HOW POISONS WERE TRIED ON MAN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 517, 13 November 1912, Page 7

HOW POISONS WERE TRIED ON MAN.

Prom a very early period science has been gradually built up by experimental methods,, and even the ancients were cognisant of the fact that the remedial properties of substances could only be proved by actual experiment. Not only animals but human beings were utilised for this purpose by many famous physicians in the Middle Ages. Criminals who had been condemned to death were generally selected for there experiments. Vivi-section of the live human subject was practiced by the Alexandrian school in the times of the Ptolemies. Erasistratus and JHero: hilus, pupils of Chrysippus of Cnidus, experimented upon six hundred condemned criminals banded over to them by Ptolemy Soter. conduct, however, met with the reprobation of their contemporaries. Celfiue and Galen reproached Herophilus with "cruel and useless sacrifices" of human feeling, while Tertullian called him roundly "an executioner who gave lingering death with refined cruelty." The court physicians of Attalus (King of Pergamus) and Mithridates (King of Pontus) were authorised in virtue of their office to try poisons upon criminals, and were accused by their jealous colleagues of pluming themselves upon their privileges, while less favoured practitioners were compelled to content themselves with cocks and dogs to experiment upon. Brassavola of Ferrara studied little-known and doubtful remedies by testing their effects on criminals, and Fallopius, his pupil, who eventually made such important physiological discoveries, followed his master's example. It ie recorded that Cosmo de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, on one occasion ordered the magistrates oi Pisa to hand over two men to Fallopus, "in order that he may put them to death in whatever way he pleaees, and then anatomise them." Fallopius, however, seeing the men were condemned- to death, seems to ha re acted with both dignity and humanity. He gave them each eight grains of opium ; one died and the other recovered. Cosmo pardoned the latter unfortunate, but, if we may believe contcraiorary records, Fallopius did not ; hs gave the man eight grains xro c, ;nd this time he died.—The "Hosrital."