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sleep; yet, even as a child, I wandered through fields of
violet-colored poppy flowers in ancient Egypt, and, in
after years, as one of the Court physicians, used the
inspissated juice of the plant among the sick and suffer-
ing, prescribing it both internally and externally, as the
cases seemed to demand. I made mistakes just as you
moderns have done; some of my patients went to sleep
under the influence of the drug and never woke again;
for, as one of your modern writers, Galen, has remarked
most wittily : ' The prescription of a medicine is under a
physician's control, its effects are not.' But, as this case
seems to have awakened your interest, let us enter
the adjoining room, where the three wise men of the fac-
ulty are now engaged in consultation. It may be that
one of the number has some original ideas regarding this
malady, its nature, causes, and treatment." Thus speak-
ing, the two spirits entered the consultation chamber.
