VOL. XL.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 265 



filled with earth, or other terrestrial matter ; on the contrary, not the least ad- 

 hesion of any thing of that kind can be observed : besides, brimstone made the 

 ordinary way, seems to have a different texture of its internal parts from this 

 ball. From these observations Mr. Cooke concludes it not formed in the 

 earth. 



^n Account of a Book entitled, Observationes de Aere et Mar bis epidemicis, ab 

 Anno 1728, ad Jinem Anni I737> Plymuthi facta-. His accedit Opusculum 

 de Morbo Colico Damnoniensi. Auctore Joanne Huxham, M. £>., R. S. S, 

 Londini, 1739, 8vo. Drawn up by Thomas Stack, M. D., F. R. S. 

 N°431, p. 429. 



This book and the continuation of it, are so well known to medical men of 

 the present day, that it is deemed unnecessary to reprint Dr. Stack's analysis 

 of it. 



An Abstract by C. Mortimer, M. D. Seer. R. S. of an Inaugural Dissertation 

 published at JVittemberg 1736, by Dr. Abraham Fater, F. R, S. concerning 

 the Cure of the Bite of a Fiper, cured by Sallad-Oil. N" 451, p. 440. 



The author being informed of the use of oil of olives against the bite of 

 vipers, in the case of William Oliver, before several members of the R. S. and 

 others ; he communicated the same to Dr. Vater at Dresden, who had an op- 

 portunity of trying the efficacy of this remedy, by an accident happening in that 

 city ; which case being remarkable, he has related it at large in the above- 

 mentioned dissertation, as follows : 



The head journeyman in the Royal Dispensary at Dresden, being the last 

 year preparing some Italian vipers for a patient of distinction, was, through 

 negligence, bitten by one of them in one of his fingers. The man, finding 

 himself wounded, was greatly frightened, he tried various things ; among others 

 he applied theriaca outwardly to the wound, but felt no relief from it ; and in 

 the space of a few hours, his whole arm swelling to an enormous degree, he 

 felt great pain in it, with remarkable tensions under his arm-pit towards his heart, 

 attended with a faintness. Therefore, almost despairing of recovery, having 

 tried all things in vain ; he went to Dr. Vater, who having been informed of 

 the virtue of olive-oil in this case, as before mentioned, ordered the man to 

 anoint his whole arm with it hot, and several times, on which the desired effect 

 soon followed : for the swelling, after one or two anointings, began to fall ; the 

 pains, with the other symptoms, were assuaged, and gradually ceased, and the 

 patient recovered perfectly in a day or two. He took nothing inwardly besides 



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