Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-13
ANCIENTS' POISON LORE
OBSCURE FACTS REVEALED BY
STUDY OF ToxICoLoGY.
Nero Had His Brother, Britannicus,
Killed With Prussic Acid-An
Egyptian Warning.

| From the New York Times.
| A study of the old poison lore is interest
! ing not only on account of the light thrown
| on obscure subject. but because it dis
! closes some remarkable events in the his
| tory of nations all the way back to the
| age of mythology. A. w. Blyth. Eng
| fish authority on poisons declares that
the root ''tox' of the modern word toxi-
| cology can be traced back to very ancien t
| word meaning bow or arrow" or in a
| still broader sense. any tool used for
| staying. 1t is assumed. therefore. that
| the first knowledge of poisons was that OF
| septic poisons.
1t is assumed. further. that savaGes
learned by experience that arrows and
spears on which had dried the blood of
victims made subsequent wounds fatal
and that later they smeared their weapons
with offensive pastes and stepped them in
the juices of vegetables which they deemed
destructive The results. being mysterious,
were ascribed to supernatural powers.
Classic Toxic Herbs.
In the mythology of Greece there was
somber saga which declared that in the
far north, later described as Cochis. there
dwelt some sorcerers-children of the
OF these, Hecate possessed vast knowledge
of poisonous herbs. which passed to her
daughter, Medea, who administered drugs
to that dragon which guarded the golden
fleece and urged Jason to gladiator-like
achievements
Menes one of the oldest of the Egyptian
kings, and Attalus Phylometer the last
king of PerSemuS, undoubtedly possessed
wide knowledge of medicinal plants. At
talus Phylometer compounded medicines
and experimental with poisons- He was
familiar with hyoscyamus, aconite, vera
truIl. conium and others.
Mithradates Equator went further than
either of these, however. he prepared
the famous mixture theriaca, composed of
tifty-four ingredients. and which in later
days sold at great price. There is further
evidence of the chemical knowledge of the
Egyptians as disclosed in embalming and
various technical works.
The most interesting feature of the
poison lore of Egypt, however. is the fact
that the Egyptians were acquainted with
prussic acid one of the most deadly poi
sons. They distilled it from certain plants
and trees, notably the peach. In the
Louvre there is an ancient Egyptian
papyrus which has been deciphered:
Penalty of the Peach.
Pronounce not the name of l. A. o.
under the penalty of the peach!"
This is supposed to be a death warning
to those who might be tempted to reveal
mysteries in connection with the religious
rites of the priests.
1t is certain that the Romans learned Of
tory has it that in the reign of Tibefius
Roman knight accused of treason drank
poison and fell dead at the feet of the
senators.
In ancient Greece poison the favor
tie method of capital punishment and sui
eide and 1t is of interest that self-de-
struction considered by the Greeks an
exemplary means of freeing the soul from
the body. Valerius Maximus relates that
he saw woman of quality In the Island
of Coos, who. having lived happily for
ninety years, obtained leave to take
poisonous draught lest by living longer
she should happen to have Il change in
her good fortune.
Nicander of Colophon (204-13S 3. c.
wrote the most ancient works eXtant on
the subject of poisons. In one treatise
he described the effects of snake venom
in another he considered the properties of
opium. henbane, certain fungi, colchicum,
aconite and conium and recommended
autidOteS for them
Dioscorides tiU-Jo 4. D. described the
effects of cantharides sulphate OF copper
mercury, lead and arsenic. He described
poiSons under three heads: Animal poisons.
poisonS from plants and mineral poIsonS