Pliny On The Efficacy Of Superstition

[Pantagathus]

In Pliny's 28th book about remedies derived from living creatures, he starts with humans. It's a fascinating section that goes from condemning abhorrent uses of the human body for weird treatments to discussing in the most fundamental sense the power of the human mind; not only over one's health but over one's life in general.

 

Though I'd love to quote all of it here (in fact, the passage before this is my favorite), I'm going to post one section where he is talking about superstitions because it's facinating to see how much of it we still do today in one form or another:

 

"I would appeal, too, for confirmation on this subject, to the intimate experience of each individual. Why, in fact, upon the first day of the new year, do we accost one another with prayers for good fortune, and, for luck's sake, wish each other a happy new year? Why, too, upon the occasion of public lustrations, do we select persons with lucky names, to lead the victims?

 

Why, to counteract fascinations, do we Romans observe a peculiar form of adoration, in invoking the Nemesis of the Greeks; whose statue, for this reason, has been placed in the Capitol at Rome, although the goddess herself possesses no Latin name? Why, when we make mention of the dead, do we protest that we have no wish to impeach their good name?

 

Why is it that we entertain the belief that for every purpose odd numbers are the most effectual; --a thing that is particularly observed with reference to the critical days in fevers? Why is it that, when gathering the earliest fruit, apples, on pears, as the case may be, we make a point of saying "This fruit is old, may other fruit be sent us that is new?"

Why is it that we salute a person when he sneezes, an observance which Tiberius C

[Pantagathus]

You know, I just have to add this too... AD or Pertinax mentioned the spitting in the hand thing recently and this whole passage is a whoot!

 

"But it is the fasting spittle of a human being, that is, as already stated by us, the sovereign preservative against the poison of serpents; while, at the same time, our daily experience may recognize its efficacy and utility, in many other respects.

 

We are in the habit of spitting, for instance, as a preservative from epilepsy, or in other words, we repel contagion thereby: in a similar manner, too, we repel fascinations, and the evil presages attendant upon meeting a person who is lame in the right leg. We ask pardon of the gods, by spitting in the lap, for entertaining some too presumptuous hope or expectation. On the same principle, it is the practice in all cases where medicine is employed, to spit three times on the ground, and to conjure the malady as often; the object being, to aid the operation of the remedy employed. It is usual, too, to mark a boil, when it first makes its appearance, three times with fasting spittle.

 

What we are going to say is marvellous, but it may easily be tested by experiment: if a person repents of a blow given to another, either by hand or with a missile, he has nothing to do but to spit at once into the palm of the hand which has inflicted the blow, and all feelings of resentment will be instantly alleviated in the person struck. This, too, is often verified in the case of a beast of burden, when brought on its haunches with blows; for upon this remedy being adopted, the animal will immediately step out and mend its pace. Some persons, however, before making an effort, spit into the hand in manner above stated, in order to make the blow more heavy.

 

We may well believe, then, that lichens and leprous spots may be removed by a constant application of fasting spittle; that ophthalmia may be cured by anointing, as it were, the eyes every morning with fasting spittle; that carcinomata may be effectually treated, by kneading the root of the plant known as "apple of the earth," with human spittle; that crick in the neck may be got rid of by carrying fasting spittle to the right knee with the right hand, and to the left knee with the left; and that when an insect has got into the ear, it is quite sufficient to spit into that organ, to make it come out. Among the counter-charms too, are reckoned, the practice of spitting into the urine the moment it is voided, of spitting into the shoe of the right foot before putting it on, and of spitting while a person is passing a place in which he has incurred any kind of peril.

 

Marcion of Smyrna, who has written a work on the virtues of simples, informs us that the sea scolopendra will burst asunder if spit upon; and that the same is the case with bramble-frogs, and other kinds of frogs. Opilius says that serpents will do the same, if a person spits into their open mouth; and Salpe tells us, that when any part of the body is asleep, the numbness may be got rid of by the person spitting into his lap, or touching the upper eyelid with his spittle.

 

If we are ready to give faith to such statements as these, we must believe also in the efficacy of the following practices: upon the entrance of a stranger, or when a person looks at an infant while asleep, it is usual for the nurse to spit three times upon the ground; and this, although infants are under the especial guardianship of the god Fascinus, the protector, not of infants only, but of generals as well, and a divinity whose worship is entrusted to the Vestal virgins, and forms part of the Roman rites. It is the image of this divinity that is attached beneath the triumphant car of the victorious general, protecting him, like some attendant physician, against the effects of envy; while, at the same time, equally salutary is the advice of the tongue, which warns him to be wise in time, that so Fortune may be prevailed upon by his prayers, not to follow, as the destroyer of his glory, close upon his back."

 

[Pertinax]

I always enjoy Pliny-he seems very British in his aloofness from vulgarity and superstition. The "earth apple " alluded to is, by the way , the cucumber not the humble spud,ladies still apply this to the eye of course. The rubbing of spittle on warts is still a folk remedy here-though little known save amongst the elderly. I would mention though the use of spittle to pre-digest starchy plants prior to fermentation ( pytallin is the enzyme (sp?) and given the power of human digestive fluids , I am not inclined to dismiss this totally.

The spittle thing is very interesting , im inclined to value Jung's comments on this as the offering of "living substance " to the deity, ( if I didnt say it was his study of the Elgonyi in Kenya, offering outstretched hands with spittle to the sun).

Exploding amphibians are outside my experience.

[Pantagathus]

Exploding amphibians are outside my experience.

 

Likewise, the mental picture of someone spitting into the mouth of a snake to make it explode is too much to bear!

[Pertinax]

What of the Plinaiin ephemera regarding the Goby Fish? " It is said that at the battle of Actium Antony's flagship was brought to a halt by a goby fish as he toured the fleet to encourage his men" and " within living memory a goby fish stopped the Emperor Gaius' ship on his voyage back from Astura to Actium" so the goby wasnt all bad then. The clincher is this-that the goby is a dread omen, soon after Gaius returned to Rome he was struck down by his own men , the Goby had been found attached to the rudder and ws said to have foiled the exertions of 400 rowers.

 

I was very remiss in not mentioning the use of a rope , used by a suicide, to relieve a headache.

Edited March 22, 2006 by Pertinax

[Gaius Octavius]

Now I know why Italians and Spaniards say 'salute'(?) and 'salud'(?), after someone has sneezed. The 'tingling' in the ears is still in use and is true! I always know. Men still spit into their palms before using a shovel. Don't we spit on the ground to insult a person or show contempt for a place?

This business of getting rid of a headache should be taken up. I know of lots of headaches who need a rope.

Any of these chaps mention how to use spit to cure strokes, diabetes, etc.? Probably just as good as using quacks and their potions.

When I was a nipper, we had to spit if we found a penny on the ground and couldn't step on the space between the cement pavement. "Step on a crack; break your mother's back."

Edited March 26, 2006 by Gaius Octavius

[Pertinax]

So spitting as a "superstition/offering" seems to have a a very wide range in space and time, Pantagathus' out-take of Pliny about spitting to relieve/defer an epileptic seizure made me ponder-as we know drying of the mucous membranes and projection of the tounge can a warning sign of an imminent seizure.

Galen mentions the supposed "mutual antipathy" of the spittle of vipers and men-this being that either may slay the other( which is alluded to in the leading post),I suspect some ancient "magical thinking" here (unless someone is a reptile expert and cantell us that human saliva will kill a snake!0 namely that by offering the living substance to the Deity the bite will be non-fatal.

I would mention that in contemporary parasitology saliva is one of the favoured media for the transmision of parasitic organisms .