ANTIPATHIES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1234, 2 September 1884, Page 3

ANTIPATHIES.

The celebrated Erasmus, though a native of Rotterdam, had such an aversion to fish, that tha smell threw him into a fever. Ambroise Pare had a patient who could never see an eel without fainting ; and another who would fall into convulsions at the sight of a carp. What would have been the effect of an electric eel oh these gentlemen 1 Joseph Scaliger and others could never drink milk. Gardan was disgusted at the sight of eggs, A King of Poland and a Secretary of France bled at the nose when they looked at apples. Henry 111., of France, and many others had a great aversion to cats, mice, spiders, etc. A great huntsman in Hanover, who would attack a wild boar valiantly, al ways fainted at the sight of roasted pig, if he had not time to run away. These antipathies have been humorously accounted for by the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. Those who had been flies in a former state were horribly afraid of spidersj those who had been mice did not like cats ; and those who had been eats did 1 not love dogs, etc. Amatus Lusitanus I knew a person who fainted whenever he

saw a rose, mid always kept in bis house when they were in bloom. Scaliger mentions the same about lilies, and Bsyle about honey. Bayle himself turned pale at the sight of watercresee* ; T.ychoBrahg fainted at the sight of a fox ; Henry 111., of France at that of a cat ; Marshall d’Albrecht at a pig. A Indy, wonderful enough, could not endure the feel of silk or satin. A man, not so strangely, was known to faint whenever he heard a servant sweeping, Nicanor swooned whenever he hoard a bagpipe; Bay le fainted when bo heard the splashing of water.