As described in the Greek, Daniel's method of destroying the Dragon
appears quite inadequate to effect his purpose. The ingredients named as
composing the ball do not seem capable of achieving the result which
followed. But in Gaster's Aramaic a different light is thrown upon the
matter; for the ball is merely used as a vehicle to conceal sharp teeth
embedded in it, so that the Dragon might swallow them unawares, and
sustain internally a fatal laceration. If this be accepted as correct,
Sir Thomas Browne's discussion, as to how such unlikely ingredients
might bring about a death of the kind described, is naturally set aside.
S. Wilkin, however, in his edition of Browne's _Works_, 1835 (Vol. II.
p. 337), does not treat Sir T. Browne's discussion as a serious one; but
in this view all will not concur. Sch??rer, in Hauck's _Dict._ (I. 639),
writes of the Dragon as having been slain "mit unverdaulichen Kitchen";
and Toy, in the _Jewish Encyclop?¦dia_, regards "the iron comb insertion
as a natural embellishment." It is, however, not at all out of keeping
with Daniel's clever devices for the detection of error, and looks like
a practicable plan.
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