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CHAP. 76.—THE PHLYNION, NEURAS, OR POTERION ; ONE REMEDY.

Frogs, too, have their venom, the bramble-frog1 in particular, and I myself have seen the Psylli, in their exhibitions, irritate them by placing them upon flat vessels made red hot,2 their bite being fatal more instantaneously than the sting even of the asp. One remedy for their poison is the phrynion,3 taken in wine, which has also the additional names of "neuras"4 and "poterion:" it bears a small flower, and has numerous fibrous roots, with an agreeable smell.

1 "Rubetis." A kind of toad, probably. See B. viii. c. 48, B. xi. c. 16, and B. xxxii. c. 18.

2 Schneider, on Nicander's Alexiph. p. 277, says that he cannot under- stand this passage. There is little doubt that Sillig is right in his conjecture that it is imperfect, for the pith of the narrative, whatever it may have been, is evidently wanting. The Psylli were said to be proof against all kinds of poisons. See B. viii. c. 38, and 13. xi. c. 30; also lucan's Pharsalia, B. ix. 1. 192, el seq.

3 See also B. xxvii. c. 97. Fée identifies it with the Astragalas Creticus of Lamarek, Desfontaines with the Astragalus poterium.

4 The "nerve-plant " and the "drinking-plant," apparently.

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    • Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), PSYLLI
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