VOL. XLIV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 317 



of others, or else had been himself a little too much addicted to that general bias 

 of mankind, the love of prodigy and wonder. 



To be better satisfied, Dr. B. dissolved, in a certain quantity of fair water, as 

 much of the Indian poison as could be suspended, and let it stand to clear 24 

 hours ; and having made a superficial incision with a lancet into the nose of a 

 young cat, a few drops were sprinkled on the wound. The creature at first dis- 

 covered no marks of injury received ; yet in half an hour she seemed, by mewing 

 more than before, to be sensible of some pain. Thus she remained about 20 

 minutes ; when at length she shivered, was sleepy, soon became convulsed, and 

 in about half an hour her limbs were flaccid, and her belly swelled. These 

 symptoms continued till in a short time she expired. 



Some time passed ere he sat down to inquire what visible effects had been pro- 

 duced en the body. He then separated the head from its trunk, and carefully 

 examined the brain, and particularly the origin of the nerves ; but could not 

 discover any preternatural appearance in any of these parts. He then opened the 

 thorax, and, with some surprize, found the pulsation of the heart as regular, as 

 if the animal were in perfect health. This appearance continued above 2 hours 

 after the cat's head was oft'; but afterwards languished, and was much weaker. 



He then opened one ventricle of the heart, in which the blood was some- 

 what coagulated. This may be thought to be partly owing to the medicine ; 

 for soon after it had produced convulsions in the creature, he had a mind 

 to see what bleeding would do, and with that view cut off the tail ; but contrary 

 to expectation, the arteries that supply it with blood bled very little ; and on 

 cutting off" the head, the carotids and both vertebrals did not pour out above half 

 a common spoonful. 



But as it might be questioned by some, from the continuance of the heart's- 

 pulsation, whether the cat might not possibly, if let alone, have recovered, he 

 poured a few drops of the same solution as before into a superficial wound of a 

 young dog, weighing 12 lb. The creature in less than an hour shivered, be- 

 came sleepy, was very cold, and so stupid, that he suff'ered himself to be often 

 burnt by the hot ashes beneath the grate, where he lay for warmth. In this co- 

 matose way he continued near 4 hours, and then shook off^ his stupor, and was 

 much better. He left him all night, and found him next morning quite well, 

 and as hungry as ever. On this Dr. B. made an incision at that time into one 

 of the crural veins, and poured a few drops of the solution into it : in less than 

 10 minutes the dog gave signs of great pain, soon shivered, grew cold, was con- 

 vulsed, and in less than 20 minutes died. 



the Society. Some time after his return he procured the above-mentioned specimen of this Indian 

 poison, which he sent over, together with some books, as a present to his friend the President of the 

 Society. De UUoa was born in 17l6. He returned to South America in 1759, and was for some 

 time governor of Lousiana. He died in 179-'>. "' 79 years of age. 



