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place in your legs ; then lie down—this is all you have to do.’ At the same time 
he presented the cup. Socrates received it from him with great calmness, without 
fear or change of countenance, and regarding the man with his usual stern aspect 
he asked: ‘What say you of this potion? Is it lawful to sprinkle any portion of 
it on the earth, as a libation, or not?’ ‘We only bruise,’ said the man, ‘as much as 
is barely sufficient for the purpose.’ ‘1 understand you,’ said Socrates ; ‘but it is 
certainly lawful and proper to pray the gods that my departure from hence may be 
prosperous and happy, which I indeed beseech them to grant.’ So saying, he 
carried the cup to his mouth, and drank it with great promptness and facility. 
“Thus far most of us had been able to refrain from weeping. But when we 
saw that he was drinking, and actually had drank the poison, we could no longer 
restrain our tears. And from me they broke forth with such violence that I cov- 
ered my face and deplored my wretchedness. I did not weep for his fate so much 
as for the loss of a friend and benefactor, which I was about to sustain. But Crito, 
unable to restrain his tears, now broke forth in loud lamentations, which infected 
all who were present, except Socrates, But he observing us, exclaimed, ‘ What is 
it you do, my excellent friends? I have sent away the women that they might not 
betray such weakness. I have heard that it is our duty to die cheerfully, and with 
expressions of joy and praise. Be silent, therefore, and let your fortitude be seen,’ 
At this address we blushed, and suppressed our tears. But Socrates, after walking 
about, now told us that his legs were beginning to grow heavy, and immediately 
lay down, for so he had been ordered. At the same time the man who had given 
him the poison examined his feet and legs, touching them at intervals, At length 
he pressed violently upon his foot, and asked if he felt it. To which Socrates 
replied that he did not. The man then pressed his legs and so on, showing us 
that he was becoming cold and stiff. And Socrates, feeling it himself, assured us 
that when the effects had ascended to his heart, he should be gone. And now the 
middle of his body growing cold, he threw aside his clothes, and spoke for the 
last time: ‘Crito, we owe the sacrifice of a cock to fEsculapius. Discharge this, 
and neglect it not.’ ‘It shall be done,’ said Crito; ‘have you anything else to 
say?’ He made no reply, but a moment after moved, and his eyes became fixed. 
And Crito, seeing this, closed his eyelids and mouth,” 
Another case very similar to this was met with by Dr. J. H. Bennett.* A man 
ate a large quantity of Hemlock plant by mistake for parsley; soon afterwards 
there was a loss of power in the lower extremities, but he apparently suffered no 
pain. In walking he staggered as if he was drunk ; at length his limbs refused to 
support him, and he fell. On being raised, his legs dragged after him, or when 
his arms were lifted they fell like inert masses, and remained immovable; there 
was perfect paralysis of the upper and lower extremities within two hours after he 
had taken the poison. There was a loss of power of deglutition, and a partial 
paralysis of sensation, but no convulsions, only slight occasional motions of the left 
leg; the pupils were fixed. Three hours after eating the hemlock the respiratory 
movements had ceased. Death took place in three and one-quarter hours. It 
* Med. and Surg. Four. Edin., 1845, 169. 
