186 



fie was made to walk about, and some rice gruel per^ 

 fccted the cure. 



The Negroes in Africa use a poison of an ex- 

 traordinary nature. The dose fe very small, and hath 

 no ill taste. The symptoms are various according as 

 the dose is. It kills sometimes in a few hsurs, some- 

 times in months, at others, in some years. If a 

 great quantity is given, death follows in six or seven 

 hours. (The negroes turn white.) If the dose is 

 but small, the sick loses his appetite, feels pain in 

 his head, arms, and limbs, a weariness all over, sore- 

 ness in his breast, difficulty in breathing, and at last 

 dies languishing. Probably it is the same poison 

 which is used in Spain and Italy. This hath but 

 one specific antidote, the knowledge of which a fa* 

 mous Negroe.poisoner, was at length persuaded to 

 impart. The antidote is the root of the sensitive 

 plant. Take none of the root but what is in the 

 ground ; wash it wVll, and split it in two. Take a 

 good handful of these split roots, steep them in three 

 quarts of fair water, in an earthen glazed pot, hav- 

 ing a cover. Use but a moderate fire, that it may 

 boil gently. The decoction has no ill taste ; you 

 may add sugar, as you think best. Give the patient 

 a good glass of this decoction as warm as he can 

 drink it ; an hour after give another, and so for 

 gome time, .till you make a perfect cure. There is 

 no danger of giving too much, it can do no harm 

 at ail. 



In the valley of the Lancy, which runs between the 

 mountains of Juria ? grows a plant like tle Doronicum, 

 near the roots whereof is found pure quick-silver, run- 

 ning in small grains like pearls. One would not 

 imagine the plant had any influence on this, but for 

 the following experiment: express the juice, expose it 

 to the air in a clear night, and there will be found s 

 much mercury as there is lost of juice. 



