Avicenna delivers his plan of treatment at great length, enumerating many Arabic substances, the nature of which cannot now be easily determined. His general principles, however, seem to have been much the same as those of our author. He recommends in the first place the ligature, and cupping with scarifications. Wine and the theriac are to be given unless inflammatory symptoms come on, in which case the patient is to be bled. (iv, 6.) In another place he praises the juice of the citron as a remedy against the sting of the viper. Haly Abbas recommends immediate amputation of the part when this is practicable, and otherwise directs us to apply a ligature around it, to make scarifications, and use stimulant applications, such as onions, leeks, &c. Like most of the other authorities, he recommends the theriac, and wine, with other stimulants, such as pepper, birthwort, bay-berries, &c. In certain cases he also approves of bleeding. (Pract. iv, 32.) Alsaharavius recommends cupping, the ligature, and in short nearly the same plan of treatment as Haly. (Pract. xxx, 2, 18.) Garlic was used in common cases as a substitute for the theriac, both internally and in cataplasms. (See, in particular, Geopon. xii, 30.) On the viper, see Ælian (H. A. x, 9); Phile (70); Galen (Ther. ad Pison.) The ancient stories of the fatal copulation of the male viper with the female, and of the loves of the muræna and viper, are probably fabulous. (See De Pauw, apud Phile.) The latter story is told by Aristotle (H. A. v, 10); Ælian (i, 50); Oppian (Hal. i, 554); Pliny (ix, 23); Athenæus (vii); Achilles Tatius (i.) One of Athenæus’s authorities, however, questions the truth of it. (Deipn. l. c.) According to Sprengel, the Asiatic ἐχίδνα is the _coluber Ægyptius_; the ἔχις, probably the _C. ammodytes_; and the European ἐχίδνα, the _C. berus_. (Comment. in Dioscor.) It is clear, however, from Nicander’s description of the viper, that the term ἔχις was applied to a considerable variety of venomous snakes. It must not then be supposed to apply in all cases to the coluber ammodytes. It is also certain, as will be seen under their proper heads, that other serpents, to which specific names were given, such as the cerastes, the hæmorrhus, and the asp, were merely varieties of the _vipera_. The seps is not treated of by the Greek authorities on Toxicology, except Nicander, but is briefly noticed by the Arabian under the name of _famusus_. Avicenna states that the treatment of the viper applies to it. (iv. 6, 3, 48.) From the description of it given by Nicander, it would appear to have been a variety of the hæmorrhus. (See Theriac, 320, with the Commentary of Eutecnius.) SECT. XIII.—ON THE AMPHISBÆNA AND SCYTALA. The same symptoms follow their bites, and the same remedies are applicable to them; therefore it is unnecessary to treat of them particularly. * * * * *