Alberti, Leone Battista, Architecture, 1755

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          <chap>
            <pb xlink:href="003/01/316.jpg" pagenum="236"/>
            <p type="head">
              <s>CHAP. XV.</s>
            </p>
            <p type="head">
              <s>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              By what Methods to deſtroy or drive away Serpents, Gnats, Bugs, Flies, Mice,
                <lb/>
              Fleas, Moths, and the like troubleſome Vermin.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>Since we are fallen upon this Subject, I
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              ſhall venture to ſet down ſome Things
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              which we find in very grave Authors. </s>
              <s>It
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              were certainly to be wiſhed, that a Building
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              could be free from all Manner of Inconvenien­
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              cies. </s>
              <s>The Inhabitants of Mount
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Ætna
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              inſti­
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              tuted a Sacrifice to
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Hercules,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              becauſe he de­
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              livered them from the Gnats; as did alſo the
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Mileſians
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              for clearing their Vineyards from the
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              Caterpillars. </s>
              <s>The
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Æolians
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſacrificed to
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Apollo
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              for deſtroying their Swarms of Mice. </s>
              <s>Theſe
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              were doubtleſs great Benefits; but by what
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              Means they were done, has not been recorded.
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              </s>
              <s>However, in ſome Authors I find what follows:
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              The
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Aſſyrians
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              by means of a burnt Liver, to­
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              gether with an Onion and a Squill hanging
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              over the Tranſom of the Door, drove away all
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              poiſonous Animals.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Ariſtotle
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays, that Ser­
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              pents may be driven from a Houſe by the
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              Smell of Rue, and that by laying ſome Fleſh
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              in a Pot you will draw great Numbers of
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              Waſps into it, where you may ſhut them in,
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              and that by laying Sulphur and Baſtard-mar­
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              joram upon the Holes of Ants-neſts, you may
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              exterminate the Ants,
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Sabinus Tyro
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              wrote to
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                <emph type="italics"/>
              Mæcenas,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              that if their Holes were ſtopt up
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              with Sea-mud, or Aſhes, it would deſtroy
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              them.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pliny
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays, that the Herb Wart-wort
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              will effectually do it. </s>
              <s>Others think that pour­
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              ing in Water where unbaked Brick has been
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              ſteept, is a great Enemy to them. </s>
              <s>The Anci­
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              ents affirm, that Nature has made mortal En­
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              mities between certain Animals and certain
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              Things, inſomuch, that the one is ſure De­
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              ſtruction to the other. </s>
              <s>Hence the Weaſel flies
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              from the Smell of a roaſted Cat, and Serpents
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              from that of a Leopard. </s>
              <s>Thus they tell us,
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              that when a Leech ſticks the moſt obſtinately
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              to a Man's Fleſh, if you apply a Bug to its
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              Head, it will immediately quit its Hold, and
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              fall off languid; as, on the other hand, the
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              Smoke of a burning Leech will drive the Bug
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              out of his moſt private lurking Places.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Solinus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              ſays, that ſtrewing a Place with ſome of the
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              Duſt of the Iſle of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Thanet,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              in
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Britain,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              will
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              preſently drive away Serpents: And Hiſtorians
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              relate, that the ſame may be done by the
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              Earth of ſeveral other Places, and particularly
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              of the Iſland
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Ebuſus.
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              </s>
              <s> The Earth of the Iſland
                <lb/>
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Galeon
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              belonging to the
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Garamanthes
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              kills
                <lb/>
              both Serpents and Scorpions.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Strabo
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              ſays, that
                <lb/>
              the
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Africans,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              when they went to reſt, uſed to
                <lb/>
              rub the Feet of their Beds with Garlick, to
                <lb/>
              keep off the Scorpions.
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Saſernas
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              tells us how
                <lb/>
              to kill Bugs, in the following Words. </s>
              <s>Boil a
                <lb/>
              wild Cucumber in Water; then pour it where­
                <lb/>
              ever you think fit; they will never come near
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              the Place; or elſe rub your Bedſtead with an
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              Ox's Gall mixed with Vinegar. </s>
              <s>Others direct
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              us to fill up all the Cracks with Lees of Wine.
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              </s>
              <s>The Root of the Holm-oak, ſays
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Pliny,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              is an
                <lb/>
              Enemy to Scorpions, and the Aſh too is excel­
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              lent againſt ſuch noxious Animals and eſpecially
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              Serpents; which alſo will never retire under
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              Fern. </s>
              <s>Serpents are likewiſe driven away by
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              the Burning of a Woman's Hair or of a Goat's
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              Horn, or of that of a Stag, or of the Sawduſt of
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              Cedar, or of ſome Drops of
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Galbanum,
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              or of
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              Oſier, green Ivy or Juniper; and thoſe who
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              are rubbed with Juniper-ſeed are perfectly ſe­
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              cure from Hurt by Serpents. </s>
              <s>The Smell of
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              the Herb
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Haxus
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
              inebriates Aſpics, and lays
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              them ſo faſt aſleep that they are quite be­
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              numbed. </s>
              <s>Againſt Canker-worms we are di­
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              rected only to ſtick the Skeleton of a Mare's
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              Head upon a Poſt in the Garden. </s>
              <s>The Palm­
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              tree is an Enemy to Bats. </s>
              <s>Where-ever you
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              ſprinkle Water wherein Elder-flowers have been
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              boiled, you will kill all the Flies; but this is
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              ſooner done with Hellebore, eſpecially with
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              the black Sort. </s>
              <s>Burying a Dog's Tooth, to­
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              gether with his Tail and Feet in the Hill, will
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              they ſay rid you of Flies. </s>
              <s>The
                <emph type="italics"/>
              Tarantula
                <emph.end type="italics"/>
                <lb/>
              cannot endure the Smell of Saffron. </s>
              <s>The
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              Smoke of burning Hops will kill the Gnats.
                <lb/>
              </s>
              <s>Mice are killed by the Smell of Wolf-bane,
                <lb/>
              though it be at a Diſtance. </s>
              <s>So both Mice
                <lb/>
              and Bugs are deſtroyed by the Smoke of
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              Vitriol. </s>
              <s>Fleas, if you ſprinkle the Place with
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              a Decoction of Coloquintida or of the Caltrop­
                <lb/>
              thiſtle, will all vaniſh. </s>
              <s>If you ſprinkle a Place
                <lb/>
              with Goat's-blood, they will march to it in
                <lb/>
              whole Swarms; but they are driven away by
                <lb/>
              the Smell of Colewort, and yet more effectu­</s>
            </p>
          </chap>
        </body>
      </text>
    </archimedes>
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