Note 180 — Chapter VI · DIONYSUS THE MAN

There is a curious old legend told of the Persian King Jamshed, the fourth monarch of the Peshdadyan Dynasty (the Yima Khshæta of the Avesta, and the Yama of the Vedas), which curiously confirms this old association not only of wine with medicine, but of the first connection of fermentation with therapeutics. It relates how King Jamshed was so very fond of grapes which grew only in summer, that he once ordered a large quantity to be deposited in a jar for his use in winter when they were very rare. On sending for the jar after some time, he found the juice of the grapes fermenting, and, thinking it was turning into a poisonous liquid, he ordered the jar to be marked “Poison,” and placed it in an out-of-the-way corner of the royal storeroom so as to be beyond the reach of anybody. A maid-servant of the royal household knowing of this, and feeling very much dejected owing to a distressing indisposition, resolved to commit suicide by taking some of this “poison.” She stealthily repaired to the royal store-room at night, and took a generous helping of the contents of the “poison” jar. But to her surprise instead of its killing her, she found herself on the following morning so much better that she renewed the treatment until she was completely cured. Thereupon she communicated the matter to the King, who was greatly pleased with the discovery. It is said that in memory of this event wine is sometimes called Zeher-i-khoosh, i.e., “pleasant poison” in Persia, even to the present day. See Jivanji Jamshedji, op. cit., p. 2.