VOL. XXXVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 6j 1 



niger, vel vulgaris, C. B. or the common henbane, which bears some gross re- 

 semblance to the husk of a filbert ; and the seeds are like those of the poppy. 

 The symptoms that appeared in all the 4 were, great thirst, swimmings of the 

 head, dimness of sight, ravings, and profound sleep ; which last, in one of 

 them, continued 2 days and nights. 



Sir H. ordered them all to be bled, blistered in several places, and afterwards 

 purged with a medicine composed of elect, lenitiv. ol. amygd. dulc flor. sulph. 

 et syr. fior. persicor. which operated both by vomit and stool : and by this 

 method they perfectly recovered. 



The delirium occasioned by these seeds, differs from the common, and in 

 some measure agrees with that produced by the datura, a species of stramonium; 

 and by the bangue of East India, a sort of hemp. 



On this occasion, Sir Hans gives an instance of the great virtues of henbane- 

 seeds in the tooth-aclje. A person of quality tormented with this racking pain, 

 had an empyric recommended to him ; his anguish obliging him to submit to 

 any method of procuring ease. The quack conveyed the smoke of burning hen- 

 bane-seeds, by means of a funnel, into the hollow tooth, and thus removed the 

 pain : but at the same time there dropped some maggots from the tooth, as he 

 pretended, into a pail of water placed beneath for that purpose ; which was 

 very surprising to the beholders. Sir Hans procured one of the maggots, and 

 sent it wrapped up in silk to Mr. Leuwenhoeck, at Delft in Holland, where it 

 arrived safe and alive. On examination, he found it to be entirely like those 

 bred in ordinary rotten cheese : therefore, he got some of these latter, and 

 carefully fed them, and that which was sent him, on the same cheese, and thev 

 were all, according to the usual modes of nature turned into small scarabcei ; so 

 that there appeared not the least difference between them, either when maggots 

 or scarabfei, both being returned back from Holland. 



On the whole, though the sn.oke of the henbane-seeds cured the tooth-ache, 

 it is highly probable the maggots had been conveyed thither, and let drop into 

 the water by some slight of hand ; seeing, by means of some such dexterity, 

 empyrics daily acquire reputation from a medicine, which from the prescription 

 of an honest physician would be little noticed. 



u4hstract of a Journal of Meteorological Observations, made at Petershurgh, 

 from Nov. 24, 1724, to June 23, 1725. By the Rev. Mr. Tho. Consetl ; 

 u'ith Meteorological Obse?vations at Lunden in Sweden, in 1 724 ; ivith Re7narks 

 on them. By Wm. Derham, F. R. S. N° 429, p. 101. 



This journal contains observations, three times in the day, of the barometer, 

 41 2 



