Chap. 115.] RESPIRATION AND NUTRIMENT. 97 



the ears is a sign of loquacity and foolishness." Thus much 

 of what Trogus says. 



CHAP. 115. (53.) RESPIRATION AND NUTRIMENT. 



The breath of the lion is fetid, and that of the bear quite 

 pestilential ; indeed, no beast will touch anything with which 

 its breath has come in contact, and substances which it has 

 breathed upon will become putrid sooner than others. It is 

 in man only that Nature has willed that the breath should 

 become tainted in several ways, either through faultiness in 

 the victuals or the teeth, or else, as is more generally the case, 

 through extreme old age. Our breath in itself was insensible 

 to all pain, utterly devoid as it was of all powers of touch and 

 feeling, without which there can be no sensation ; ever re- 

 newed, it was always forthcoming, destined to be the last ad- 

 junct that shall leave the body, and the only one to remain 

 when all is gone beside ; it drew, in fine, its origin from 

 heaven. In spite of all this, however, certain penalties were 

 discovered to be inflicted upon it, so that the very substance 

 by the aid of which we live might become a torment to us in 

 life. This inconvenience is more particularly experienced 

 among the Parthians, from their youth upwards, on account 

 of the indiscriminate use of food among them ; and, indeed, 

 their very excess in wine causes their breath to be fetid. The 

 grandees, however, of that nation have a remedy for bad breath 

 in the pips of the Assyrian citron, 62 which they mix with their 

 food, and the aroma of which is particularly agreeable. The 

 breath of the elephant will attract serpents from their holes, 

 while that of the stag scorches them. "We have already made 

 mention 63 of certain races of men who could by suction extract 

 from the body the venom of serpents ; and swine will even eat 

 serpents, 64 which to other animals are poisonous. All those 

 creatures which we have spoken of as insects, can be killed by 

 merely sprinkling them with oil. 65 Vultures, which are put 

 to flight by unguents, are attracted by other odours : the beetle, 

 too, is attracted by the rose. The scorpion puts to death certain 

 serpents. The Scythians dip their arrows in the poison of 



62 See B. xii. c. 7. 63 B. vii. c. 2 



64 See B. xxix. c. 23. 



65 See c. 21 of the present Book. 



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