544 PHILOSOPHICAL TKANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1742. 



As he was coming home, he fainted away several times, and calling at length 

 to some neighbour's negro houses, was brought home extremely altered ; turned 

 white, and was, as it was thought, expiring. The root was immediately sent 

 for, and the decoction made, and given him in quantity. He continued taking 

 it for 3 or 4 days, and on the 5th went to work along with the rest of the 

 negroes." 



That the sensible plant is endowed with the property of resisting poison has 

 been formerly taken notice of. For Sir Hans Sloane, the late worthy president 

 of the R. S. whose writings will always remain an honour to his country, has 

 observed from Piso, that the root of this shrub is an antidote against the shrub 

 itself, which is very poisonous, and kills by degrees, making the unhappy suf- 

 ferers cachectical, short-winded, and melancholy, till they die. (Nat. Hist, of 

 Jamaica, Vol. II. p. 57-) This greatly corroborates what our author has ad- 

 vanced ; and it is observable, that he likewise directs all parts of the plant, ex- 

 cept that part of the root which is in the ground, to be rejected, as bad and 

 noxious : though whether this be exactly the same plant with what our author 

 mentions, he dares not determine ; as Sir Hans Sloane enquires whether it be 

 not the iEschynomene, seu Mimosa arborescens Americana, &c. flore albo ; 

 whereas Dr. Burgess expressly says, that its flowers are yellow: though this may, 

 possibly, be a mistake in him. 



Dr. M. is sensible it may be objected, that the negro poison is of various 

 kinds ; and that therefore, though this remedy may be so extraordinary a spe- 

 cific in some cases, it may be unavailable in others. That the negroes may 

 have the knowledge of different sorts of poison, he denies not ; but it would 

 appear, from the universality of the effects of this medicine, (as the Doctor 

 affirms many have been wonderfully cured and preserved by it, and does not 

 mention a single instance of its miscarriage,) as though the negroes in the West- 

 Indies used but one kind of poison, or, if different, yet such as comes within 

 the power of this remedy. Besides, as we cannot be assured but by the con- 

 sequence, whether the poison be of that sort, as to be within the reach of this 

 remedy, or not, he thinks there is all the reason in the world it should be 

 administered under any suspicion of the Indian poison: especially, as the 

 Doctor assures us of its great innocence ; and he believes every one will readily 

 agree, that it is no small recommendation of a medicine, that let what will be- 

 come of its good effects, it can do no harm. 



