32 A NATURAL HISTORY 



the Veins of a living Dog, or other Creature ,j for in a fhort tinne 

 he falls into Convulfions, and dies. A Decoftion of white Hel- 

 lebore injedled into the jugular Vein of a Dog, as foon as it enter'd 

 the Heart, kill'd as fuddenly as if Ihot thro' the Heart with a 

 Bullet. On January. \, 1679. a Dram and \\2\i ov Spirit of Salt y 

 diluted in an Ounce and half of Water, and injeded into the ju- 

 gular Vein of a Dog, kill'd him immediately. We kill'd a Dog 

 almofl in a Moment by injecting into his jug;ular Vein an Ounce 

 oi Spirit of Wine ^ in which was difTolved a Drachm of Camphire : 

 The fame Day we inje(5tcd warm into the crural Vein of a Cat, 

 50 Gi-ains of Opium, dillolved in an Ounce of Water, which was 

 loon feized with convuUive Motions, and died within a Quarter 

 of an Hour. We injeftedan Ounce of Oil of Olives into the jugu- 

 lar Vein of a Dog, which fuffocated him the fame Moment. 

 N. B. In all that were fuffocated by Oil, we found their 

 Lungs fill'd with a very thick Froth *. 



The Rcmarkables here are, 



I. That a I ma II Portion of this venemous Liquid foul d in fofJ:ort 

 a time do fuch terrible Exccutio?is: That it fliould io foon infed: fo 

 greataQuantity of Fluid, as the whole Mafs of Blood in the wound- 

 ed Animal. A very learned Phyfician accounts for it thus, viz. 



*' That in the Drop of Poifon are pungent Salts, by which 

 " little Bladders in the Blood are prickt, and the eiaflick Matter 

 *' in them being let out, carries thofe acute Salts thro' the whole 

 *' Region of Fluids; upon which follows a Coagulation -f-. 



All venemous Creatures hurt, by inftilling a liquid Poifon 

 into the Wound, fuppofe the V/ound to be given by the Tooth or 

 Tail. The aforefaid ingenious Phyfician fays, viz. *' This ve- 

 *' nemous Juice it felf is of fo inconfiderahle a ^lantity, that it is 

 " 720 more than one good Drop that docs the Ej^ecutionr In or- 

 der, adds he, to examine the Texture of the Liquor, I enrag'd a 

 Serpent till it bit upon fom.cthing folid, fo as to void its Poifon ; 

 whofe Parts I view'd with a Microfcope as nicely as I could. 



" Upon the firll: Sight, I could difcover nothing but a Parcel 

 " of fmall Salts nimbly floaiing in the Liquor, which foon Hiot 

 " our, as It were, into Cry/lals of incredible Tenuity and Sharp- 



*' nefs, 



* Mr. Be77j. M0tte\ Philorophicsl TranfadV. abrid. Vol. i. FaT ii. p, 220, 221, 

 where you may find mar.y InUancesof the [m\Q Nature, f Dr. Mead\ Mechanical 

 A ccounc 



