ON SPIDERS* WEBS, Sl9l 



have become inlerefting, from, the induftry with which they 

 Extend their webs for feizing their prey, and from obferva- 

 tions on the multiplicity and arrangement of their eyes, which 

 are geometrically difpofed on a molionlefs head, in a manner 

 conformable to Iheirneceflities. Their combats, the Angularity 

 of their amours, their fenfibilily for mufic, and their patience, 

 all conflitute fubjecls of wonder in the hfftory of fpiders. 

 PhyCcians have examined whether their bite be really veno- 

 mous, as is generally thought; and they have found only two 

 fpecies produfiive of danger, namely, the tarantula and avicu- 

 Jaria of Cayenne. Swanmerdam, Roffi, and Baglivi have 

 left us little to wifli for in this matter, as the effefls of their 

 bite and the remedies are both known. 



The webs of fpiders are confidered by the common people Spiders' webs • 

 as a remedy for wounds ; country people often apply them on pop"|a>; remedy 

 cuts or flight wounds, and apparently with fuccefs. This wounds. 

 property, was not of fufficient importance to induce chemifls 

 to analyfe the material; but as there has alfo been attributed 

 to them a febrifuge virtue, fuperior in fome circumftances to 

 the bark, I have thought them entitled to a more particular 

 examination. The following extrad is taken from the Journal 

 d'Econo?nie Rurale, for Germinal, in the year XII, 



" We have feen upwards of thirty years ago, a good prior. Narrative of fe-* 

 the curate of Batheren in Tranche Comt^, cure all the fevers ^^P ^^^^^ ^Y 

 of his parith, and of the neighbouring villages, by pills of ataj^en/" 

 'flrange compofition. He went into his barn and formed 

 fmall pills with fpiders' webs, by rolling them between his 

 h^nds in the flate he found them. He ad miniflered, this re- 

 medy to his patients in white wine, and very feldom failed to 

 cure. M. Marie de St. Urfin being chief phyfician of the 

 Hotel de Dieu, of Chartres, treated a very obftinate fever in 

 that hofpital. He had employed bitters, the bark, and all 

 the remedies of medical art without fuccefs, when one of the 

 female attendants offered to undertake the cafe with a cer- 

 tainty of cure. When the was interrogated concerning her 

 remedy, (he refufed to mention it. M. de St. Urfin therefore 

 continued to attend his patient for Tome days; after which, 

 having a good opinion of the attendant, he determined to put 

 his patient under her care. There was no return of the fever 

 after the firft dofe of the remedy. The phylician fuppofed that 

 the imagination of the patient, his confidence in a new remedy, 



U 2 and 



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