeling, as it were frore [frozen] ; and is a venomous beast, and comforteth therefore himself at each touching. And the more he is touched, the more he swelleth ; and as many specks as he hath under the womb, so many manner wise his venom is accounted grievous. And he hath eyes, as though they were fire, shining, and the worse he is, the more burning is his sight, and though he hath clear eyes, yet he hateth the light of the sun, and seeketh dark places, and fleeth to dens, when the sun riseth. This frog loveth sweet herbs, and eateth the roots of them; but in eating, he infecteth and corrupteth both roots and herbs; therefore oft in gardens is rue set, that is venom and enemy to Toads, and to other venomous worms, for by virtue of rue, they be chased away, and may not come to other herbs and roots that grow therein. The Toad loveth stinking places and dirty, and hateth places with good smell and odour, and so he fleeth out of the vineyard, when the vines begin to bloom, for he may not suffer nor sustain their good odour and smell. And these worms have double liver,—that one is most venomous, and that other is remedy, and is given instead of treacle against poison and venom ; and for to assay and know which of these is good and which is evil, the liver is thrown into an ant-hill,—then the ants flee and [a]void the venomous part, and desire and choose that other part, and shall be taken and kept to the use of medicine. And in the right side of such a frog is a privy bone, that cooleth somedeal seething water, if it be thrown therein,—and the vessel may not heat afterward, but if the bone be first taken out ; and witches use that bone to love and hate. And be that worm never so venomous, yet by burning he loseth the malice of venom, and taketh most virtue of medicine, and ashes thereof help wonderfully to recover flesh and skin that is haply lost, and to make sadness and sinews, and to healing and salvation of wounds, if the ashes be used in due manner. Barthlomezv {Berth/et), bk. xviii. § 17.