Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 115-116. (Budapest, 19869

TANULMÁNYOK - Magyar, László: Öngyógyító állatok (angol nyelven)

COLUMBA (dove or pigeon) According to Pliny, it will purge itself by laurel leaf, or with herba helxine if necessary.

32 According to Aelianus, the dove, too, will treat its wound by the already tried origanum.

13 CORVUS (crow or raven) Pliny writes that it will use laurel leaf as a purgative in an attempt to neutralize chameleonpoison.

34 CROCUTA VEL GULO BOOPHAGOS (hyena) Being affected by constipation, it is supposed to expel its excrements between tightly packed stones and trees.

35 DRACO (dragon or some kind of boa constrictor) It uses sevaral kinds of drugs. According to Aristotle, if it is wounded it will eat endive,

36 in contrast to what is written by Albertus Magnus, namely that if it is sick it will feed on thayrhascon herb.

37 If by any chance a dragon happens to feel nauseated, according to Pliny's sources, it will cure itself by lettuce juice.

38 ELEPHAS (elephant) The elephant is widely known to be a wise animal. Pliny,

39 and after him Aldrovandi,

40 considered it to be so wise that they even attributed it the invention of surgical crafts. The elephant, being no narrow-minded specialist, beside employing surgical interventions, also stands the test of being a pharmacist. In the passage cited above it is also described that it also applies aloe drops as a pain-killer and oleastrum as an antidote. The secret of these two medicines was learned by man from them. Aelianus wrote oil instead of aloe possibly because of a wrong version of the word.

41 EPTYETHES (bird ?) Albertus understands that if this bird is fighting with a snake it will previously have eaten ruta, as a prophylactic drug, because its smell is hardly tolerated by the snake.

42 EQUUS (horse) Crollius mentioned that the Hungarian horses will bite through their veins with their teeth to relieve their congestion.

43 FELIS (cat) The cat has a fine sight but if it still happens to have none, it will eat valeriána to help itself.

44 32 Ibid. 33 Aelianus. (n. 10) De animalium, 5. 46 34 Pliny, (n. 2) H. N., 8. 28 35 Crollius, (n. 5) De signaturis, vol. 2, 148 36 Aristode, (n. 9) Hist. An., i. 6. 612b 31 37 Albertus Magnus, (n. 12) De animalibus, vol. 1, 8. 49 38 Pliny, (n. 2) H. N., 8. 28 39 Ibid. 40 U. Aldrovandi, De quadrupedibus solip. volumen, Bononiae, 1616, p. 447 B 41 Aelianus, (n. 10) De animalium, 2. 18 42 Albertus Magnus, (n. 12) De animalibus, 8. 48 43 Crollius, (n. 5) De signaturis, vol. 2, 148 44 Ibid.