botany: A genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the pentandria clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 47th order, Steilata. The calyx is quinquedentate, perishing, and crowning the fruit; the corolla is tubulated; the berry globose; with two hemispherical falcated seeds.
The species are four, viz. 1. Aspatica; 2. Serpens; 3. Herbacca; and, 4. Emetica. They are all natives of Jamaica. See Ipecacuanha.
Psylli, (Strabo, Ptolemy): a people in the south of Cyrenaica, so called from king Pylus, (Agatharcides, quoted by Pliny): almost all overwhelmed by sand driven by a south wind (Herodotus). They had something in their bodies fatal to serpents, and their very smell proved a charm against them, according to Pliny, Lucan, &c.
Though we may justly look upon it as fabulous, that these people had anything in their bodies different from others; it is, however, certain that there are in Egypt at this day some persons who have a method of handling the most poisonous serpents without any hurt. Of these Mr Haffelquist gives the following account:
"They take the most poisonous vipers with their bare hands, play with them, put them in their bosoms, and use a great many more tricks with them, as I have often seen. I have frequently seen them handle those that were three or four feet long, and of the most horrid sort. I inquired and examined whether they had cut out the vipers poisonous teeth; but I have with my own eyes seen they do not. We may therefore conclude, that there are to this day Pylus in Egypt; but what art they use is not easily known. Some people are very superstitious, and the generality believe this to be done by some supernatural art which they obtain from invisible beings. I do not know whether their power is to be ascribed to good or evil; but I am persuaded that those who undertake it use many superstitions.
"The art of fascinating serpents is a secret amongst the Egyptians. It is worthy the endeavours of all naturalists, and the attention of every traveller, to learn something decisive as to this affair. How ancient this art is among the Africans, may be concluded from the ancient Mari and Pylus, who were from Africa, and daily showed proofs of it at Rome. It is very remarkable that this should be kept a secret for more than 2000 years, being known only to a few, when we have seen how many other secrets have within that time been revealed. vealed. The circumstances relating to the fascination of serpents in Egypt, related to me, were principally,
1. That the art is only known to certain families, who propagate it to their offspring.
2. The person who knows how to fascinate serpents, never meddles with other poisonous animals, such as scorpions, lizards, &c. There are different persons who know how to fascinate these animals; and they again never meddle with serpents.
3. Those that fascinate serpents, eat them both raw and boiled, and even make broth of them, which they eat very commonly amongst them; but in particular, they eat such a dish when they go out to catch them. I have been told, that serpents fried or boiled are frequently eaten by the Arabians both in Egypt and Arabia, though they know not how to fascinate them, but catch them either alive or dead.
4. After they have eaten their soup, they procure a blessing from their sheik (priest or lawyer), who uses some superstitious ceremonies, and amongst others, spits on them several times with certain gestures. This manner of getting a blessing from the priest is pure superstition, and certainly cannot in the least help to fascinate serpents; but they believe, or will at least persuade others, that the power of fascinating serpents depends upon this circumstance."
Notwithstanding this testimony of Hasselquist, the story of the incantation of serpents, though frequently alluded to in Scripture, has been generally treated as a fable. It is, however, affirmed as a certain truth, both by Mr Bruce and M. Savary. "There is no doubt (says the former of these travellers) of its reality. The Scriptures are full of it. All that have been in Egypt have seen as many different instances as they choose. Some have doubted that it was a trick; and that the animals thus handled had been first trained, and then deprived of their power of hurting; and fond of the discovery, they have retested themselves upon it, without experiment, in the face of all antiquity. But I will not hesitate to aver, that I have seen at Cairo (and this may be seen daily without any trouble or expense), a man who came from the catacombs, where the pits of the mummy birds are kept, who has taken a cobra with his naked hand from a number of others lying at the bottom of a tub, has put it upon his bare head, covered it with the common red cap he wears, then taken it out, put it in his breast, and tied it about his neck like a necklace; after which it has been applied to a hen, and bit it, which died in a few minutes; and, to complete the experiment, the man has taken it by the neck, and beginning at his tail, has eaten it as one would do a carrot or stock of celery, without any seeming repugnance.
"We know from history, that where any country has been remarkably infested with serpents, there the people have been screened by this secret.
"To leave ancient history, I can myself vouch, that all the black people in the kingdom of Sennar, whether Funje or Nuba, are perfectly armed against the bite of either scorpion or viper. They take the serpents in their hands at all times, put them in their bosoms, and throw them to one another as children do apples or balls, without having irritated them by this usage so much as to bite. The Arabs have not this secret naturally, but from their infancy they acquire an exemption from the mortal consequences attending the bite of these animals, by chewing a certain root, and washing themselves (it is not anointing) with an infusion of certain plants in water."
From this account we should be apt to think, that these vipers really would not bite any who were thus armed against their poison; especially as he adds, that he "constantly observed, that the viper, however lively before, upon being seized by any of these barbarians, seemed as if taken with sickness and feebleness, frequently shut his eyes, and never turned his mouth towards the arm of the person who held him." Yet in another place, speaking of the activity of the cobra, he says, "I saw one of them at Cairo, in the house of Julian and Rofa, crawl up the side of a box in which there were many, and there lie still, as if hiding himself, till one of the people who brought them to us came near him; and though in a very disadvantageous posture, sticking as it were perpendicularly to the side of the box, he leaped near the distance of three feet, and fastened between the man's forefinger and thumb, so as to bring the blood. The fellow showed no signs of either pain or fear, and even kept him with us full four hours, without his applying any sort of remedy, or seeming inclined to do so."
It is difficult to see how these two accounts can be reconciled. If those who catch vipers are in danger of being bit by them after they are caged, certainly they must be so before, and then the whole relation becomes contradictory. Our author tells us, that these feats were performed for a season, by those who were artificially armed against the viper's poison, as well as those who had the exemption naturally; but though put in possession of the drugs, he never had the courage to make the experiment. That he should have made such a dreadful experiment on himself, no person in his senses would expect; but it is indeed very surprising, that he did not attempt by means of these medicines to arm some of the brute creatures, of the lives of which he was sufficiently prodigal, against the effects of that deadly poison by which so many of them perished.—As surprising it is, that he did not try what effect the root or its decoction would have upon the serpents themselves; or that though he says he had a small quantity of this extraordinary root by him, he gave neither drawing nor description of it.
Though it is impossible to reconcile the particulars of this account to one another, the general fact of the incantation is confirmed by the testimony of M. Savary. This writer tells us, that he saw at the feast of Sidi Ibrahim, a troop of people, seemingly possessed, with naked arms and a fierce look, holding in their hands enormous serpents, which twined round their body, and endeavoured to escape. These Pythons, grasping them strongly by the neck, avoided the bite; and notwithstanding their hissing, tore them with their teeth, and ate them alive, while the blood streamed from their mouth.