West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-07-22
ANCIENT POISON LORE
Some Obscure Facts Revealed
by Study Of Toxicology.
THE PENALTY OF THE PEACH.
a Document Of Antiquity That Shows
the Egyptians Knew How to Make
and Use Prussle Aeid-The Poisons
Of Ancient Greece and Rome.

- Ns"e"s W S"N'QulJ max SHOWS
the Egyptians Knew How to Make
and Use Prussle Aeid-The Poisons
OF Ancient Greece and Rome.
In the mythology Of Greece there
was somber saga which declared
that In the far north. later described
rs Colchis, there dwelt some sorcerers
children OF the sun. or these Hecato
possessed vast knowledge OF poison.
GUS herbs, which passed TO her daugh.
ter 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 Egyp-
tan kings. and Attalus Phylometer,
the last king OF Pergemus, undoubted-
ly possessed wide knowledge OF me-
dicinal plants. Attalus Phyiometcr
compounded medicines and expert
mented with poisons. lie was famil-
inr with hyoscyamus. nconite. vera
trum. conium and others
Mithradates Eupator went further
than either OF these, however as ne
prepared the famous mixture therIaca.
composed OF fifty-four ingredients, and
which In later days sold at great
price. There Is further evidence Of
the chemical knowledge OF the Egyp.
tans as disclosed In embalmlng and
various technical works.
The most interesting feature OF tho
poison lore OF Egypt, however, is the
fact that the Egyptians were acauaint.
al NNtfh O..
deadly poisons. They distilled Il from
certain plants and trees, notably the
peach. In the Louvre there il an an-
cient Egyptian papyrus on which has
been deciphered:
pronounce not the namo OF /. A. O.
under the penalty OF the peach"
This is supposed To he death warn
Ing TO those who might be tempted 60
reveal mysteries I'm connection with
the religious rites OF the priests.
IL Is certain that the Romans learned
OF prusslc acid from the Egyptians. for
history has Il that I'm the reign OF II
berius n Roman knight accused OF
treason drank poison and fell dead Mt
the feet Of the senators.
In ancient Greece poison was the fa-
vorite method OF capital punishment
and suicide. and it Is OF interest that
self destruction was considered by the
Greeks as an exemplary means OF FREQ.
ing the soul from the body. Valerlus
Maximus relates that he saw n wo.
man OF quality I'm the island OF Ceos
who. having lived happily for ninety
years. obtained leave TO take poison.
GUS draft, lest by living longer she
should happen 60 have n change I'm her
good fortune"
Nicander of Colophon (2Oi-13S B. ca
wrote the most ancient works extant
on tho subject OF poisons. In one
treatise he described the effects OF
snake venom, I'm another lie considered
the properties OF opium, henbane. Ger.
tain fungi, colchicum. aconite and con
tium and recommended nntidotes for
them.
Dioscorides 1000 A. d. described
the effects OF cantharldes. sulphate OF
copper. mercury, lead and arsenic. He
described poisons under three heads
animal poisons. polsons from plants
and mineral poisons
Poison 'polson-lehre," as Il was
long called-was considered forbid
den subject for many ages. Gaten In
his work "On Antidotes" remarks that
the only authors who dared to write
OF polsons were Orpheus, Theologus.
Morus. Mendesius the younger, Hello.
dorus OF Athens. Aratus and few 9TH
ers. Unfortunately none OF their trea-
tises is now IN existence.
The sacred writings Of India show
that the art OF poisoning was used for
suicide. robbery and revenge, and here
we learn that the original cattle poi
soners lived In India The Aslatlcs
knew arsenic, aconite. opium and other
poisons.
The ancient Hebrews were acquaint.
cd with certain poisons. and "vosch"
and "chema" seem to have been the
words used rs general terms for poison.
The death Of Socrates, Demosthenes
Hannibal and Cleopatra testify TO the
pharmaceutical knowledge OF the an
clients. Phrysa poisoned the Queen
Statlra In the reign OF Artaxerxes RI.
(B. G. 4O5-350) by cutting food with
poisoned knife.
The professional poisoners arose early
In the Christian era. IL is recorded
that Agrippina "a. ID. 2G refused 10
eat apples nt the table OF her father.
in-law Tiberius through fear Of poison.
New York Times.