ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IX. xvi. 9 -xvn. 2 



Now these things seem to have been ascertained 

 far better in recent than in former times. And 

 many things go to shew that the method of using 

 the various drugs makes a difference ; 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 1 ; 

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

 it through a fine sieve, 2 spriqkle it 011 water and 

 so drink it ; and then death is made swift and 

 easy. 



How use diminishes the efficacy of drugs, and how they have 

 not the same effect on all constitutions. 



XVII. 3 The virtues of all drugs become weaker 

 to those who are accustomed to them, and in some 

 cases become entirely ineffective. Thus some eat 

 enough hellebore to consume whole bundles and 

 yet suffer no hurt ; this is what Thrasyas did, who, 

 as it appeared, was very cunning in the use of herbs. 

 And it appears that shepherds sometimes do the 

 like ; wherefore the shepherd who came before the 

 vendor of drugs (at whom men marvelled because 

 he ate one or two roots) and himself consumed the 

 whole bundle, destroyed the vendor's reputation : 

 it was said that both this man and others did this 

 every day. 



For it seems that some poisons become poisonous 

 because they are unfamiliar, or perhaps it is a more ac- 

 curate way of putting it to say that familiarity makes 



8 Plin. 27. 144. 



305 



VOL. II. X 



