80 September 1748. 



poifonous as the former. By this adventure 

 he was fo convinced of the power of the 

 poifon tree, that I could not eafily perfuade 

 him to gather more feeds of it for me. 

 But he not only felt the noxious effects of 

 it in fummer when he was very hot, but 

 even in winter when both he and the wood 

 were cold. Hence it appears that though 

 a perfon be fecured againft the power of 

 this poifon for fome time, yet that in length 

 of time he may be affected with it as well, 

 as people of a weaker conftitution. 



I have likewife tried experiments of 

 every kind with the poifon tree on myfelf. 

 I have fpread its juice upon my hands, cut 

 and broke its branches, peeled off its bark, 

 and rubbed my hands with it, fmelt at it, 

 carried pieces of it in my bare hands, and 

 repeated all this frequently, without feel- 

 ing the baneful effects fo commonly annex- 

 ed to it ; but I however once experienced 

 that the poifon of the fumach was not en- 

 tirely without effect upon me. On a hot 

 day in fummer, as I was in fome degree of 

 perfpiration, I cut a branch of the tree, and 

 carried it in my hand for about half an 

 hour together, and fmelt at it now and 

 then. I felt no effects from it, till in the 

 evening. But next morning I awoke with 

 a violent itching of my eye-lids, and the 



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