Notes

Cannabis

Dioscorides 3.165 Kannabis Emeros. Cannabis [some call it Cannabium, some Schoenostrophon, some Asterion, ye Romans Cannabis] is a plant of much use in this life for ye twistings of very strong ropes, it bears leaves like to the Ash, of a bad scent, long stalks, empty, a round seed, which being eaten of much doth quench geniture, but being juiced when it is green is good for the pains of the ears.

Laisser

Laisser. To leave, relinquish, lay apart, set aside, put off, let alone, forgoe, let goe, forsake, abandon, give over, omit.
Laisser dire. cela se laisse dire. That is commonly spoken; Je me suis laissé dire cela. I was told that.

le jus

Voyez le commentaire historique du chapitre XLIX.

putrefaction

On voit que Rabelais est encore imbu de la théroie aristotélicienne de la génération spontanée. Quant aux vertus parasiticides du jus de chanver, elles sont invoquées par Pline, XX, 97: «Succus es eo vermiculos aurium et quodcumque animal intraverit, ejicit. (Paul Delaunay)

juice kills vermin

Cannabis in silvis primum nata est, nigrior foliis et asperior. semen eius extinguere genituram dicitur. sucus ex eo vermiculos aurium et quodcumque animal intraverit eicit, sed cum dolore capitis, tantaque vis ei est ut aquae infusus coagulare eam dicatur. et ideo iumentorum alvo succurrit potus in aqua. radix articulos contractos emollit in aqua cocta, item podagras et similes impetus. ambustis cruda inlinitur, sed saepius mutatur priusquam arescat.

Hemp at first grew in woods, with a darker and rougher leaf. Its seed is said to make the genitals impotent. The juice from it drives out of the ears the worms and any other creature that has entered them, but at the cost of a headache; so potent is its nature that when poured into water it is said to make it coagulate. And so, drunk in their water, it regulates the bowels of beasts of burden. The root boiled in water eases cramped joints, gout too and similar violent pains [Cf. § 228 and note on XXII. § 122]. It is applied raw to burns, but is often changed before it gets dry.

les vertus du pantagruelion

Toute les vertus du pantagruélion que Rabelais va énumérer jusqu’a [voulez guerir une bruslure] sont attribués par Pline au chanvre (XX, 23 et 97) (LD/EC). Notons que R. accepte, comme tout le monde alors, la génération spontanée, notion faisant toujours autorité chez les médecins de la seconde moitié du XVIe siècle. Cf. J. Riolan, In libri Fernelii de Procreatione comment., Paris, 1578, 4: « Non est tamen necessarius congressus ad procreationem, nam plurima animalia de putridine excitantur … ».

vermine

Allusion aus vertus parasiticides de jus de chanvre (Pline, XX, xcvii, dont s’inspire la suite).
putrefaction

putrefaction

Croyance en la théorie aristotélicienne de génération spontanée (voir Tiers livre, ed. Lefranc, n. 51, p. 364

jus du chanvre

Rabelais traduit Pline, XX, 23, parlant du jus du chanvre: «Succus ex eo vermiculos aurium et quodcumque animal intrauerit, eiicit.»