498 NATURAL HISTORY. 



gold in their mouth, to draw the spirits of the quick 

 silver ; which gold afterwards they find to be 

 whitened. There are also certain lakes and pits, 

 such as that of Avernus, that poison birds, as is 

 said, which fly over them, or men that stay too long 

 about them. 



919. The vapour of charcoal, or sea-coal, in a 

 close room, hath killed many ; and it is the more 

 dangerous, because it cometh without any ill smell, 

 but stealeth on by little and little, inducing only a 

 faintness, without any manifest strangling. When 

 the Dutchmen wintered at Nova Zembla, and that 

 they could gather no more sticks, they fell to make 

 fire of some sea-coal they had, wherewith, at first, 

 they were much refreshed ; but a little after they 

 had sat about the fire, there grew a general silence 

 and lothness to speak amongst them ; and immedi 

 ately after, one of the weakest of the company fell 

 down in a swoon ; whereupon they doubting what 

 it was, opened their door to let in air, and so saved 

 themselves. The effect, no doubt, is wrought by 

 the inspissation of the air ; and so of the breath and 

 spirits. The like ensueth in rooms newly plastered, 

 if a fire be made in them; whereof no less man 

 than the emperor Jovinianus died. 



920. Vide the experiment 803, touching the in 

 fectious nature of the air, upon the first showers, 

 after a long drought. 



921. It hath come to pass, that some apotheca 

 ries, upon stamping of colloquintida, have been put 

 into a great scouring by the vapour only. 



