Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-07-19
Ancient's Poison tore.

A study of the old poison lore is in
teresting not only on account of the
light thrown on an ObscUre subject,
but because it disclOses some remark
able events in the history Of nations
all the way back to the age OF mythOl-
Ogy. A. w. Blyth, an English au-
thority on pOisOns. declares that the
root ''tox" of the modern word toxi-
cOlogy can be traced back to very
ancient word meaning boy or "ar-
row." or. in a stnl broader sense, any
tool used for Staying. It Ia as
sumed, therefore, that the first knowl-
edge Of pOisons was that Of septic
poisons.
1t is assumed, further, that sayages
learned by experience that arrows and
spears on which had dried the blood OF
victims made SUBSEQUENT wounds
fatal, and that later Z. they smeared
their weapons with offensive pastes
and stepped them in the juices OF
vegetables which they deemed des-
tructive. The results. being mysteri-
Gus, were ascribed to supernatural
powers. <
In the mythology of Greece there was
d SOiuOSt sage "hlSH ucCiaiCo tudt AZ
the far north. later described as Col
CHS. there dwelt some sorcerers-chil
dren of the sun. OF these. Hecate pos
sessed 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 Phylo-
meter the last king of Pergemus. un-
doubtedly possessed wide knowledge OF
medicinal plants. Attalus Phylo.
meter compounded medicines and ex-
parimented with poisons.l He was ia
miliar with hyoscyamus, aconite. vera
trum, conium and others.
Mithradates Equator went further
than either of these. however. as he
prepared the famous mixture thertaCa.
composed of fifty-four ingredien4DE ard
which in later days sold at aG4aRt
price. There is further evidence 6f sthe
chemical knowledge of the Egyptians
as disclosed in erlbalming and ysrious
technical works. sssssgEs-,
The most interesting feature OF the
fact that the Egyptians were &C.
quainted with prussic acid. one Of the
most deadly poisons. They distilled
it from certain plants and trees, not
ably the peach. In the Louvre there
is an ancient Egyptian papyrus on
which has been deciphered:
pronounce not the name Of I. A. o.
under the penalty of the peach!"
This is supposed to be death warm
ing 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 prussic acid from the
Egyptians, for history has it that in
the reign of Tiberius Roman knight
accused of treason drank poison and
fell dead at the feet Of the senators.
In ancient Greece poison was the IA
vorite method of capital punishment
and suicide. and it is OF interest that
self destruction was considered by the
Greeks an exemplary means Of freeing
the soul from the body. Valerius
Maximus relates that he "saw a wo-
man Of quality in the Island of Coos.
who. having lived happily for ninety
years, obtained leave to take poison
Gus draught lest by living longer she
should happen to have change in
her good fortune"
Nicander of Colophon coolies b. Co.
wrote the most ancient works extant
on the subject OF poisoEs. In one
treatise he described the effects of
snake venom; in another he considered
the properties of opium. henbAne, GER
tain fungi. cOlchicum. acOnite and
conium and recommended antidotes
for them.
Dioscorides (40-90 A. d. described
the effects of cantharidcs, sulphate Of
copper, mercury. lead and arsenic. He
described poisons under three heads:
Animal poisOns. poisons from plants
and mineral poisons.-New York
Times.