c,6 OBSERVATIONS OK 



touch any other part but the wounded nerve. 

 The external flcin Wa&' fewed up, and the 

 animal was fet at liberty : it feemed not to 

 be in the leaft affecfled either then or after- 

 wards. It ran about, eat, and was as lively 

 as ever. This experiment feems to prove, 

 that the water of lauro-cerafus applied im- 

 mediately upon the nerves, and infinuated 

 into their medullary fubftance, is not at all 

 poiibnous -, confequently that it does not adt 

 upon the nerves, however applied, externally. 



The Abbe Fontana having obferved, that 

 the poifon of the viper and the ticunas, like 

 the lauro-cerafus, were innocent applied to 

 the nerves, but immediately killed flrong 

 animals when introduced into the blood ; it 

 v/as extremely natural to conclude, that laurel 

 water would have the fameeffedls: experi- 

 ence, however, determines quite the con- 

 trary, and fnews us that the mode of reafon- 

 ing by analogy, may fometimes prove decep- 

 tive. He introduced feme of the water into 

 the jugular vein of a large rabbit, in the 

 fame manner as he had done the poifo/i of 

 the viper, and the American poifon, yet the 

 animal difcovered no figos of fuffering. He 



fuipedled 



