OF SERPEN TS, 23 



Exhalation, to the dry ones emitted from folld Bodies, as Earth, 

 Fire, Minerals, Sulphur. 



The nocuous Effluvia fent forth fi^om them may infed: the 

 Air, and cauie epidemical Dillempers, and even new Difeafes. 

 About Mines and deep Caverns, are frequently found copious Ex- 

 halations continually ftreaming out, which, in a moment, dellroy 

 any Animal that comes within their reach ; fo much as the very 

 Infers themfelves not efcaping : Therefore thefe Places were by 

 the Antients called Gehennce^ Averni^ — intimating thereby, that 

 a Mineral Fit was Hell^ and that Subterraneous Exhalations were 

 Streams from the Fiery Lake. 



STRABO takes notice oi2iCave ov Grotto in Natolia^ from 

 whence iflue peftilential Vapours that infedt the Air : No fooner 

 is any Animal put in, but it immediately dies. Bulls have been 

 put in, and fuddenly taken out dead. Sparrows that have been 

 thrown in, dropt down dead inflantly. 



The I'urks fancy it to be haunted by evil Spirits, becaufe thojfe 

 who had the Curiofity to enter it, have either died or fallen de- 

 fperately^^/^ *. 



Mineral Poifons are more or lefs dangerous, as their Salts 

 receive a greater or lefs Force from the metallic Particles : And 

 hence, as the mofl virulent may be mitigated by breaking the 

 Points of the faline Cryftals, the moft i-inocent Minerals may 

 become corrofive, by combining them with Salts, as is feen in the 

 Preparations of Silver, Antimony, Iron. 



Nothing more fatal than mineral Poifon, which often 

 brings fwift Deftrudlion without remedy. To a large Dog, 

 fays the Learned Dr. Meady was given a Drachm of Mercury Sub" 

 limate, mixt with a little Bread, who, after violent Evacuations, 

 died next Morning. The fame Gentleman obferves, that in Ar^ 

 Jenic is a very noxious quality : the fadHtious white is the moft 

 violent of all the kinds, Superior in force to Mercury Sublimate, 



These mortiferous Steams that flow from the Earth, are 

 called MephiteSy polfonous Damps ; and are very comm ^n in Coun- 

 tries fruitful of Minerals and Mines : Damps happen in moft of 

 the Hungarian-Mines^ not only in the direcfl Paflages, where they 

 walk on horizontally, but alfo in the perpendicular Defcents. 

 Now, to guard themfelves againft the fatal EiFedts of thefe Ex- 

 halations, 



* Siraho Geograph, 



5 



