Strychnine Effects
Madame de Villefort objects that arsenic is indelible, but Monte Cristo explains that the Abbé Adelmonte has found alternatives. Using a solution of salts based on strychnine (strychnos colubrina), the cabbage shows no signs of disease, the rabbit dies in minutes, and subsequent victims—the hen and any humans—display only general symptoms of nervous system excitation and cerebral congestion. The death appears to be apoplexy, a rare condition in fowls but common in men, making detection virtually impossible.
Conscience and Crime
The conversation turns to moral considerations. Madame de Villefort argues that crime escapes human scrutiny but not God’s eye, noting that Orientals prudently have no hell. Monte Cristo invokes Rousseau’s mandarin paradox and suggests that removing an obstacle from one’s path—what he calls an “elimination”—avoids the physical and psychological horrors of direct murder. He then references Richard III and Lady Macbeth, arguing that conscience conveniently supplies excellent excuses, such as maternal love, to justify terrible actions and ensure peaceful sleep.
The Count’s Elixir
Madame de Villefort asks about the elixir the Count gave her son, which revived him almost instantly. Monte Cristo reveals its dangerous potency: one drop restores life, three drops cause violent palpitations, six produce serious syncope, and ten would kill. He frames the substance not as a poison but as a powerful medicine whose effect depends entirely on dosage, prepared by the Abbé Adelmonte. The Count emphasizes that he uses it with great prudence.
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