406 Prof. Christison on the Poisonous Properties of Hemlock, 



time the person who administered the poison went up to him, 

 and examined for a little while his feet and legs, and then squeez- 

 ing his foot strongly, asked whether he felt him do so ? Socra- 

 tes replied that he did not. After this the man did the same 

 to his legs, and proceeding upwards in this way shewed us that 

 he was cold and stiff. And he approached him and said to us, 

 that when the effects of the poison should reach the heart, So- 

 crates would depart. And now the parts about the lower belly 

 were cold, when he uncovered himself (for he was covered up), 

 and said, which were his last words : ' Crito, we owe iEscuLA- 

 pius a cock ; pay the debt, and do not forget it.' ' It shall be 

 done,' replied Crito ; ' but consider whether you have any thing 

 else to say.' Socrates answered not, but in a short time was 

 convulsed. The man then uncovered him. His eyes were fixed ; 

 and when Crito observed this, he closed his eyelids and his 

 mouth."* 



If this narrative be altered to a modern toxicological descrip- 

 tion, it is plain that the Athenian state-poison must be regarded 

 as producing spasm and coldness of the limbs, gradually advan- 

 cing to the internal parts, causing death eventually by acting 

 either on the heart or respiration, and without affecting the func- 

 tions of the mind even to the very last- 



Such a view of its action is altogether at variance equally 

 with the effects usually ascribed in recent times to the spotted 



* 'O Ss irigttXdav, iTr&OYi oi fixpyvtirSxt iipn tx o-xiXti, xxTixXtSt) vttios' ira yxp IxtXivo-iv o xvipaTTOf. 



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 tx$ xtiifAXi' xxt lirxuuv etnas tif&ty Ittioukvvto oti yvftotro rs xxt wyivre. xxt xvros vittito, xxt 



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■/jvpov ■^/v^ofiivx, xxi. bcxxXvyxftivos, IhxikxXvTto yxg, lt7rtv, o S>j nXtvTxtov itphy^xTo, 'CI K^trav, 1$yi, 

 t&> 'Ao-xXYi7rta o<puXoft,iv xXlxrpvovx. otXX xttoOoti xxi ftri xfitXqtrriTt. AXXx txvtx, \<pri, lo~rxi, o 

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fynxxfii re o-Topx re xxt tov$ o<p6xXpovs. Platonis Dialogi. Ex Recensione I. Bekkeri. Berol. 

 1817, vol. iii. par. 2, p. 127. Phsedo. 



