Inscribis chartae, quod dicitur Abracadabra, Saepius: et subter repetas, sed detrahe summae, Et magis atque magis desint elementa figuris Singula, quae semper rapies et coetera figes, Donec in angustam redigatur litera conum. His lino nexis collum redimire memento. In a paper on Serenus Samonicus by Dr. Barnes of Carlisle, contributed to the _St. Louis Medical Review_, the following translation of the above passage is given. A semitertian fever of a particular character is the disease under discussion. “Write several times on a piece of paper the word ‘Abracadabra,’ and repeat the word in the lines below, but take away letters from the complete word and let the letters fall away one at a time in each succeeding line. Take these away ever, but keep the rest until the writing is reduced to a narrow cone. Remember to tie these papers with flax and bind them round the neck.” The charm was written in several ways all in conformity with the instructions. Dr. Barnes gives these specimens: A B R A C A D A B R A a b r a c a d a b r a A B R A C A D A B R a b r a c a d a b r A B R A C A D A B a b r a c a d a b A B R A C A D A a b r a c a d a A B R A C A D a b r a c a d A B R A C A a b r a c a ABRACADABRA A B R A C a b r a c BRACADABR A B R A a b r a RACADAB A B R a b r ACADA A B a b CAD A a A After wearing the charm for nine days it had to be thrown over the shoulder into a stream running eastwards. In cases which resisted this talisman Serenus recommended the application of lion’s fat, or yellow coral with green emeralds tied to the skin of a cat and worn round the neck. Serenus Samonicus is believed to have been a disciple of a notorious Christian heretic named Basilides, who lived in the early part of the second century, and was himself the founder of a sect branching out of the gnostics. Basilides had added to their beliefs some fanciful notions based on the teachings of Pythagoras and Apollonius of Tyre, especially in regard to names and numbers. To him is attributed the invention of the mystic word “abraxas,” which in Greek numeration represents the total 365, thus:--a--1, b--2, r--100, a--1, x--60, a--1, s--200. This word is supposed to have been a numeric representation of the Persian sungod, 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.