220 LEAVES FROM THE 



quantity of oil, and warm water upon it, by which he vomited 

 plentifully. A live pigeon was cut in two and applied to the 

 finger. Two hours after this, the flesh about the wound was cut 

 out, and the part burnt with a hot iron, and the arm embrocated 

 with warm oil. He then recovered his speech and senses. His 

 arm continued swelled the next day, but by common applications 

 soon grew easy, and the patient suffered no further mischief. 



As the poison of this snake (continues Dr. Mead) is more quick 

 and deadly than any other that we know, a remedy for this will 

 most certainly prove effectual against that of smaller vipers, and 

 all other creatures of this kind. The other applications here made 

 use of (the vomit excepted) could be of no service. The pigeon, 

 the cutting and burning the part two hours after the wound had 

 been made, did no good. Embrocating the arm with oil only 

 abated the swelling. 



However right the worthy Doctor may be touching 

 the pigeon, the excision, and the cautery, it is by no 

 means clear that he has not leaped somewhat hastily to 

 his conclusion touching the inutility of the embrocation. 

 Besides their famous axwngia viperina, the viper- 

 catchers in after-times had the greatest confidence in 

 olive-oil as a specific against the bite of those reptiles. 

 Relying on its efficacy they suffered themselves to be 

 bitten, and would let the symptoms go on till they be- 

 come absolutely dangerous, or, as they said, till the poison 

 was gaining on their heart, and then, swallowing draughts 

 of the oil and rubbing the wounded limb with it over a 

 chafing-dish of coals, became perfectly cured. The better 

 opinion latterly seems to have been, that the embroca- 

 tion was the efficient part of the process, and that the 

 oil which was swallowed did little if anything towards 

 the cure. It is true that, in consequence of the account 

 in Phil. Trans. (No. 443) of an experiment, in which it 

 was said that connnon oil rubbed into the wound had 

 cured the bite of a viper, the physicians of the French 

 Academy are said to have made several trials of the oil, 

 with all possible care, and they pronounced it to be in- 

 effectual, except as a fomentation to the swollen part. 



