VEGETABLE POISONS 97 



fufpeded he had not performed the ope- 

 ration properly; that the fyringe might pof- 

 fibly have infinuated itfelf into the cellular 

 membrane, and that he had not introduced 

 any of the water into the veflel : he therefore 

 repeated the experiment, and introduced into 

 the jugular vein a larger quantity of the poi- 

 fon than he had hitherto employed, and was 

 careful to make the point of the fyringe enter 

 the veffel before he introduced the water; 

 yet ftill the animal was not afFefted by it, 

 but continued as lively as ever. He could 

 not perfuade himfelf to believe, that the 

 water of lauro-cerafus was not a powerful 

 poifon when introduced into the blood, fince 

 it was poifonous applied to wounds of the 

 mufcles, and when taken by the mouth, al- 

 though it was harmlefs if brought into con- 

 tadl with the naked trunks of the nerves. 

 He therefore a third and a fourth time re- 

 peated the experiment, and introduced into 

 the blood a larger quantity of laurel water 

 than he had ufed before ; but the refult was 

 in no refpedt different from the former 

 eflays ^. 



* Phil. Tranfaa. vol !xx. 



