734 



A HISTORY OF 



the climate, the size or rage of the animal, 

 and the depth and situation of the wound. 

 These symptoms are much more violent, and 

 succeed each other more rapidly after the 

 bite of a rattlesnake; but when the person 

 is bit by the cobra di capello, he dies in an 

 hour, his wliole frame being dissolved into a 

 putrid mass of corruption. 



Nothing surely can more justly excite our 

 wonder, than that so small a quantity of venom 

 should produce such powerful and deadly 

 effects. If the venom itself be examined 

 through a microscope, it will be found to shoot 

 into little crystals, that, to an imagination al- 

 ready impressed with its potency, look like 

 so many darts fit for entering the blood-ves- 

 yels, and wounding their tender coats. But 

 all these darts are wholly of our own making ; 

 the softest mildest flqid whatever, possessed 

 of any consistency, will form crystals under 

 the eye of the microscope, and put on an ap- 

 pearance exactly like the venom of the viper, 

 In fact, this venom has no acrid taste what- 

 ever; and to all experiments that our senses 

 can make upon it, appears a slimy insipid 

 fluid. Charas, who often tasted it, assures 

 us of the fact; and asserts, that it may be 

 taken inwardly without any sensible effects, 

 or any prejudice to the constitution. But 

 the famous experiments that were tried by 

 Rhedi and others, in the presence of the Great 

 Duke of Tuscany and his court, put this be- 

 yond any doubt whatsoever. By these it 

 appeared, that the serpent having once bitten, 

 exhausted for that time the greatest part of 

 its poison ; and though the wound caused by 

 its biting a second time was attended with 

 some malignant symptoms, yet they were 

 much milder than before. It appeared that 

 the serpent biting upon a sponge, or a piece 

 of soft bread, and then biting a dog immediate- 

 ly after, did not inflict a wound more danger- 

 ous than the prick of a needle. It appeared 

 that the venom being collected, and a needle 

 dipped therein, this produced almost as pain- 

 ful effects as the tooth of the animal itself. 

 But what caused the greatest surprise in 

 the court was, the seeming rashness of one 

 Tozzi, a viper-catcher; who* while the phi- 

 losophers were giving elaborate lectures on 

 the danger of the poison when taken inter- 

 nally, boldly desired a large quantity of it 



might be put together; and then, with the 

 utmost confidence, drank it off before them 

 all. The court was struck with astonishment, 

 and expected that the man would instantly 

 fall dead ; but they soon perceived their mis- 

 take, and found that taken in this manner 

 the poison was as harmless as water; so true 

 is that famous passage of Lucan, 



Noxia serpentum est admixto sanguine pestis: 

 Morsu virus habent, et fatum in dente minantur: 

 Pocula morte carent. 



What then shall we say to the speedy ef- 

 fect of so seemingly harmless a liquid taken 

 into the circulation ? Let us first observe, that 

 milk is one of the most mild and nourishing 

 of all fluids, and seemingly the most friendly 

 to the human constitution; yet if milk be in- 

 jected into a vein, it will quickly become fa- 

 tal, and kill with more certain destruction 

 than even the venom of the viper. From 

 hence then we may infer, that the introducing 

 not only the serpentine venom, but also a 

 quantity of any other mixture, into the circu- 

 lation, will be fatal; and that, consequently, 

 serpents kill as well by their power of inject- 

 ing the wound as by the potency of their poi- 

 son. Some indeed may inject a more acri- 

 monious mixture, and this may produce more 

 speedy effects; but any mixture thus inject 

 ed would be dangerous, and many would be 

 fatal. 



Ray gives us an instance of the potency of 

 the serpent-poison ; which though it has all 

 the air of a fable, I cannot help transcribing. 

 " A gentleman who went over to the East In- 

 dies, while he was one day sitting among 

 some friends, was accosted by an Indian jug- 

 gler, who offered to show him some experi- 

 ments respecting the venom of serpents: an 

 exhibition usual enough in that country. Ha- 

 ving first, therefore, produced a large ser- 

 pent, he assured the company that it was 

 harmless ; and to convince them of what he 

 said, he tied up his arm, as is usual with those 

 who are going to be bled, and whipped the 

 serpent till it was provoked to bite him. Ha- 1 

 ving drawn in this manner about half a spoon- 

 ful of blood from his arm. he put the congeal- 

 ed clot upon his thigh. He then took out 

 a much smaller serpent, which was no other 



