Tales From The Vault Podcast

TFTV 06 ¦ “Kerfol” (House of Madness) Part 1 by Edith Wharton ¦ DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story

A Deserted Mansion… In:
—Tales From The Vault Episode 6 (part 1 of 2)—
Listen to ?TFTV 06 ¦ “Kerfol” (House of Madness) Part 1 by Edith Wharton ¦ ?DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
In part 1 of “Kerfol”, our narrator goes to visit an old semi-fortified mansion in Brittany, at the suggestion of his friend Lanrivain. He is impressed by its age and the sense of history it exudes. No guardian or owners appear, but he is met by a pack of assorted dogs which are mysteriously quiet. When he returns to his friend’s house that night, Mrs Lanvirain tells him that the dogs are the ‘ghosts of Kerfol’….
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
I hope you enjoy this two-part special of Edith Wharton’s classic tale, do leave a comment and let me know… Happy Listening 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
ANNOTATIONS
1 Kerfol – In the Breton language, translates as: “house of madness”
2 tenuity – lack of solidity or substance; thinness.
3 puerile – childishly silly and immature.
4 portentous – of or like a portent; of momentous significance.
5 chemin de ronde (French, “round path”’ or “patrol path”) a raised protected walkway behind a castle battlement.
6 traceried (adective form); tracery – ornamental stone openwork, typically in the upper part of a Gothic window.
7 brindle  – brownish or tawny with streaks of other colour.
8 agate – an ornamental stone consisting of a hard variety of chalcedony (quartz), typically banded in appearance, in this instance blue or grey in colour
9 pardon (ceremony) – A pardon is a typically Breton form of pilgrimage and one of the most traditional demonstrations of popular Catholicism in Brittany. Of very ancient origin, probably dating back to the conversion of the country by the Celtic monks, it is comparable to the parades associated with Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland or New York City.
10 lychgate – a roofed gateway to a churchyard, formerly used at burials for sheltering a coffin until the clergyman’s arrival.
11 The Clouets – The French painters Jean (ca. 1485-ca. 1541) and François (ca. 1516-ca. 1572) Clouet were masters of an elegantly mannered, aristocratic style of portrait painting and of coloured chalk portrait drawing.
12 averred (past tense); aver [??v??] – to state or assert to be the case.
13 vassal – a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance.
14 votive  – offered or consecrated in fulfilment of a vow.
15 merchantman – a ship carrying merchandise.

TFTV 07 ¦ “Kerfol” (House of Madness) Part 2 by Edith Wharton ¦ DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story

A Ghostly Pack Of Dogs Get Their Revenge… In:
—Tales From The Vault Episode 7 (part 2 of 2)—
Listen to ?TFTV 07 ¦ “Kerfol” (House of Madness) Part 2 by Edith Wharton ¦ ?DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
Edith Wharton’s 1916 ghost story, “Kerfol,” tells the story of a young woman convicted of her older husband’s murder. Her claim that the dogs the man had systematically murdered for their devotion to her were responsible for maiming her husband was met with derision, and yet ever after, on the anniversary of his death, the caretakers leave the estate to avoid encountering the silent, sinister pack of ghostly canines.
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
I hope you enjoy this two-part special of Edith Wharton’s classic tale, do leave a comment and let me know… Happy Listening 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
ANNOTATIONS
16 postern – A postern is a secondary door or gate in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location which allowed the occupants to come and go inconspicuously.
17 irascible – having or showing a tendency to be easily angered.
18 faggot – a bundle of sticks bound together as fuel.
19 colloquy – a conversation.
20 pomander – a ball or perforated container of aromatic substances, placed in a cupboard or room to perfume the air or (formerly) carried as a supposed protection against infection.
21 cogitation – the action of thinking deeply about something; contemplation.
22 Jansenism – a Christian movement of the 17th and 18th centuries, based on Jansen’s writings and characterized by moral rigour and asceticism.
23 Blaise Pascal [1623 – 1662] – French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, writer and Catholic theologian. Pascal, like the fictional character Hervé de Lanrivain, became a Jansenist, and he later had a mystical experience. His most famous work, Pensées, is a posthumously published, unfinished manuscript of fragments attempting to reconcile reason and logic with belief in God. One might imagine Lanrivain, then, recounting his lover’s experiences to Pascal, and the two men attempting to square her story with the “realities” of the world.

