54 CITRONS. 



superstition that those wlio had partaken of the fruits 

 of the Citron tree became proof against the bite of 

 poisonous snakes. So at least we are given to under- 

 stand in that curious work of Athenaeos', so ricli in 

 quotations, wliicli lie has called ''Deipnosophists" or 

 "Banquet of the learned''. Here, under the guise of an 

 imaginar\- feast, he gives us a vast amount of information 

 respecting old manners and customs and the art and 

 science of his time. A rich and gluttonous Roman "bel 

 esprit" has invited to his banquet man-\- artists, poets 

 and learned men. The delicacies which are provided 

 stimulate the company to conversation on man^- topics. 

 Apropos of the Citrons a certain Democritus relates the 

 following, told b)' his friend the governor of Egypt. 

 Two criminals had been condemned to death by poisonous 

 snake bites, but did not succumb because they had pre- 

 viousl}- eaten Citrons. The experiment was repeated with 

 the same men when one had been provided with the 

 antidote and the other not. The former recovered from 

 the bites of the venomous reptiles, while the other died 

 at once. This same Democritus recommends a Citron 

 cooked with honcv' as the best antidote to poison. If 

 you take this antidote in the morning aou will be proof 

 against poisoning lor the whole chn'. There is always 

 a spark of truth underh'ing the superstitions wliich give 

 rise to such fables. As a matter of fact the Citron pos- 

 sesses strong antiseptic properties, for which it is even 

 now valued. The ancients had ahead)' found out that 

 the juice of the Citron purified the breath. This was 

 not our Lemon but the true thick-skinned Ciirus medica 



