REDI 225 



FRANCESCO REDJi 



1626-1698 



Osservazioni intomo alle Vipere. 4to. Firenze. 1664. 



Esperienze intomo alia generazione degP Insetti. 4to. Firenze. 1668. 

 Translation by Mab Bigelow. Chicago. 1909. 



Esperienzi intomo diversi cosi naturali. 4to. Firenze. 1671. 



Osservazioni intomo agli animali viventi che si trovano negli animali viventi. 

 4to. Firenze. 1684. 



Redi, a naturalist of wide curiosity, is remembered as 

 having examined a variety of animals, and investigated 

 experimentally the question of spontaneous generation. 

 He studied at Pisa, attracted notice by his talents and 

 learning, and was made physician to the dukes of 

 Tuscany, among others to Cosmo III, Swammerdam's 

 duke. 



Observations on Vipers^ 

 Once when a large number of vipers had been pro- 

 cured in order to make a theriacum for the duke of 

 Tuscany, the question was raised whether the viper's 

 tooth merely made a wound, or whether poison was 

 injected. One learned man assured the company on the 

 authority of Pliny and Galen that the smallest drop 

 of viper's venom, if swallowed, would kill man or 

 animal. A viper-catcher, who was present, took some 

 of the fresh venom, put it into a glass of water, and 

 swallowed it, offering to drink as much more as they 

 pleased. Venom was administered by the mouth to 

 various animals without effect. Viper s gall, reputed to 

 be a deadly poison, was spread harmlessly upon fresh 

 wounds. Animals were caused to swallow all the liquids 

 which could be extracted from a viper's head, but 



^ Redi does not come very well into this section ; I can only plead that he 

 would not have come better into any other. 



* OsH. intomo alle Vipere. 



P 



