282 



NATURE 



[June 7, 19 17 



THEOPHRASTUS. 



Theophrasius : Enquiry into Plants, and Minor 

 Works on Odours and Weather Signs. With 

 an English translation by Sir Arthur Hort, 

 Bart. (Loeb Classical Library.) In 2 vols. 

 Vol. i., pp. xxviii + 475; vol. ii., pp. ix + 499. 

 (London : W. Heinemann ; New York : G. P. 

 Putnam's Sons, 1916.) Price 55. net each vol. 



ENGLISH botanists are under a great debt of 

 obligation to Sir Arthur Hort for this 

 edition of some of the principal works of 

 Theophrastus, and they are also greatly indebted 

 to Sir William Thiselton-Dyer for his labours in 

 the difficult task of identifying the various plants 

 named by the Greek botanist. Death alone pre- 

 vents our adding another name to whom thanks 

 are due, for the enterprise owes its origin to the 

 suggestion of the late venerable Canon 

 EUacombe, who took the greatest interest in the 

 preparation of the work. It is to be hoped that 

 hereafter the other writings of Theophrastus will 

 follow in a similar edition. 



The primary classification of plants by 

 Theophrastus is into four divisions, namely, 

 trees, shrubs, under-shrubs, and herbs. There 

 are other categories under which he gathers his 

 species — some of a very artificial character, such 

 as pot-herbs and coronary flowers. There are 

 also glimpses here and there of his recognition 

 of natural groups, and he is conscious that the 

 grasses are closely related to one another. He 

 knows the leguminous plants as a group, to 

 which he frequently refers, and, what is remark- 

 able, he is acquainted with the fact that a crop 

 of such plants enriches the land. He recognises 

 the conifers as a group and mentions them under 

 that name. 



The book contains a large amount of informa- 

 tion, often of a vague and discursive and hear- 

 say character, as to the localities where trees and 

 plants grow, and the different effects of climate 

 and situation. Theophrastus is often content 

 to rest upon the reports of others, and many 

 statements are introduced by such phrases as 

 "They say," or "The men of Mount Ida say," 

 or "The men of Macedonia say." One is 

 inclined to think that he listened to reports from 

 his numerous students and accepted them with 

 little or no investigation. 



The account of the collection of myrrh and 

 frankincense and the other Arabian gums is very 

 curious. 



Incidentally the work throws considerable light 

 on the traditional lore of the Attic gardeners, 

 who were probably a pretty numerous class. 

 They seem to have grown a large variety of pot- 

 herbs, as well as flowers. The work also throws 

 a curious light on the arts of carpentry and 

 joinery, on the conversion of reeds into pipes, 

 and on the development of the knowledge of 

 drugs and the art of poisoning as well as of the 

 administration of antidotes. 



According to Theophrastus, the druggist is 

 not far removed from the poisoner: — 



NO. 2484, VOL. 99] 



Thrasyas of Mantineia had discovered, as he said, 

 a f>oison which produces an easy and painless end ; 

 he used the juices of hemlock, poppy, and other such 

 herbs, so comf>ounded as to make a dose of con- 

 veniently small size, weighing only somewhat less 

 than a quarter of an ounce. For the effects of this 

 compound there is absolutely no euro, and it will keep 

 any length of time without losing its virtue at all. 

 He used to gather his hemlock, not just anywhere, 

 but at Susa [probably a place in Arcadia] or some 

 other cold and shady spot; and so, too, with the other 

 ingredients ; he also used to compound many other 

 poisons, using many ingredients. . . . Now these* things 

 seem to have been ascertained better in recent than in 

 former times. And many things go to show that the 

 method of using the various drugs makes a differ- 

 ence ; thus the people of Ceos formerly did not use 

 hemlock in the way described, but just shredded it up 

 for use, as did other people ; but now not one of them 

 would think of shredding it, but they first strip off the 

 outside and take off the husk, since this is what 

 causes the difficulty, as it is not easily assimilated; 

 then they bruise it in the mortar, and, after putting 

 it through a fine sieve, sprinkle it on water and so 

 drink it ; and their death is made swift and easy. 

 (Vol. ii., IX. XVI. 9.) 



In dealing with the sea-plants, there seems to 

 be a suggestion of correspondence with plants 

 on the land. This is implied by the names "sea- 

 fir," "sea-oak," "sea-vine," and "sea-palm," 

 and a "kind like dog's-tooth grass." There is a 

 distinction between the sea-plants found near 

 the shore and those of deeper waters, and these 

 again are distinguished from plants which grow 

 in rivers and marshes and lakes. 



In conclusion, we can heartily recommend the 

 book to all who are interested in the history of 

 botany, or in the details of Greek life three 

 hundred years B.C. E. F. 



OUR BOOKSHELF. 



Rivers as Sources of Water-Supply. By Dr. 

 A. C. Houston. Pp, vi + 96. (London : John 

 Bale, Sons, and Danielsson, Ltd,, I9i7«) 

 Price 55. net. 



A "counsel of perfection " is for every com- 

 munity to obtain its water-supply from a source 

 which, like Caesar's wife, should be "above suspi- 

 cion." But many communities have to depend uponi 

 a supply which falls short of this high standard, i 

 This is more particularly the case with reference 

 to the London water-supply, which is drawn 

 mainly from the rivers Thames and Lea ; and it 

 is with this supply that Dr, Houston deals in the; 

 book under review. The observations and 

 experiments he records appear to establish the 

 fact that considerably polluted river-water can be 

 purified, on a large scale, to a satisfactory 1 

 standard of safety. This finding is of prime 

 importance, for, as the writer sets out, rivers are 

 likely to be used to an increasing extent as sources 

 of water-supply, seeing that other available 

 sources of supply are limited, and that there is a 

 considerable economy in the selection of river ' 

 water. 



The subject-matter of the first three chapters] 



I 



