Veoetable Varnishes from India and America, 101 



frequently come under their observation, yet it never occurred 

 to me that the poisonous qualities which they ascribed to the 

 Kheeoo varnish were likely to belong to the Sylhet varnish ; 

 and I accordingly made numerous experiments with the latter, 

 without any suspicion of its possessing deleterious properties. 

 Having laid it in its undiluted state upon part of an iron rail- 

 ing, a maid servant accidentally rubbed her arm against it. In 

 one part of the arm touched by the varnish the skin was at the 

 same time slightly ruffled, but on other parts touched by the 

 varnish the skin was perfectly sound. In a few days all these 

 parts were inflamed, and became extremely itchy. A con- 

 geries of angry pimples followed, which were hard at their 

 base and extremely red. These pimples have remained more 

 than three weeks without healing ; and what is very strange, 

 fresh ones have appeared on parts of the arm which the var- 

 nish never touched. 



One of my sons, who had been the principal operator in put- 

 ting the varnish on the iron, and who from the coldness of the 

 weather was obliged to render it fluid by holding it above the 

 fire, was thus peculiarly exposed to the vapour exhaled from 

 it when hot, and also during the time that he was laying it on. 

 A few days after, his hands, which the varnish had never 

 touched, were covered with red pimples, exactly the same as 

 those already described. The effect gradually extended up 

 his arm, and in two days afterwards his face and eyes were 

 swelled to a most alarming degree, both cheeks being a mass 

 of small red pimples. The itchiness was intolerable, but there 

 was neither fever nor pain, and the swelling disappeared after 

 six or seven days. We at first ascribed these effects to the 

 nettle-rash ; but after reading the account given by Dr Joseph 

 Papa of the effects of the Indian varnish, and Comparing the 

 pustules with those on the arm of the maid-servant, there could 

 not be the least doubt that the varnish was the cause of the 

 disease. 



The account now referred to was drawn up in 1701 by Dr 

 Joseph del Papa, physician to the Cardinal de Medicis, and 

 was communicated to the Royal Society by the celebrated bo- 

 tanist Dr Sherard. The following is an abstract of it. 



" The using and handhng of the Indian varnish, while lay- 



