the
tradition that blood dripped from the Head of Medea, which Perseus had
deposited on some branches near the sea-shore ; which blood, becoming
hard, was taken by the Sea Nymphs, and planted in the sea.
Formerly Coral was thought to deepen in colour when worn by a man, and to become paler when used thus by a woman.
Dr.
Salmon (1696) ordered, " To prepare Coral" : " Take such a quantity as
you think convenient; make it into a fine powder, by grinding it upon a
porphyry ; or in an iron mortar ; drop on it by degrees a little
rose-water ; and form it into balls for use." " After this same manner,
crabs' eyes, pearl, oister shells, and precious stones, are prepared to
make up cordials compounded of them, and other suitable materials, for
the strengthening the heart, in fevers, and such-like violent
diseases, and to restore the decays of nature."
From our Animal Simples (1890)
we make—without apology—some few final quotations about Coral, which
seem to us well worthy of repetition here. " Red Coral, powdered, when
given experimentally in somewhat large doses, has been found to excite
a violent spasmodic cough, with suffocating irritation of the windpipe.
Acting on which knowledge, and being mindful that much reduced doses of
a violent medicament will commonly act in precisely an opposite way,
(proving curative to symptoms of incidental illness similar to those
which a larger toxic quantity of such medicament has been proved to
induce), M. Teste, and others have found the diluted powder of Coral
almost a specific for curing whooping-cough, and the spurious croup of
young children." Furthermore, " ' For a chronic convulsive cough,'
says M. Teste, ' it is like water thrown
