428 Miscellaneous hitelligence. 



cipices anil hang on rocks inaccessible to other animals. They 

 are very swift. They seem reconciled to hay as food, and like 

 brandy which is administered to them as a medicine. 



With the deer Mr. Bullock has brought a native Laplander, 

 his wife and child. These beings are about four feet eight inches 

 in height ; the man being of the common size, the woman rather 

 tall. The child is about five years old. — New Mon. Mag. p. 506. 



11. First appearance of the Boa Constrictor in the Island of St. 

 Vincent. — A most singular circumstance occurred last week in 

 the Charaib country, when some negroes, who were working 

 near Sandy Bay, discovered an immense serpent, hitherto wholly 

 unknown in any of these islands, and which was shot through 

 the head by one of the party. It is supposed to be a species of 

 Boa so common on the neighbouring continent, but in what way 

 it reached the shores of St. Vincent is quite unknown. Its 

 entire length was between fourteen and fifteen feet, the circum- 

 ference of the body between three and four feet. When first 

 seen it was lying in a coil, but raised itself on being roused. — 

 Royal Gazette and Bahama Advertiser, August 1821. 



§ II. Medicine. 



1. Salivation and Ulceration of the Gums produced by 

 Hydrocyanic or Prussic Acid. — Dr. Macleod, in his experience 

 with the prussic acid used as a medicine, has had occasion to 

 notice three instances in which the administration of it pro- 

 duced ulceration of the gums with salivation. In the first in- 

 stance, the effect was slight ; in the secopd, it ceased with the 

 discontinuance of the medicine, and returned when that was 

 re-administered ; in the third, the ulceration was very severe, 

 extensive, and difficult to heal, and the soreness of the mouth 

 exceedingly distressing ; the medicine was discontinued, but on 

 being repeated about three months afterwards, the effects were 

 reproduced. 



2. Preservative against Scarlet Fever. — It is announced in 

 the Journal de Medicina Pratique of Berlin, that the Bella- 

 donna is a preservative against this fever. The fact was first 

 discovered at Leipsig, but it has lately been confirmed by seve- 

 ral experiments. 



3. On Irritation of the Spiiial Nerves. — 



[To the Editor of the Qtwrteily Journal of Science.'] 



Sir — I take the liberty to submit to your notice a pathologi- 

 cal fact, which has not, to the best of my knowledge, been 

 generally remarked, and attention to which, as far as my own 