TFTV 08 ¦ “Some Words With a Mummy” by Edgar Allan Poe ¦ DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story

An Egyptian Mummy Is Re-animated…. In:
—Tales From The Vault Episode 8—
Listen to ?TFTV 08 ¦ “Some Words With a Mummy” by Edgar Allan Poe ¦ ?DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
In this satire on American scientific culture by Edgar Allan Poe, Dr Ponnoner invites our narrator to the unwrapping of a 5000-year-old Egyptian mummy. First published in 1845, the story is the earliest known representation of a revived Egyptian mummy.
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
I hope you enjoy this classic tale, do leave a comment and let me know… Happy Listening 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
ANNOTATIONS:
1. Welsh rabbit – a savoury dish consisting of melted cheese sometimes mixed with milk, seasonings, etc, on hot buttered toast. Also called: Welsh rarebit, rarebit.
2. sepulchre – a small room or monument, cut in rock or built of stone, in which a dead person is laid or buried.
3. Papier-mâché – French: literally “chewed paper”, “pulped paper”, or “mashed paper”) is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste.
4. gilt – covered thinly with gold leaf or gold paint.
5. scarabaeus – The genus Scarabaeus consists of a number of Old World dung beetle species, including the “sacred scarab beetle”, the scarab as represented on amulets, etc, of ancient Egypt, or in hieroglyphics as a symbol of the solar deity.
6. voltaic pile – an early battery cell, consisting of several metal disks, each made of one of two dissimilar metals, arranged in an alternating series, and separated by pads moistened with an electrolyte.
7. galvanic – relating to or involving electric currents produced by chemical action.
8. tunica albuginea – the opaque, fibrous, protective, outer layer of the human eye containing mainly collagen and some elastic fibre.
9. os sesamoideum – any of several small round bones formed in a tendon where it passes over a joint
10. pro tem – Latin: Pro tempore for the time being
11. emendation – a correction or revision to a text.
12. occiput – the back of the skull
13. sinciput – the front of the skull from the forehead to the crown.
14. phrenology – the detailed study of the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities.
15. Johann Gaspar Spurzheim (December 31, 1776 – November 10, 1832) was a German physician who became one of the chief proponents of phrenology, which was developed c. 1800 by Franz Joseph Gall (1758–1828).
16. Franz Anton Mesmer (23 May 1734 – 5 March 1815) was a doctor with an interest in astronomy. He theorised the existence of a natural energy transference occurring between all animated and inanimate objects; this he called “animal magnetism”, sometimes later referred to as mesmerism.
17. Claudius Ptolemy (c.?100 – c.?170 AD) – was a mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, geographer and astrologer who wrote several scientific treatises
18. Plutarch (AD 46–after 119) – was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo. De facie quae in orbe lunae apparet is one of the treatises included in Plutarch’s Moralia
19. Diodorus Siculus (fl. 1st century BC) or Diodorus of Sicily was an ancient Greek historian.
20. portico – a structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building.
21. artesian well – a well in which water is under pressure, especially: one in which the water flows to the surface naturally
22. suffrage – the right to vote in political elections. ad libitum – as much or as often as necessary or desired.
23. Hero (1st century) – Greek mathematician and inventor; known as Hero of Alexandria. His surviving works are important as a source for ancient practical mathematics and mechanics. He described a number of hydraulic, pneumatic, and other mechanical devices, including elementary applications of the power of steam.
24. Salomon de Caus (1576, – 1626) was a French Huguenot engineer, once (falsely) credited with the development of the steam engine.
25. discomfit – make (someone) feel uneasy or embarrassed.

TFTV 09 ¦ “Moxon’s Master” by Ambrose Bierce ¦ DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story

