Theriac, venom, use, and dose

Meaning

Theriac and venom name opposed effects ascribed to the same philosophical subject according to use and dose. The comparison joins beneficial moderation and destructive excess; it does not establish that a single named modern substance is both a safe cure and a poison under known conditions.

The author’s qualification is itself important evidence of danger, but it supplies no usable safe dose. The later description of the subject wrapped in mortal venom reinforces the distinction between apparent destructive condition and a hidden preserving virtue. These are historical claims about a guarded subject, not treatment guidance or permission to infer safety from the word theriac.