ICOSANDRIA. 127 



have occasioned the death of the woman 3 and to con- 

 vince her, she filled out about three spoonfuls of it 

 and drank it. She continued talking with Frances 

 Eaton about two minutes longer, and so earnest to 

 persuade her of the liquor's being inoffensive, that 

 she filled out two spoonfuls more, which she drank off 

 likewise. She was hardly well seated in her chair, 

 when she died." 



After repeated experiments by some Members of 

 the Royal Society to shew the deadly effects of this 

 poison, the Secretary concludes — 



'' Thus we find tliis simple water, distilled from a 

 vegetable, equally mortal with the bite of the Rattle- 

 snake, and more quick in its operation than any mi- 

 neral poison 5 and though it may not immediately 

 bring on death, when taken in small quantities, yet 

 an habitual use of it, however disguised with other 

 compounds, must certainly be prejudicial and un- 

 wholesome, and, in weakly persons, must hasten 

 death. 



" I am informed that a gentleman and his wife, 

 who used for several years to drink daily a dram or 

 two of the brandy into which laurel berries were in- 

 fused, both died paralytic, having lost their speech 

 some time before." August 24, 1/31. 



