OF SERPENTS. 153 



gerous, the Solar Rays not being fo ftrong in thofe Heights : and 

 what is yet more furprizing, is, that if they wound any out of 

 Apulia^ though in places not remote from it, the Wounded re- 

 ceive no deadly Hurt *. 



Wh e n it bites, the Pain refembles that given by the Sting of 

 a Bee^ and is attended with various Symptoms, according to their 

 different Natures: The Northern l^arantida is the moft terrible; 

 thofe that are inclin'd to the lohite Colour are not fo dangerous ; 

 the fpotted differs from both. 



The Wound given by any of them is dangerous, and has 

 different Indications. In fome that are bitten, an univerfal Stu- 

 por follows ; others weep : Some tremble and vomit 5 others 

 laugh, fancying themfelves to be Kings. This perhaps made 

 Dr. Cornelio reprefent this as an imaginary Difeafe ; that thofe 

 who imagine themfelves hurt, are mofi: of our young wanton 

 Girls, who, falling from fome particular Indifpofition into Me- 

 lancholy and Madnefs, perfuade themfelves that they have been 

 ffung by a Tara?2tula -f*. 



Some grow pale, fick and faint, and die in a fliort time, un- 

 lefs relieved by Mufick, which alone, without the Help of Me- 

 dicine, performs the Cure. 



The Wounded are as Men half dead, but at the firft Sound 

 of a mufical Inllrument, though they are very weak, and feem- 

 ingly unable to ftir, they begin by degrees to move their Hands 

 and Feet, till at lafl: they get up, and then fall to dancing with 

 wonderful Vigour, for two or three Hours, their Strength and 

 Adivity ftill encreafing. Some will continue the Dance, without 

 Intermiffion for fix Hours j and when tired they are put to Bed, 

 and after they are fufficiently recruited by Reff, they are called 

 up again by the fame Tune, and renew the Dance with great 

 Violence, the Mufick ftill playing 5 and when the Patients grow 

 weary, they are put into Bed again, and kept warm to encourage 

 Perfpiration. Thefe Exercifes being continued fix or feven Days, 

 the Patient finds himfelf fatigued and unable to dance any longer, 

 which is the Charaderiftic of a Cure. 



They ufually fpend ten or twelve Hours a-day in this violent k 

 Exercife, and continue it for three or four, c«: fix Days -, by which 



X time 



* Baglhii de Anatome, Morfu & Effeil. TarantuU Dijfertatio i. p. 27- & cap. v. 

 p. 20. f PhilofTranfaii, 



