184 VENOMOUS TEETH. 



smoking machine, made generally of a cocoa nut 

 below, with an earthen funnel above, containing 

 fire balls ; in this fire they have always secreted a 

 small iron instrument about the size of a prong of 

 a table fork, curved into the shape of a snake's 

 tooth, tapering from above, and whenever they 

 are bitten, they first put on a tight ligature above 

 the bite, then suck the part, and as soon as blood 

 appears, they introduce this instrument red-hot 

 into the two orifices made by the teeth, and take 

 some bazar spirits, if they can procure any, in 

 which they infuse a small quantity of bang (a 

 species of wild hemp), which mixture by the 

 natives is called gongeah^ but sometimes they use 

 tobacco instead of bang. 



As far as I could learn, these are the only reme- 

 dies that they ever adopt, and which, according to 

 their account, often succeed. It is a great many 

 years since I saw Fontana on Poisons ; but as well 

 as I can recollect, he gives a drawing and descrip- 

 tion of the formation of a viper's venomous 

 tooth ; however, as but few of my readers may be 

 acquainted with its mechanism, I will attempt a 

 short description of it. 



There are generally two in the upper jaw, 



