

NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Oliver's cure for a viper's bite. 



thing till he found himself exceedingly ill and 

 quite giddy. In about an hour and a quarter 

 after the first of his being bit, a chaffing dish of 

 glowing charcoal was brought in, and his naked 

 arm was held over it as near as he could bear, 

 while his wife rubbed in the oil with her hand, 

 turning his arm continually round, as if she 

 would have roasted it over the coals ; he said the 

 poison soon abated, but the swelling did not 

 diminish much. Most violent purgings and 

 vomitings soon ensued ; and his pulse became so 

 low, and so often interrupted, that it was thought 

 proper to order him a repetition of cordial po- 

 tions. He said he was not sensible of any great 

 relief from these ; but that a glass or two of olive 

 oil, drank down, seemed to give him ease. Con- 

 tinuing in this dangerous condition, he was put 

 to bed, where his arm was again bathed over a 

 pan of charcoal, and rubbed with olive oil heated 

 in a ladle over the charcoal by Dr. Mortimer's 

 directions. From this last operation he declared 

 that he found immediate ease, as though by 

 some charm; he soon after fell into a profound 

 sleep, and, after about nine hours sound rest 

 awaked about six the next morning, and found 

 himself very well ; but, in the afternoon, on 

 drinking some rum and strong beer, so as to be 

 almost intoxicated, the swelling returned with 

 much pain and cold sweats, which abated soon 

 qn bathing the arm as before, and wrapping it 

 up in a brown paper soaked in the oil. 



