Page:Chronicles of pharmacy (Volume 1).djvu/182

 a—1, x—60, a—1, s—200. This word is supposed to have been a numeric representation of the Persian sun-*god, or if it was invented by Basilides, more likely indicated the 365 emanations of the infinite Deity. It has been generally supposed that abracadabra was derived from abraxas.

There are, however, other interpretations. Littré associates it with the Hebrew words, Ab, Ruach, Dabar; Father, Holy Ghost, Word. Dr. King, an authority on the curious gnostic gems well-known to antiquarians, regards this explanation as purely fanciful and suggests that Abracadabra is a modification of the term Ablathanabla, a word frequently met with on the gems alluded to, and meaning Our Father, Thou art Our Father. Others hold that Ablathanabla is a corruption of Abracadabra. An ingenious correspondent of Notes and Queries thinks that a more likely Hebrew origin of the term than the one favoured by Littré would be Abrai seda brai, which would signify Out, bad spirit, out. It is agreed that the word should be pronounced Abrasadabra. Another likely origin, suggested by Colonel C. R. Conder in "The Rise of Man" (1908), p. 314, is Abrak-ha-dabra, a Hebrew phrase meaning "I bless the deed." The triangular form of the charm was no doubt significant of the Trinity in Unity.

Pythagoras taught that holding dill in the left hand would prevent epilepsy. Serapion of Alexandria ( 278) prescribed for epilepsy the warty excrescences on the forelegs of animals, camel's brain and gall, rennet of seal, dung of crocodile, blood of turtle, and other animal