VOL. VII.l PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. J J 



and not being content with this, with another viper's head they poisoned a 

 chicken, which died in ]0 minutes. There appeared afterwards another pigeon, 

 that had been wounded many hours before, by a dead viper's head ; but it had 

 been dead so long, that the liquor quite dried up in the gums, was become so 

 hard, that none could come to the teeth ; whence this pigeon was very well : 

 and Dr. Francini having caused the same bird to be bit again by the same dried 

 head, it had (after a little fluttering with his wings whilst the pain of the biting 

 lasted) no other harm. 



A live viper then being taken, 4 chickens were bit by it one after another. 

 The first two, either because the liquor did not penetrate into the wound, or 

 the blood expelled it, appeared not to have any distemper. The 4th looked as 

 if it would die presently ; but a little after coming to himself he got clear off for 

 that time. But the third, which seemed at first to be very lively, died within an 

 hour and a half. 



There being afterwards a young bitch brought in, she was bit twice by a live 

 viper in the middle of the hanging part of the ear : whereupon she very soon 

 began to give mortal signs, by staggering, vomiting and being convulsed ; after 

 which having a little recovered herself, the same accidents returned upon her, 

 and four hours after her being bit she seemed as if dead, holding out her 

 tongue, and looking very ghastly, without any other sign of life than that of 

 painful breathing ; to which she added sometimes a faint barking and howling. 

 In which condition she was still found next morning, only her respiration was 

 y€t weaker, and she appeared drawing to her end. It was observed, that no 

 part of her body was swelled, nor had any spot upon it. She had voided back- 

 ward some matter of a very black colour, of which her hind parts being very 

 foul, a swarm of gnats and wasps were devouring her alive : which moved one 

 of the servants of the house, to knock her on the head. 



After this two capons and a pullet were bit by a fresh viper, vexed on pur- 

 pose ; and because they gave not then any signs of being ill; they were sent 

 back to their coops, but were surprised at night by a distemper, which in all 

 likelihood proceeded from the poison; for next morning one of the capons and 

 the pullet were found dead. 



Dr. JVaUis's Answer to the Book, entitled Lux Mathematical &c. described m 



Number 86. N° 87, p. 5067. 



More of the controversy with Mr. Hobbes, not worth reprinting. 



C2 