Man vs Machine… In:
—TALES FROM THE VAULT Episode 9—
Listen to ?TFTV 09 ¦ “Moxon’s Master” by Ambrose Bierce ¦ ?DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
Following a debate between our narrator and Moxon regarding the degree of intelligence a machine can possess, one of Moxon’s inventions – a chess-playing automaton – runs amok, with fatal consequences.
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
I hope you enjoy this classic short story, do leave a comment and let me know… Happy Listening 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
ANNOTATIONS:
1 mimosa [ “mih-MOH-sah”] – a plant of a genus that includes the sensitive plant.
2 insectivorous [ “IN-sek-TIV-uh-russ”] – able to capture and digest insects.
3 excoriations; noun form of: excoriate [” ek-SKOHRee- eyt”] – damage or remove part of the surface of (the skin).
4 Herbert Spencer (1820 – 1903) was an English philosopher, biologist, anthropologist, and sociologist famous for his theory of social Darwinism whereby superior physical force shapes history. Spencer originated the expression “survival of the fittest”, which he coined in Principles of Biology (1864) after reading Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species.
5 heterogeneous [“het-er-uh-JEE-nee-uhs”] – diverse in character or content.
6 John Stuart Mill (1806 – 1873), usually cited as J. S. Mill, was an English philosopher, political economist, and civil servant. Mill’s Methods are five methods of induction described in his 1843 book “A System of Logic”. They are intended to illuminate issues of causation.
7 terse  – sparing in the use of words; abrupt.
8 Saul of Tarsus, was a Christian apostle (although not one of the Twelve Apostles) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the firstcentury world. (Acts 22:6) “suddenly a light came shining around Saul from heaven.”
9 George Henry Lewes [ “LOO-iss”] – (1817 – 1878) was an English philosopher and critic of literature and theatre. He became part of the mid-Victorian ferment of ideas which encouraged discussion of Darwinism, positivism, and religious skepticism.
10 pawl  – a pivoted curved bar or lever whose free end engages with the teeth of a cogwheel or ratchet so that the wheel or ratchet can only turn or move one way.
11 palsy [ “PAWL-zee”] – paralysis, especially that which is accompanied by involuntary tremors.]
12 ague [ “EY-gyoo”] – malaria or another illness involving fever and shivering.

TFTV 10 ¦ “In The Tube” by E F Benson ¦ DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story

A Ghost In The London Underground… In:
—TALES FROM THE VAULT Episode 10—
Listen to TFTV 10 ¦ “In The Tube” by E F Benson ¦ DSB Audio Full Audiobook Story byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
In this spooky classic tale, our narrator is an overnight guest at the house of Anthony Carling. Anthony begins the story with a philosophical monologue on the nature of time, space and eternity.
The story that emerges from this tantalizing beginning contains a paradox: How can one man witness another in a London Underground train station one night, only to meet him elsewhere the following day and discover that he had only just arrived in London that very morning?
After Carling has related his story, in which it becomes clear that he not only met an apparition but also experienced a premonition of tragic events to come, the two men are visited by a ghostly presence. It then transpires that Carling must take action to enable the departed soul to rest in peace.
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
E F Benson is best known for his “Mapp and Lucia” series of books, but he was also a prolific writer of short stories. “In The Tube” was first published in 1923 in the book Visible and Invisible.
I was inspired to read this story when I first came across it in Roald Dahl’s “Book Of Ghost Stories”, and my portrayal of Anthony Carling is loosely based on the venerable Alan Watts! I hope you enjoy it…
Do let me know what you though in the comments. Happy Listening 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
FOOTNOTE:
“‘It’s a ticklish thing to play with souls’, as Browning says…” [1]
Robert Browning (7 May 1812 – 12 December 1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.

TFTV 11 ¦ “The Cave Of The Echoes” by H P Blavatsky ¦ DSB Full Audiobook Horror Short Story

Phantom Echoes In This Nightmare Tale…
—Tales From The Vault Episode 11—
Listen to TFTV 11 ¦ “The Cave Of The Echoes” by H P Blavatsky ¦ DSB Full Audiobook Horror Short Story byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
Mr. Izvertzoff, a wealthy Russian landowner, mysteriously disappears while visiting a cavern on his land – the so-called “Cave Of The Echoes”. He is presumed to have been murdered and the finger of blame is pointed firmly at his man-servant, Ivan.
Many years after the tragedy, an enigmatic Hungarian traveler and a mysterious Tibetan shaman conduct an eerie ceremony within the cave to determine the true identity of the murderer. Mesmerized by the atmosphere of the place and the ghostly echoes which reverberate through the cave, the onlookers are shocked to learn the truth of what happened to Mr Izvertzoff.
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was a Russian philosopher and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. While best known for her occult knowledge and the book “The Secret Doctrine”, she also wrote a collection of fictional short stories, collected in a volume called “Nightmare Tales”, first published in 1907.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading and producing this story, and look forward to reading a few more of HPB’s Nightmare Tales very soon. Please let me know what you thought in the comments 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
Audio sample for convolution reverb effects is from Inchindown Oil Tanks, Scotland (the longest known reverberation in the world), provided by Matt Gray https://mattg.co.uk
Music: J S Bach: Ciaconna from fifth Partita for Solo Violin, performed by Ben Goldstein
ANNOTATIONS:
1 verst – a Russian measure of length, about 1.1 km (0.66 mile).
2 zither  – a musical instrument consisting of a flat wooden soundbox with numerous strings stretched across it, placed horizontally and played with the fingers and a plectrum. It is used especially in central European folk music.
3 Teutonic – relating to the Teutons – a people who lived in Jutland in the 4th century bc and fought the Romans in France in the 2nd century bc.
4 weazened [“WEE-zuhnd”], alternative form of: wizened [“WIZ-uhnd”] – withered; shriveled
5 Tehuktchene – unknown, possibly HPB’s own term for a Tibetan shaman.
6 réveille [French: “reh-VEYe”] – to wake up, or English: [“rih-VALLY”] – a signal sounded especially on a bugle or drum to wake personnel in the armed forces.
7 sepulchral [“suh-PUHL-kruhl”] – relating to a tomb or interment. gloomy; dismal.

