VOL. XLVn.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 147 



this poison is to be used. And we sliall be tlie better convinced of it, when we 

 consider that one single drop, conveyed directly into the blood by a puncture, 

 &c. is sometimes sufficient to kill, or at least to cause great disturbance in the 

 animal economy. It is quite otherwise when taken in at the mouth ; for then it 

 does no sort of mischief, as he proves in another place. 



He then proceeds to the experiments, which he had repeated a number of 

 times on difterent species of quadrupeds, birds, fishes, insects, and reptiles. 

 But he first observes, that, of all those animals, none but quadrupeds and birds 

 were killed by this poison, as will more particularly appear by the journal of his 

 experiments: the others, viz. the fishes,* the insects,-^- and the reptiles,;}: were 

 not killed, though several of them seemed to be disordered by it. 



M. H. had verified what M. de la Condamine says, in the account of his 

 voyage, relating to the use that may be made of animals killed by this poison, 

 without apprehending any ill consequences to those who eat of them. In effect 

 he had eaten rabbits, which he had killed with this poison, and afterwards made 

 several other j^ersons eat of them ; and no one perceived the least indisposition. 



On the 6th of June 1748, M. H. made a small wound, of about 3 lines long, 

 in the left hinder leg of a rabbit of 6 months old : into this wound he put a bit 

 of cotton soaked in the poison of ticunas : the creature died suddenly in his 

 hands, without giving the least indication of having felt pain, and even before 

 he could apply a bandage to the wound. The same day he repeated this expe- 

 riment on 8 other rabbits, and on 4 dogs : they all died in about a minute. 



The 7th of June of the same year he dipped the point of a lancet into the 

 poison : and with this instrument he pricked 4 cats and 2 rabbits, some in the 

 head, and the others in the paw, dipping the lancet each time that he pricked an 

 animal. The rabbits died in as short a time as the preceding day ; but the cats 

 held out about 3 minutes. 



The same day he made a small wound, about 2 lines long, in the right hinder 

 leg of a rabbit, and put into it a small pledget of cotton soaked in the extract 

 of opium diluted in a little spirit of wine : but this did not cause any disorder in 

 the creature ; nor did arsenic, which he applied to another in the same manner. 

 In fine, to a third he made use of the extract of white hellebore, and he per- 

 ceived, that this animal became restless, nearly as he had observed in the ani- 

 mals that died by the efi^ect of the poison of ticunas. However, this rabbit did 

 not die, but fell into a sudden fit of fury, which went off in about 8 minutes. 



• Those which Mr. H. employed, were tlie carp, the eel, the pike, the gudgeon, the barbel, 

 and the tench. — Orig. 



t As caterpillars, bees, different flies of 2 and 4 wings, the grillo-talpa, butterflies, May-flies. — 

 Orig. 



J For example, earthw orms, vipers, snakes. — Orig. 



U 2 



