Athothis : a satire on modern medicine / by Thomas C. Minor.

Alexandrian library for the space of nineteen years, and during that period carefully studied many thousands of rare documents. When the Alexandrian library was destroyed by burning, A. D. 640, the divine essence was driven out of my crane form, and I entered the body of an infantile bear in what is now known as Chinese Tartary." " What! " cried Paulus Androcydes, in amazement, " do you wish me to believe that animals read and think ? No fact has ever been more clearly demonstrated than that brutes can not reason." The Egyptian regarded the doctor with an expression betokening pity, and replied : " My mortal friend, you are young yet, and have hardly donned the breech clouts of wisdom ; you have much to learn, and your very remarks indicate the innocence of a prattler. When you have transmigrated for a few thousand years you will com- mence to acquire a little knowledge of the marvels of this world. Know that all animals, birds, fish, insects, and plants are full of intelligence. Remember that man is the most stupid of created things, until he returns after many ages to his original habitation. As mortals pass through these varied transmigrations they are fully in- structed in the mysteries of nature, being taught by actual experience. Man's power of acquiring wisdom becomes intensified in direct proportion to his original inherited ability and inclination for absorbing knowledge. Marvelous power of vision is given to all the lower forms of animal life; as your cat, I could read through each leaf in every book in your library, even while their covers seemed closed, dark, and unreadable to your or- dinary human eyes. This faculty of ever increasing sight will become more apparent to you with each suc- ceeding transmigration."