1S05. J O-i the natural and medical H'tjlory of Spider t, i^c. 



C'23 



lie determ'ned to put his patient iinHer lier 

 c^re. There was no return of the lever 

 after the firft dofe of the le.nedy. The 

 phyfician luppofed that the imaginatic n of 

 the patient, his confidence in a new reme- 

 dy, and particularly the I'ecrecy, mis^ht 

 have fuipendcQ the attack, and he waited, 

 but to no purpoitj for its return. The 

 attendant, encouraged by her Aiccef!.-, 

 conlented to mention the remedy, which 

 proved to be the fams as that of the cu- 

 rate of Batheren." 



The editor of the Journal here quoted, 

 bein!^ ftruck witii the new experiinenis of 

 beguin upon oelatine apijited to tne treat- 

 ment ot intermitting fevifj, /iiipefts that 

 fniders' w;bs may contain a principle re- 

 fembling aniETial jtlly. l"bt. expeuments 

 of Cadet, while they cverthrow ihii lup- 

 pofiiion, appear to nini entitled to tiit at- 

 tention of medical men. 



Expirimaii i. Spiders' webs triturated 

 in the cold with quick lime, emit a flight 

 ammoniacal Imel). z. Cold wa'er by di- 

 geiiion on the webs becomes of a rrd- 

 brown colour; is (liahtiy pn-cipitated bv 

 infulion of nut-galls; is precipitated by 

 acids ; ard this precipitate is again dif- 

 fclvtd when the acids are fa:urated with 

 ammonia. ^. Spiders' wehs cleaned as 

 much as pofllhle from dali and foieign 

 matters, were boiled in diftided wa- 

 ter, ThedecoiSlioii fmelled like champig- 

 nons, and i.uhered by agitation. The 

 undiflllved matter was boiled in adtlition- 

 al waters, until it gave cut nothing more. 

 All thele waters being put together and 

 evaporated, let fail thei:' contents in fuc- 

 ceflive peiliclcs ; and at length, by gentie 

 evaporati'in, a folid extrafl was had, near- 

 ly equal to half the weight of the I'piders' 

 wehs. 4. The relidue not dilljjvtd in 

 boiling water, wasdigefted inalcohol. It 

 gave a very deep orangecjluured tintfiire, 

 wliich did not latiier. Water being ad- 

 ded, tlirew down a grey flaky precipitate, 

 of a brown colour when dry, and litJe 

 more th m one hundred and feveTjtieth part 

 cf the i.riginal webs. On hot coals it 

 fwelled up, I'moaktrd, and lo^k fire; and 

 from its habitudes in thefe refpetts, and 

 with the alkalies, it refembled a lelin. 

 T he diluted alcoiiolic f"ol'ii;oii being then 

 evaporated, afforded a relidue fti^hiiy de- 

 liijut.'ccnt, of ata/ieat firit ivvcetifti, and 

 afterwards bit er, and in quantity nearly 

 three times that of the refinous preci|>i:aie. 

 5. The infolublc relidue after thi» ticat- 

 ment with water.and alcohol, burned wiih- 

 out fwtljing up, and emitted a I'mal 

 quainity of white fume* haunt; the fincll 



of burned wood. Neither the oxigenated 

 inui latic, nor the fulphureous acids, dif- 

 colcured it. It was Iblubie with tfferve- 

 Icence in muriiitic acid, wnich took U(» 

 •two-thirds and left a black parte. Am- 

 monia feparated a bi-ovvn matter in fmaii 

 quantity from the clear foiiition ; and tliis 

 matter, when calcined, did not loie its co- 

 lour. It was ainioft totally foiuble in mu- 

 riatic acid, and this folution pave a blscic 

 jveciuitati.' with nut galls, and a LKiewiili 

 alkaline priiffi-ite. The fluid to whicb 

 the amoionia had been added, gave a grey- 

 precipitate by pot a(h. Tnis reiained iis 

 ct>lour when ignited, and whs again foiu- 

 ble in n-.unaiii acid with effci vefcence. 

 6. Caudic pot-a(h pour d on the reiidue 

 ot Ipiders' webs previoufly treated with 

 water and alcohol, diiengages a little am- 

 monia, AtA partly dilfolves the niafter. 

 An acid throws down from this folution 

 a black pulveruleia talteiets precipitaie, 

 which flightiy puffs up by hear, and leaves 

 by (ieficcation a brittle and apparently re- 

 finous matter. Its quantity is about one- 

 twelfth of the exhauited matter made ufe 

 of. It is partly lokible in ^ volatile 

 oils. 



7. The aqueous extract of No. 3 beincr 

 digeded vvi:h alcohol, gave out one-leventb 

 part. This alconolictxtracl was brown, 

 confidenbly deliquefcciu, and of a (harp 

 talfe. It f.vclied conliderably en the coals, 

 and at a certain period it burned rapidly, 

 as if a nitia;e were prefent. It effervefceJ 

 brifkly with luipliuric a:id, giving out a 

 white vapour of a muriatic fmell. Pot- 

 afli and lime dif ngaged fr.>m this extract 

 a ttrong ammoniacal Iniell, and the va- 

 pour* were very lisnlible on the approach 

 of jnuriatic acid. Tiie ixtrad havino- 

 been incinerated, appeared by feveral ex- 

 peiimen;s tocontain muriate of lime and 

 a lulphatc. What remained of the aque- 

 ous extrail after treaiment with alcohol, 

 was lefs oeep in colour than before, had a 

 purrerulent appearance, and (lightly pun- 

 gent taltc. On hot coals it did net (well 

 up, but left a very abundan: precipiiaic. 

 Strang lulphuric acid poured on this ex- 

 trail produced no (isniible fmell, and thtre 

 was no piodu6lion of ammonia when it 

 wa« triturated with quick lime. 



8. Spiders' webs fubjciSfed to deffrtic- 

 tive diitillation, gave firIt water (ii^hily 

 coloured, but becoming deeper as the pro- 

 cefs went on; and afterwards a bljck 

 thick oil with carbonated hydrogen and 

 carbonic acid. A vny lijnliblc freli of 

 ainmonii was developed, and a rcrulu.ij 

 coal was Iclt, amounting to h slf tlic mat. 



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