soon after this event that he wrote the Greek satire which bears the title "Misopogon," and from which Hoffmann quotes the following account of Julian's narrow escape from death through the poisonous effects of carbonous oxide:—
The little city which the Celts call Lutetia is built upon a small
island in the midst of a river, and access to it from both sides is
gained by means of wooden bridges. Ordinarily the winter climate
in this region is mild, owing—as the people of the place claim—to
the proximity of the Ocean. Good wine is produced there, and
even fig-trees flourish provided care be taken to wrap them well
in wheat straw or some similar protective material during the winter
season. But my visit happened to have been made during an
exceptionally severe winter, and as a result things which looked
like slabs of Phrygian marble, closely packed together, were constantly
floating down the river with the current, and, soon becoming
jammed, they formed a sort of natural bridge. Although most of
the houses—the one I occupied among the number—were provided
with fireplaces and chimney-flues, and might therefore readily be
heated, I was not willing that a fire should be kindled in my
bedroom. I was very little sensitive to cold, and, in addition, I
was desirous of becoming more and more hardened to its influence. . . .
As the severity of the weather, however, showed no signs
of letting up, I permitted the attendants to bring into the room
a few glowing coals, just enough to render the air of the chamber
less chilly. But, notwithstanding the very small degree of heat
which these few burning coals supplied, it proved to be sufficient
to draw out from the damp walls exhalations that caused my head
to feel as if it were tightly held in a vice and also produced a
sensation as if I were choking. I was immediately removed from
the room, and the physicians who were promptly summoned
administered an emetic which enabled me to get rid of the food
which I had eaten a short time before. Soon afterward I had a
refreshing sleep and was able on the following day to resume my
work as usual. [Translated from the German version printed in
Neuburger's monograph.]
As will be seen from the reports which I have just quoted,
there existed among the Germans, early in the eighteenth
century, no fixed belief as to the real cause of death in many
of these unexplained fatal cases; and it was therefore no