TFTV 12 ¦ “The Late Mr. Elvesham” by H G Wells ¦ DSB Full Audiobook Horror Short Story

A Young Man Trapped In An Old Man’s Body, in…
—Tales From The Vault, Episode 12—
Listen to TFTV 12 ¦ “The Late Mr. Elvesham” by H G Wells ¦ DSB Full Audiobook Horror Short Story byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
An impoverished young medical student, Edward Eden, is visited by the wealthy and elderly Mr. Elvesham with an offer to make Eden his heir – but the offer comes with certain conditions that the younger man couldn’t have imagined!
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
This tale featured in the 2016 Sky Arts TV series “The Nightmare Worlds of H G Wells”, albeit in somewhat adapted form, starring the great Michael Gambon. In a bizarre case of quirky casting, Ray Winston played the part of H G Wells himself, introducing each story in the series. I never imagined H G Wells as “a bit of a bruiser”!
I really enjoyed reading from one of the myriad H G Wells stories, possibly one of his lesser-known works. Please let me know what you thought in the comments 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
MUSIC: Chopin Piano/Violin/Cello Trio in G Minor
ANNOTATIONS:
1 James Shoolbred & Co or also knows as Jas Shoolbred was established in the 1820’s as a draper’s shop, at Tottenham Court Road, London.
2 accession [” ak-SESH-uhn”] – the attainment or acquisition of a position of rank or power.
3 kummel [“KIM-uhl”] – a colorless cordial or liqueur flavored with cumin, caraway seeds, etc., made especially in the Baltic area.
4 Himmel (German) – heaven.
5 sycophancy [“SIK-uh-fuhn-see”] – self-seeking or servile flattery.
6 Seidlitz powders – effervescing salts consisting of one powder of sodium bicarbonate and Rochelle salt and another of tartaric acid that are mixed in water and drunk as a mild cathartic.
7 futurus (Latin) – literally: “the future”
8 polytechnic  – an institution of higher education offering courses at degree level or below, especially in vocational subjects.
9 dissolving views were a popular type of 19th century magic lantern show exhibiting the gradual transition from one projected image to another. The effect is similar to a dissolve in modern film-making. Typical examples had landscapes that dissolved from day to night or from summer to winter.
10 rouleau [“roo-LOH”] – A small roll (especially of coins) wrapped in paper.
11 cutaneous [“kyoo-TEY-nee-uhs”] – of, relating to, or affecting the skin.
12 truckle bed – a low bed on wheels that can be stored under a larger bed.
13 flocculent [“FLOK-yuh-luhnt”] – having or resembling tufts of wool.]
14 hiatus [“hahy-EY-tuhs”] – a pause or break in continuity in a sequence or activity.

TFTV 13 ¦ Sherlock Holmes: “The Red-Headed League” [1 of 2] ¦ DSB Full Audiobook Short Story

A Sherlock Holmes Detective Mystery…
—Tales From The Vault, Episode 13—
Listen to TFTV-13-The-Red-Headed-League-Part-1-by-Arthur-Conan-Doyle-DSB-Audio-Full-Audiobook-Story-David-Sweeney-Bear byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
[Part 1]
A pawnbroker, the red-headed Jabez Wilson, approaches Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson with a mystery to be solved. He recounts his tale of having been recruited by an obscure organisation called “The Red-Headed League” and employed by them on account of his fiery red hair. However, he is much dismayed when the league, along with his employment, suddenly disappears. Having listened to the facts, Sherlock Holmes is convinced that a much more sinister plot is at play than might at first sight appear.
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
It was a great pleasure to read this classic Holmes mystery. Of all the many portrayals of Holmes and Watson, my personal favourite is the combination of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. Let me know what you thought in the comments, Happy Listening 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
MUSIC:  Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20
ANNOTATIONS:
1 omne ignotum pro magnifico est – (Latin) “everything unknown is taken as grand” – we exaggerate the importance or difficulty of the unknown
2 coster – short for costermonger – A person who sells goods, especially fruit and vegetables, from a handcart in the street.

