Chap. 115.] 
EESPIEA.TIOJS" AISTD NITTRIMEKT. 
97 
the ears is a sign of loquacity and foolishness." Thus much 
of what Trogus says. 
CHAP. 115. (53.) RESPIRATION AND NUTRIMENT. 
The breath of the lion is fetid, and that of the bear quite 
pestilential ; indeed, no beast will touch anything with which 
its breath has come in contact, and substances which it has 
breathed upon will become putrid sooner than others. It is 
in man only that JS'ature has willed that the breath should 
become tainted in several ways, either through faultiness in 
the victuals or the teeth, or else, as is more generally the case, 
through extreme old age. Our breath in itself was insensible 
to all pain, utterly devoid as it was of all powers of touch and 
feeling, without which there can be no sensation ; ever re- 
newed, it was always forthcoming, destined to be the last ad- 
junct that shall leave the body, and the only one to remain 
when all is gone beside ; it drew, in fine, its origin from 
heaven. In spite of all this, however, certain penalties were 
discovered to be inflicted upon it, so that the very substance 
by the aid of which we live might become a torment to us in 
life. This inconvenience is more particularly experienced 
among the Parthians, from their youth upwards, on account 
of the indiscriminate use of food among them ; and, indeed, 
their very excess in wine causes their breath to be fetid. The 
grandees, however, of that natioii have a remedy for bad breath 
in the pips of the Assyrian citron, which they mix with their 
food, and the aroma of which is particularly agreeable. The 
breath of the elephant will attract serpents from their holes, 
while that of the stag scorches them. "We have already made 
mention of certain races of men who could by suction extract 
from the body the venom of serpents ; and swine will even eat 
serpents,^* which to other animals are poisonous. All those 
creatures which w^e have spoken of as insects, can be killed by 
merely sprinkling them with oil.^^ Vultures, which are put 
to flight by unguents, are attracted by other odours : the beetle, 
too, is attracted by the rose. The scorpion puts to death certain 
serpents. The Scythians dip their arrows in the poison of 
^2 See B. xii. c. 7. c. 2. 
^ See B. xxix. c. 23. 
See c. 21 of the present Book. 
VOL. III. H 
