Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-05
THE, HISTORY OF POIsONs.

New York. journal: Prof. Charles E.
Pellew, of Columbia University, deliv-
cred a lecture Saturday night at Cooper
Union, on Modern Chemistry as Applied
to Poisoning" The professor first traced
a history of the discoveries and uses of
poisons from the earliest times down to
the present. 1.-THE first known poisons,"
he said, "were probably vegetable, and
the virus from smoke. These We're dis
covered very much as the animal learns
what is good n what is harmful among
the plants and animals met in the forest.
And these people early put the knowl-
edge to practical use by tipping with
poison their arrows intended for enemies.
From that time until this the industry
Of poisoning has flourished.
THE Persians and Greeks were free
users of poisons for putting away their
enemies. The Greeks especially practiced
the art in a refined manner. Under the
republic a regular corps Of woman pois-
oners was maintained by the state. When
a criminal or a person who had become
persona non grata with the emperor vas
to be disposed of one Of the women was
notified and was expected to provide
ways and means for the removal. So
crates was so disposed Of. While at din
ner the executioner entered and handed
hin a cup of poison. She a~pologized for
disturbing him. The philosopher, with
Chestertieldian politeness, begged her
not to mention it, drank the contents of
the cup II lay down and died.
THE Romans, too, practiced the art.
Nero appreciated the advantage Of a
quiet, gentlemanly way Of removal and
employed the method quite successfully
in his OWn family.
arsenic was discovered about the end
Of the first century, A. D., but the first
record Of it's employment for killing was
about 1900. In that year a nobleman in
the south of France employed a man to
kill the king and gave him written in
structions to that effect. The man was
arrested before the affair was consum-
ated and the king escaped. The Italians
We're the freest users of poisons, and
studied the art more carefully than any
other people. The method was employed
freely by all classes, and was much in
favor with the church.
Pope Alexander had a playful way of
inviting rich church di~gnitaries to dine
with him, when he would regale them
with a specially prepared dish, and AFTER
ward confiscate their property. 1t was
by poison that the pope finally met his
death. A rich cardinal had beer invited
to dinner. but the cardinal knew the
game and bribed the butler to give the
poisoned food to the pope and his son,
Caesar Rorgia, who also was present. 1t
is said the pope and his son, feeling
themselves growing i'll made a simutane-
GUS rush for an antidote kept in a GER
tain closet for an emergency of the kind,
The more nimble Caesar secured and
drank all of the antidote and saved his
life. but the pope died.
Pope Plus I'LL, who succeeded him
met a similar fate about a month later
and so years afterward Leo TX, the great.
est Of all the popes, met a like death. In
Italy poisoning was considered an emin-
emily courteous, proper and high-bred
way of %disposing of an enemy, and Ital.
ian women made an open practice Of
supplying poisors.
In France poisoning was introduced
and made popular by the de Medicis, and
Catherine de Medici kept about her ar
Italian poison expert.
1t is related that a certain marquis
who was in love with a noted chemist
obtained from him poison with which tc
kill her husband. The chemist was moi
averse to poisoning the marquis, but die
not care to marry the maIquise. So
whenever the latter administered the
poison to her husband, the chemist haG
himself summoned and gave him an anti
dote.
In England there has never been q
great deal of poisoning. The "Italiar
method" as it is called, has ever beer
unpopular.
"In America poisoning has always
been prevalent" said the professor, wht
expressed the opinion that only a small
proportion of the cases came to the
knowledge of the public. Arsenic is tn,
most common poison used. When 6
physicians discovers symptoms Of arseni