TFTV 14 ¦ Sherlock Holmes: “The Red-Headed League” [2 of 2] ¦ DSB Full Audiobook Short Story

A Nefarious Plot is Averted, in…
—Tales From The Vault, Episode 14—
Listen to TFTV-14-The-Red-Headed-League-Part-2-by-Arthur-Conan-Doyle-DSB-Audio-Full-Audiobook-Story-David-Sweeney-Bear byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
[Part 2] Having heard the bizarre account of Mr Jabez Wilson, Holmes and Watson head to the pawnbroker’s premises to investigate. There, Holmes gathers enough information to feel he has solved the mystery and to predict a crime about to be committed. Holmes and Watson, along with Police Inspector Jones and a Mr. Merryweather secrete themselves in an underground vault awaiting the emergence of the perpetrators and hopefully to foil their plans.
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
Considering the many modernisations and re-interpretations of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, it was extremely rewarding to read the original text as it was intended. I hope you enjoyed it too, let me know what you thought in the comments 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
MUSIC:  Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20
ANNOTATIONS:
3 Pablo De Sarasate [“Sah-rah-SAAT-eh”] (1844 – 1908) – was a Spanish violin virtuoso, composer and conductor of the Romantic period.
4 rubber bridge – a form of the card game “bridge” – so called because bonuses are awarded for scoring sufficient points to win games and thereby a “rubber”, which is the best of three games.
5 napoleon – a gold twenty-franc French coin minted in the reign of Napoleon I.
6 partie carrée [“pah-tee cah-RAY”] (French) – a party of four persons
7 derbies – handcuffs. A slang term, originating from the term “Father Derby’s bands”, meaning restraints of various kinds.
8 ennui [“on-WIH”] – a feeling of being bored and mentally tired caused by having nothing interesting or exciting to do
9 L’homme c’est rien. L’oeuvre c’est tout (French: “Man is nothing, mankind is everything”)
10 Gustave Flaubert – (1821 – 1880) – French novelist
11 Georges (or George) Sand – (1804 – 1876) – French Romantic writer known primarily for her so-called rustic novels.

TFTV 15 ¦ “A Thousand Deaths” by Jack London ¦ DSB Full Audiobook Weird Short Story

A Man Is Re-Animated Over and Over, in:
—Tales From The Vault, Episode 15—
Listen to TFTV-15-A-Thousand-Deaths-by-Jack-London-DSB-Audio-Full-Audiobook-Story-David-Sweeney-Bear byDSB Audio on hearthis.at
Our protagonist is saved from drowning, only to find himself the subject of bizarre experimentation, carried out by none other than his estranged father. Will he escape, or will he perish at the hands of a mad scientist?
Never miss an episode:
Apple Podcasts ¦ Spotify ¦ Stitcher ¦ Google Podcasts
It was great fun to narrate into audiobook form this classic piece of weird literature told in Jack London’s unique style. Enjoy the story… And do let me know what you thought in the comments below 🙂
Produced and narrated by David Sweeney-Bear (c)2021
MUSIC: Mozart – Oboe quartet – 2 – Adagio
ANNOTATIONS:
1 bourgeois [“boor-JWAH”] – belonging to or characteristic
of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived
materialistic values or conventional attitudes.
2 curb [“kerb”] – a check or restraint on something.
3 peregrination [” per-i-gruh-NEY-shuhn”] – a journey, especially a
long or meandering one.
4 athwart [“uh-THWAWRT”] – from side to side of; across.
5 fo’c’sle [“FOHK-suhl”] – shortened form of forecastle – the upper
deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part
of a ship with the sailors’ living quarters.
6 Farallones – The Farallon Islands, or Farallones (from the Spanish
farallón meaning “pillar” or “sea cliff”), are a group of islands and sea
stacks in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco,
California, United States.
7 for-ard – nonstandard spelling of forward (adjective), used to
represent a nautical pronunciation
8 quiescent [“kwee-ES-uhnt”] – being at rest; quiet; still; inactive or
motionless
9 scarifying [“skar-uh-fahying”] – making small cuts in something
10 curare [” kyoo-RAHR-ee”] – a blackish, resinlike substance derived
from tropical plants of the genus Strychnos, especially S. toxifera,
and from the root of pareira, used by certain South American Indians
for poisoning arrows and employed in physiological experiments,
medicine, etc., for arresting the action of motor nerves.
11 reagent [“ree-AYjuhnt”] – a substance or compound added to a
system to cause a chemical reaction, or added to test if a reaction
occurs.
12 apotheosis – the highest point in the development of something; a culmination or climax