ON spiders' webs, 



arid particularly the fecrecy, might "have fufpended the attacka 

 and he waited, bat to no purpofe, for its return. The at- 

 tendant encouraged by her Tuccefs, confented to mention the 

 remedy, which proved to be the fame as tliat of the curate 

 of Batheren." 

 Suppofed to be The editor of the Journal here quoted, being ftruck with 

 Jnettc yg^'^'ihe new experiments of Seguin upon gelatine applied to the 

 treatment of intermitting fevers, fufpe6ls that fpiders* webs 

 may contain a principle refembling animal jelly. The expe- 

 riments of Cadet, while they overthrow this fuppofition, ap- 

 pear to him entitled to the attention of medical men. 

 Analyfis of fpi- Experiment 1, Spiders* webs triturated in the cold with 

 4ers webs. quick-lime, emit a flight ammoniacal fmell. 2. Cold water 

 by digeflion on the webs, becomes of a red-brown colour; 

 is flightly precipitated by infufion of nut-galls ; is precipitated 

 by acids ; and this precipitate is again diflblved when the acids 

 are faturated with ammonia. 3. Spiders' webs cleaned as 

 much as poffible from dud and foreign matters, were boiled 

 in diftilled water. The deco6lion fmelled like champignons, 

 and lathered by agitation. The undilTolved matter was boiled 

 in additional waters, until it gave out nothing more. All 

 thefe waters being put together and evaporated, let fall their 

 contents in fuccefiive pellicles ; and at length, by gentle eva- 

 poration, a folid extract was had, nearly equal to half the 

 weight of the fpiders' webs, 4-. The refidue not difiblved in 

 boiling water, was digefted in alcohol. It gave a very deep 

 orange-coloured tin6ture, which did not lather. Water being 

 added, threw down a grey flaky precipitate, of a brown co- 

 lour when dry, and little more than one hundred and feven- 

 tieth part of the original webs. On hot coals it fwelled up,, 

 fmoaked, and took fire ; and from its habitudes in thefe re- 

 fpeds, and with the alkalies, it refembled a refln. The di- 

 luted alcoholic folution being then evaporated, afforded a re- 

 fidue ilightly deliquefcent, of a tafte at firfl fweetilli, and 

 afterwards bitter, and in quantity nearly three times that of 

 the refinous precipitate. 5. The infoluble refidue after this 

 treatment with water and alcohol, burned without fwelling 

 up, and emitted a fmall quantity of white fumes having the 

 fmell of burned wood. Neither the oxigenated muriatic, no^ 

 the fulphureous acids, difcoloured it. It was foluble witl^ 

 efTervefcence in muriatic acid, which took up two-thirds and 



left! 



