VOL. XXXIX] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 85 



the said William Oliver was bitten by an old black viper, or adder, brought by 

 one of the company, on the wrist and joint of the thumb of the right hand, 

 so that drops of blood came from the wounds. He said that he immediately 

 felt a violent pain and shooting from the wounds, both to the top of his thumb 

 and up his arm, even before the viper was loosened from his hand; soon after 

 he felt a pain, resembling that of burning, trickle up his arm ; in a few minutes 

 his eyes began to look red and fiery, and to water much: in less than half an 

 hour, he perceived the venom seize his heart, with a pricking pain, which was 

 attended with faintness and shortness of breath; on which he fell into violent 

 cold sweats: in a few minutes after this, his belly began to swell, with great 

 gripings and pains in his back, which were attended with violent vomitings and 

 purgings. He said, that during the violence of these symptoms, his sight was 

 gone twice, for several minutes at a time, but that he could hear all the while. 

 He said, that in his former experiments he had never deferred making use of 

 his remedy longer than when he perceived the effects of the venom reaching his 

 heart; but this time, being willing to satisfy the company thoroughly, and 

 trusting to the speedy effects of the oil, which had never failed him, when used 

 in time, he forbore to apply any thing till he found himself exceedingly ill, and 

 quite giddy. 



About an hour and quarter after he had been first bitten, a chafing-dish of 

 glowing charcoal was brought in, and his arm, the cloths being stripped off, was 

 held over it, as near as he could bear it, while his wife rubbed in with her hand 

 the sallad oil, (which Dr. M. had procured and kept himself in his pocket, lest 

 they should privately add any thing to it, having bought it by the name of Lucca 

 oil). Turning his arm continually round, as if she would have roasted it over the 

 coals; he said that the pain soon abated, but the swelling did not diminish 

 much, most violent vomitings and purgings soon ensued, and his pulse became 

 so low, and so often interrupted, that it was thought proper by the physicians 

 present, to give him the following cordial draughts, at about a quarter of an 

 hour's distance between each. 



I. R. Aq. lact. paeon, comp. aa. fiij. Sp. lavendulas 3i. m. pro duobus 

 haustibus. 



2. R. Confect. Raleigh. 3SS. aq. theriacal, §iss. sp. c. c. g". x. m. f. haustus. 



3. R. Confect. Raleigh, theriac. Andromach. aa. 3SS. sal. c. c. gr. v. aq. the- 

 riacal. §ij. pro duobus haustibus. 



He said he was not sensible of any great relief from these cordials; but that 

 a glass or two of olive oil drank down, seemed to give him some case. 



Continuing in this dangerous condition, he was put to bed, as soon as one 

 could be got ready for him, where his arm was again bathed with his remedy 



