NATURAL 
their death. (See Plutarch’s Lives.) 
The celebrated poifonous tree of 
Java, called in the Malayan tongue 
* Bohun Upas,” by giving out this 
deftruétive principle in the gafeous 
tate, may prove fatal to vegetation, 
or to animals which come too near 
it. Although I believe the terri- 
ble accounts of this tree have been 
much exaggerated by travellers (See 
a paper in’ the Batavian Socicty at 
Rotterdam, by Dr. Holft; wherein 
he endeavours’ to confute a very 
curious account of the Bohun Upas, 
by Foerch); yet this isin fome de- 
gree the effect of poifonous planis 
(with which we are better acquaint- 
ed) not caly preventing vegeta- 
tion, but proving fatal to animals 
which happen to fall afleep under 
their fhade..- The fenfitive plant 
feems evidently affected when 
brought near fome of thefe plants, 
as alfo with the fumes of tobacco, 
and the volatile alkali. The juice 
of the Upas ferves, when infpifiated, 
to poifon the arrows of the natives 
where it grows: but it is a moft 
melancholy initrument in the hands 
of their tyrannic princes. 
That fome vegetables do not 
contain azote in their compofition 
.is certain; but it is very evident in 
others, as in ‘many of the genus of 
Tytradinamia of Linnzus. This 
may be felt by their very pungent 
quality, 2s well as from their enter- 
ing fo eafily into a {tate of putre- 
faétive fermentation, and giving 
out large quantities of azote, either 
by itfelf or united with hydrogene 
in the gafeous form, as may be felt 
by eyesand nofe. In the vegetable 
form we ufe azote daily, either 
through pleafure or from neceffity. 
In cold climates tobacco is now 
univerfal, cither taken into the 
Stomach, or applied to the olfactory 
HT S.7F OF WY, 395 
nerves. Opium is very general in 
the warm countries of the eaft: the 
Turks take it, to the quantity of 
two drams at a time, without any 
inconvenience : the poriers at. Surat 
(fee Grofe) take it to the quantity 
of an ounce at atime; and they find 
it increafes their ftrength, and ai- 
fits them in going through more 
labour: it is allowed plentifully to 
the foldiery, and is faid to infpire 
them with a furious and undaunted 
courage. But to thofe who accuf- 
tom themfelves to take it (firft per- 
haps through pleafure ; for, as if by 
fome heavenly magic, it is found to 
luli the fenfes into a moft pleafing 
forgetfulnefs of ail our cares, and to 
affuage the moft excruciating pains 
which affect the human body, and 
here it is a blefiing to mankind) for 
any length of time, they are fure to 
experience its baneful effects: from 
time to time they are feized with a 
moft dejected languor both of body 
and mind, until the ufual and: wel- 
come dofe is repeated : their confti- 
tutions become emaciated, and-have 
every appearance of a premature 
and decrepit. old age, and too often 
fink under ‘the firft fhock of difeafe. 
We fee the azote daily ufed as a {ti 
mulus in cafes of fufpended anima- 
tion: it is applied in a concrete 
form to the nofe, in the form of 
fmoke to the inteftines, and fina- 
pifms to the foles of the feet, &c. 
It is found to act differently on dif- 
ferent conftitutions; and, in the 
fame conftitufion, when in health 
and when under difeafe. 1 have 
feen a child thrown into moft vio- 
lent convulfions by taking only two 
drops of laudanum; and a man, af- 
ter one grain of digitalis, has {carce- 
ly recovered?) This difference in 
the operation of poifons may de- 
pend on the different degrees of 
} ims 
