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ny years in the Congo Free State； thus describes the custom： 'If I were to ask the Yeke people why they do not eat zebra flesh； they would reply； 'Chijila；' i。e。； 'It is a thing to which we have an antipathy；' or better； 'It is one of the things which our fathers taught us not to eat。' So it seems the word 'Bashilang' means 'the people who have an antipathy to the leopard；' the 'Bashilamba；' 'those who have an antipathy to the dog；' and the 'Bashilanzefu；' 'those who have an antipathy to the elephant。' In other words； the members of these stocks refuse to eat their totems； the zebra； the leopard； or the elephant； from which they take their names。
〃The survival of antipathy to certain foods was found among people as highly civilized as the Egyptians； the Greeks； and the Romans。 Quite a list of animals whose flesh was forbidden might be drawn up。 For example； in Old Egypt the sheep could not be eaten in Thebes； nor the goat in Mendes； nor the cat in Bubastis； nor the crocodile at Ombos； nor the rat； which was sacred to Ra； the sun…god。 However； the people of one place had no scruples about eating the forbidden food of another place。 And this often led to religious disputes。
〃Among the vegetables avoided as food by the Egyptians may be mentioned the onion； the garlic； and the leek。 Lucian says that the inhabitants of Pelusium adored the onion。 According to Pliny the Egyptians relished the leek and the onion。 Juvenal exclaims： 'Surely a very religious nation； and a blessed place； where every garden is overrun with gods！' The survivals of totemism among the ancient Greeks are very interesting。 Families named after animals and plants were not uncommon。 One Athenian gens； the Ioxidae； had for its ancestral plant the asparagus。 One Roman gens； the Piceni； took a woodpecker for its totem； and every member of this family refused； of course； to eat the flesh of the woodpecker。 In the same way as the nations of the Congo Free State； the Latins had an antipathy to certain kinds of food。 However； an animal or plant forbidden in one place was eaten without any compunction in another place。 'These local rites in Roman times；' says Mr。 Lang； 'caused civil brawls； for the customs of one town naturally seemed blasphemous to neighbors with a different sacred animal。 Thus when the people of dog…town were feeding on the fish called oxyrrhyncus； the citizens of the town which revered the oxyrrhyncus began to eat dogs。 Hence arose a riot。' The antipathy of the Jews to pork has given rise to quite different explanations。 The custom is probably a relic of totemistic belief。 That the unclean animalsanimals not to be eatensuch as the pig； the mouse； and the weasel； were originally totems of the children of Israel； Professor Robertson Smith believes is shown by various passages in the Old Testament。
〃When animals and plants ceased to be held sacred they were endowed with sundry magical or mystic properties。 The apple has been supposed to possess peculiar virtues； especially in the way of health。 'The relation of the apple to health；' says Mr。 Conway； 'is traceable to Arabia。 Sometimes it is regarded as a bane。 In Hessia it is said an apple must not be eaten on New Year's Day； as it will produce an abscess。 But generally it is curative。 In Pomerania it is eaten on Easter morning against fevers； in Westphalia （mixed with saffron） against jaundice； while in Silesia an apple is scraped from top to stalk to cure diarrhea； and upward to cure costiveness。' According to an old English fancy； if any one who is suffering from a wound in the head should eat strawberries it will lead to fatal results。 In the South of England the folk say that the devil puts his cloven foot upon the blackberries on Michaelmas Day； and hence none should be gathered or eaten after that day。 On the other hand； in Scotland the peasants say that the devil throws his cloak over the blackberries and makes them unwholesome after that day； while in Ireland he is said to stamp on the berries。 Even that humble plant； the cabbage； has been invested with some mystery。 It was said that the fairies were fond of its leaves； and rode to their midnight dances on cabbage…stalks。 The German women used to say that 'Babies come out of the cabbage…heads。' The Irish peasant ties a cabbage…leaf around the neck for sore throat。 According to Gerarde； the Spartans ate watercress with their bread； firmly believing that it increased their wit and wisdom。 The old proverb is； 'Eat cress to learn more wit。'
〃There is another phase to food…superstitions； and that is the theory that the qualities of the eaten pass into the eater。 Mr。 Tylor refers to the habit of the Dyak young men in abstaining from deer…meat lest it should make them timid； while the warriors of some South American tribes eat the meat of tigers； stags； and boars for courage and speed。 He mentions the story of an English gentleman at Shanghai who at the time of the Taeping attack met his Chinese servant carrying home the heart of a rebel； which he intended to eat to make him brave。 There is a certain amount of truth in the theory that the quality of food does affect the mind and body。 Buckle in his 'History of Civilization' took this view； and tried to prove that the character of a people depends on their diet。〃
Idiosyncrasies to Drugs。In the absorption and the assimilation of drugs idiosyncrasies are often noted； in fact； they are so common that we can almost say that no one drug acts in the same degree or manner on different individuals。 In some instances the untoward action assumes such a serious aspect as to render extreme caution necessary in the administration of the most inert substances。 A medicine ordinarily so bland as cod…liver oil may give rise to disagreeable eruptions。 Christison speaks of a boy ten years old who was said to have been killed by the ingestion of two ounces of Epsom salts without inducing purgation； yet this common purge is universally used without the slightest fear or caution。 On the other hand； the extreme tolerance exhibited by certain individuals to certain drugs offers a new phase of this subject。 There are well…authenticated cases on record in which death has been caused in children by the ingestion of a small fraction of a grain of opium。 While exhibiting especial tolerance from peculiar disposition and long habit； Thomas De Quincey； the celebrated English litterateur； makes a statement in his 〃Confessions〃 that with impunity he took as much as 320 grains of opium a day； and was accustomed at one period of his life to call every day for 〃a glass of laudanum negus； warm； and without sugar；〃 to use his own expression； after the manner a toper would call for a 〃hot…Scotch。〃
The individuality noted in the assimilation and the ingestion of drugs is functional as well as anatomic。 Numerous cases have been seen by all physicians。 The severe toxic symptoms from a whiff of cocain…spray； the acute distress from the tenth of a grain of morphin； the gastric crises and profuse urticarial eruptions following a single dose of quinin；all are proofs of it。 The 〃personal equation〃 is one of the most important factors in therapeutics； reminding us of the old rule； 〃Treat the patient； not the disease。〃
The idiosyncrasy