82 THE POISONOUS 



the nose, which consumed it, and the extremities became 

 cold and mortified. (Webster.) M. Roulin relates that 

 in Colombia, the maize is liable to a kind of fungus or 

 ergot, which occasions the loss of nails and hair. The 

 poisonous property is lost by conveying it across the Cor- 

 dilleras. (Herat and Lens.) 



Marcellinus tells us that there " arose, in the reign of 

 Marcus Antoninus, a fatal pestilence, which began at the 

 sacking of Seleucia, and extended over the civilized world, 

 from Caledonia to Persia. It was supposed to have arisen 

 from the foul air from a box, opened by a soldier, in 

 search of plunder. The symptoms were, light fever, and 

 a gangrene on the ends of the feet. In Rome alone, 

 10,000 died of it daily."- The dark, damp old box, the 

 evidence of a reproductive power, and the light fever and 

 severe gangrene, speak strongly in favor of the fungous 

 origin of this epidemic. Something very like this happened 

 at Canton, where three persons were attacked with fever, 

 and two with gangrene, in consequence of breaking un- 

 expectedly into a coffin, long buried. Fortunately, no 

 reproduction took place, and the terrible malady ceased 

 with its first victims. 



In another pestilence, A. D. 262, described by St. Cy- 

 prian, the patients suffered from despondency, debility, 

 involuntary evacuations, inflamed mouth, swollen stomach, 

 and sparkling eyes. The disease destroyed the feet, hands, 

 sight, hearing, and organs of generation. 



Chirac thus describes an epidemic at Rochfort, in 

 1741. Chilliness, great pain in the head, sense of intoxi- 

 cation, small pulse, syncope, epi&taxis, inexpressible loss 

 of strength, constant agitation of the limbs, leaden, cada- 

 verous face, eyes dull or sparkling, continual nausea or 



