Page:Gesta Romanorum - Swan - Wright - 1.djvu/515

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NOTES.
341


Note 21.Page 105.

It is not worth while to investigate how much of this story is recorded by Justin.


Note 22.Page 110.

"Covered it with theriaque."

Theriaque is an antidote. "Tyriacum antidotum, pro theriacum, quod vulgo theriaque dicimus."—Ducange. "Certaine trochisks[1] there be made of a viper, called by the Greeks theriaci: for which purpose they cut away at both ends as toward the head as the taile, the breadth of foure fingers, they rip her bellie also, and take out the garbage within: but especially they rid away the blue string or veine that sticketh close to the ridge-bone. Which done, the rest of the bodie they seeth in a pan with water and dill seed, until such time as all the flesh is gone from the chine: which being taken away, and all the prickie bones thereto belonging, the flesh remaining they incorporate with fine flower, and reduce into troches, which being dried in the shade, are re-

  1. A trochisk [Latin Trociscus] is a kind of medicinal pill or pastille.