Page:The growth of medicine from the earliest times to about 1800.djvu/86



given me a lesson. But, as soon as ever the old woman perceived the noise I made, she lifted up her hand over the pitcher (to protect it). Then I hissed and seized (her hand) by the teeth as if I were a reddish-brown snake. But she at once drew back her hand again and lay down peacefully, rolling herself up. And then I at once gulped down a lot of the porridge; and then, when I was full, I jumped up again.

Wife. And didn't the god come up to you?

Karion. Not up to that time. After this I at once covered myself up, being afraid; but he made a complete circuit examining all the ailments in a most orderly fashion; and then a slave set by him a little mortar and box of stone.

Wife. Of stone?

Karion. No, by Zeus, certainly not,—at least, not the box.

Wife. To the deuce with you, how did you see since you say you were covered up?

Karion. Through my old cloak; for, by Zeus, it had holes not a few. First of all, he took in hand to pound a plaster for Neokleides, and he threw in three cloves of Tenian garlic. Then he bruised them in the mortar, mixing therewith the acid juice of the fig-tree and squill; then, having diluted it with Sphettian vinegar, he turned his eyelids inside out that he might feel more pain, and then applied the mixture. But he, squalling and bawling, jumped up and was running away, when the god said with a laugh:—"Sit down there now, smeared with thy plaster, that I may stop thee from going to the Assembly, having for once a real excuse."

Wife. What a patriot and sage the god is!

Karion. After that he sat down by the side of Ploutos, and first he touched his head, and then, taking a clean towel, he wiped his eyelids all round, and Panakeia covered his head and all his face with a cloth of purple dye; and the god then whistled. Thereupon two snakes of monstrous size darted forth from the temple.

Wife. Dear Gods!

Karion. And these two (snakes) having quietly glided under the crimson cloth, licked his eyelids all around, methought. And before you could drink ten cups of wine, my mistress, Ploutos stood up and was able to see: and I clapped my hands with delight and awoke my master. And the god suddenly took himself off from our view with the snakes into the temple.

If one examines carefully the facts connected with the Aesculapian temple treatment, so far as they are known