Chap. 2.] 
ACONITE. 
219 
in man something else to kill. When such is the case, as 
though it had discovered in the body a fit rival to contend with, 
that substance is the sole object of its attack ; finding another 
poison in the viscera, to it alone it confines its onslaught; 
and thus, a truly marvellous thing ! two poisons, each of them 
of a deadly nature, destroy one another within the body, and 
the man survives. Even more than this, the ancients have 
handed down to us remedies employed by the animals them- 
selves, and have shown how that venomous creatures even effect 
their own cure. Ey the contact of aconite the scorpion is 
struck with torpor,^ is quite benumbed, assumes a pallid hue, 
and so confesses itself vanquished. When this is the case, 
white hellebore is its great auxiliary : the very touch of it dis- 
pels its torpor, and the aconite is forced to yield before two 
foes, its own enemy and the common enemy of all. 
IN'ow, after this, if any one should be of opinion that man 
could, by any chance or possibility, make such discoveries as 
these, he must surely be guilty of ingratitude in thus appre- 
ciating the beneficence of the gods ! In countries frequented 
by the panther, they rub meat with aconite, and if one of 
those animals should but taste it, its effects are fatal : indeed 
were not these means adopted, the country would soon be over- 
run by them. It is for this reason, too, that some persons 
have given to hellebore the name of pardalianches."^^ It has 
been well ascertained, however, that the panther instantaneously 
recovers if it can find the opportunity of eating human ordure. 
So far as these animals are concerned, who can entertain a 
doubt that it was chance only that first led them to this dis- 
covery ; and that as often as this happens the discovery is only 
a mere repetition of the accident, there being neither reason 
nor an appreciation of experience to ensure its transmission 
among them ? 
(3.) It is chance, yes, it is chance that is the Deity who 
has made to us these numerous revelations for our practical 
^ See B. XXV. c. 75. 
^0 The hellebore. See B. xxiii. c. 75, and B. xxv. c. 21. 
The scorpion. Pard-strangle." 
See B. viii. c. 41. 
He seems here, by implication, to contradict himself, and, by his ex- 
planation, to be sensible that he does so. He would appear not to have 
known exactly what his belief was in reference to first causes. 
