THE BITE OF A VIPER 97 



" Mr. Cox procured an old mongrel cur, all over 

 mangy, of a middle size ; and having some hours 

 before fed him plentifully with cheese-parings and 

 milk, he prepared his jugular vein ; then he made 

 a strong lio-ature on his neck, that the venal blood 

 might be emitted with the greater impetus ; after 

 this, he took a young land spaniel, about the same 

 bigness, and prepared his jugular vein likewise, that 

 the descendant part might receive the mangy dog's 

 blood, and the ascendant discharge his own into a 

 dish : he transfused about fourteen or sixteen ounces 

 of the blood of the infected into the veins of the 

 sotcnd dog. By this experiment there appeared no 

 alteration in the sound one ; but the mangy dog was, 

 in about ten days or a fortnight's time, perfectly 

 cured ; and possibly this is the quickest and surest 

 remedy for that disease, either in man or beast." 



Hounds sometimes are bitten by vipers. Sweet-oil 

 has been long deemed a certain antidote : some 

 should be applied to the part, and some taken in- 

 wardly ; though a friend of mine informs me, that 

 the common cheese-rennet, externally applied, is a 

 more efficacious remedy than oil, for the bite of a 

 viper. They are also liable to wounds and cuts : 

 Friar's balsam is very good, if applied immediately ; 

 yet, as it is apt to shut up a bad wound too soon, the 

 following tincture, in such cases, may perhaps be 

 preferable, at least after the first dressing or two : 



Of Barbadoes aloes, two ounces ; 

 Of myrrh, pounded, three ounces ; 

 Mixed up with a quart of brandy. 



H 



