Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-22
On Charms
And PhiIters.

And Phi1ters,
From the beginning Of history man
has believed In magic. There have been
buyers and sellers of charms from the
earliest ages. Once in awhile the name
CT sorcerer or sorceress sprang into
evil fame. Thus we read of Apuleius,
who was accused of unlawful practices
acquired from eastern masicians in the
second century, and of Locusta. whose
house on the Palatine hill was we'll
known as the scene of cruel expert
ments on slaves. By such she became
expert In preparing poisonous drugs.
But an attempt to poison Nero brought
about her own ruin and death.
At one time Roman ladies dabbled in
/ 01cutt y. AS rIr-tuck as eto years
before the Christian era there was a
club OF Roman married ladies who used
10 meet under the guidance of a certain
liieronima Sparta. fortune teller.
they used to concoct eSarms of all
kinds. love drafts and roisons. which
they began to administer somewhat too
/ freely to friends and enemies. Discov-
cry followed. Sparta and three of her
confederates were hanged, while no
fewer than $50 matrons were punished
by public whipping and banishment
iNNA'u7 StOiits, utiNe dlN pee1 COH-
sidered as talismans. The jasper was
favorable to public speakers. 1t loosen
ed the tongue and gave n ready flow OF
words. Orators wore 1t about their per-
sons. The amethyst was looked upon
as sure preventive OF drunkenness,
and the sacred agate insured the wearer
against snake bites.
All sorts of herbs were used In
charms. Certain plants made people in
I - r,... A., L..
for instance. with its heart shaped lenf,
was clearly intended to draw hearts to-
gether. while asarum (wild ginger) en-
| ahled lovers or friends to talk to each
other al n distance. II each friend
were provided with a leaf of the plant,
the faintest whisper OF one would be
| heard by the other, although miles
| apart Nervain inspired ardent pas
sion. Olive leaves insured n peaceful
life. Opium was used to cause q sleep
which should simulate death. an ex-
pedient often resorted to by unfortu-
nate lovers, while henbane caused wild
and terrifying visions.
y woman to whom this last drug was
administered described how small OBJ
jects became suddenly enormous ana
threatene to crush her and how she felt
her head and body separating from
each other. The ranunculus or .'sar-
donic herb" inspired u sort of forced
gayety. with convulsive laughter. The
term 'sardcnic laughter has come
down TO us in consequence. But rosa
leaves had the power to loosen charms
and unbind spells. II was said that the
color of the rose came from the blood OF
Venus. who pricked her foot on thorn.
while the rose itself sprang from the
bIo0d OF N00ntS. t.,rTTr Oh, III the ITIiVt--
die ages. knights would battle in rose
water in order to acquire "gentleness
and true courage"
The myrtle was sacred to love and
Venus and therefore had power to pre-
serve the charms OF beauty. a plant
named sylphion. however. possessed the
wonderful property OF making old men
young and was sold for It's weight i'll
gold. In Rome it was kept in the state
treasury in the form of resinous gum.
julius Caesar sold LOO pounds OF it in
| order to make good the costs OF civil
war.
At first only herbs were used in the
connection OF charms. but later on the
more Violent mineral poisons wers
drawn into the service of the charm
brewers Arsenic was literally used as
Il secret poison under the later Roman
emperors.
In the middle ages the art does not
seem " NAVE pEoSTeSSeQ-tnGre was n
return To vegetable poiscns-but with
the renaissance and during the six
teenth and seventeenth centuries magic
of all sorts blossomed and tlourished.
Italy was the mother country of most
OF the adopts in poisoning and we'll
earned her name of ''Venonosa Italia"
France was her apt pupil. A sorceress
named Mireille was put to death in 1872.
and the number OF her followers and
fellow workers was said to be so 900.
Arsenic again became the basis OF all
philters, perfumes and poisonous drinks.
a whole chapter of Ambrose Pare's
work on poisons Is devoted to arsenic.
The antidote. he thinks, Is Malyoisie
wine.
Magic unguents were made by which
persons were enabled to leave their
bodies for time and go OFF to Join the
witches Sabbath
Pills FOR sending wolves to sleep,,
are not so astounding in their effects.
AT least. when we hear that they wer.
compounded OF aconite, arsenic. quick
lime, powdered glass. bitter almond.
and honey we are not surprised that
the wolves "felt badly after eating
them. 80
The number of poisoned victima ;n
those days was enormous, the no;ao,,.
were so much more efiicacious than .t,a
philters! Small wonder that one TN
ert FlUdd of Kent wrote n book Il ~,
gave as his opinion that "phiiters ana
charms are ridiculous. dangerous atia
even criminal. Tho greatest inspjrer 3os
love in woman OF the world would 10
vNt.t lA.,,.x A. IN