The Truth of the Matter is, This Practice seems to owe its Origine to a Mistake (142), some of the _Arabian_ Physicians had commended _Darsini_ worn in a Bag for a Preservative in Plague time; This in their Language signifies _Cinnamom_; but the _Latin_ Interpreters retaining the same Word in their Translations (as was frequently done), one or other afterwards not understanding its meaning, and deceived by the likeness of the sound, substituted in its Place _De Arsenico_, as if _Darsini_ were all one with _Zarnich_. The Authority of the first Author served to propagate the Error; nor were Those wanting who reason’d upon the Matter, and found it agreable to their Philosophy, that this Mineral should draw to it self and concenter the _Arsenical Effluvia_ out of the Air, and thus secure the Body from their Infection; These being, as they imagined, the Common Cause of Pestilential Diseases. Having thus particularly Discoursed of the Nature of these Two Poisons, I shall not need to insist upon any more out of the _Mineral Kingdom_. All of _Them_ bear some Analogy to the former, and are more or less Dangerous, according as their _Salts_ receive a differing Force from the _Metallic_ Particles. For this Reason as we have observed, that the most Virulent may be mitigated by breaking the _Points_ of the _Saline Crystals_; so on the other Hand, the most Innocent Minerals may become Corrosive, by combining Them with _Salts_, as we see in the several Preparations of _Silver_, _Antimony_, _Iron_, &c. Poisonous Plants. To Proceed therefore to _Vegetables_; the most Notorious of _These_ for Venomous Juices among the Ancients were _Cicuta_ and _Aconitum_. Our _Œnanthe Cicutæ facie_, _succo viroso_, which _Wepfer_ has described by the Name of _Cicuta Aquatica_, and of the dismal Effects of which in some Children, who by mistake did Eat of It, He has wrote a large Volume, was very probably the _Cicuta_ so much in use of old, especially at _Athens_, for _Killing_. At least the Violence of _This_ makes It a much fitter Instrument of Death than the common _Hemlock_, which is not by far of so Malignant a quality. Tho’ we must withal allow differing _Climates_ very considerably to heighten or abate the _Virtues_ of _Plants_. And it is not altogether Improbable, that the Poison with which the _Athenians_ took away the Lives of Malefactors was an inspissated Juice compounded of _That_ of _Cicuta_ and other Corrosive Herbs (143).