and its Alkaloid Conia. A405 
in the Lyceum; yet he is altogether silent on the point. Every 
commentator has adduced the following remarkable passage from 
this author. “ Turasyas, the Mantinean, said, that by making 
use of the juices of the Kae», the poppy, and such other things, 
he had discovered a substance which occasioned death easily and 
without pain, and so portable and minute, that the weight of a 
drachm was sufficient, and absolutely without a remedy, and ca- 
pable of being preserved any length of time without alteration.”* 
It has been supposed by some that Turopnrasrus has here de- 
scribed the state-poison of the Athenians; but there is no evi- 
dence to this effect; and his silence on the point would rather 
tend to shew that the state-poison was a different substance. 
Leaving these vague inquiries, however, let us see what has 
been said of the effects of the Athenian poison in those who were 
put to death with it ; and we may then be able to settle, indepen- 
dently of cither the assumptions or omissions of classic authors, 
whether it was the zavesy of the Greek physicians or the coniwm 
of the moderns, or what else it may have been. 
So far as I am aware, there is but one account extant of the 
effects of the Athenian state-poison, but it is clear and precise. 
I allude to the familiar and pathetic narrative by Pato of the 
last hours of Socrates. Having first stated that the executioner 
told the philosopher that nothing could be spared from the dose 
for a libation to the Gods, and that he was to walk about till he 
should feel his legs becoming heavy,—P aro goes on to say that 
Socrates drained the cup with tranquillity, upbraided his friends 
for their weakness when they burst into tears, and proceeded to 
walk as he had been directed. “ At length,” continues the nar- 
rative, “ when he felt his limbs grow heavy, he lay down on his 
back ; for so the man had told him to do. And at the same 
* Ogucves de 0 Mayreveus Euenneyees Th TOLSTOY acme eAeryeve OTe ‘eaudicay TOLELY 2oek CATFOVOY THY amoAUCLY, 
TOs orrots KEOeEV05 MOVES HOLL nLOV0S, nob ereguy TOBTHY 0s TE evoryxoy ervoce Wav Hab (eixeov oroy ts 
BS ecemeens orn. aBonbnroy de WANT Kb Duvaepesvoy Decepesvery omorovsy HKeovoy, rcts edey LADOLBLEVOV. Theo- 
phrastus, Lib. ix. I. xviii. Editio Amstelodami 1644. 
SEQ 
