110 THE SHOOTER'S GUIDE. 



charcoal fire (as above described) will cure the sports- 

 man himself, should he ever unfortunately stand in 

 need of such a remedy. 



" One William Oliver, a viper- catcher, of Bath, 

 was the first who discovered this admirable remedy. 

 On the 1st of June, 1735, in the presence of a great 

 number of persons, he suffered himself to he bit by 

 an old black viper (brought by one of the company) 

 upon the wrist and joint of the thumb of the right 

 hand, so that drops of blood came out of the wound : 

 he immediately felt a violent pain both at 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 an hour he 

 perceived the venom to seize his heart, with a prick- 

 ing pain, which was attended with faintness, shortness 

 of breath, and 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 vo- 

 mitings and purgings : during the violence of these 

 symptoms, his sight was gone for several minutes, 

 but he could hear all the while. He said, that in his 

 former experiments he had never deferred making 

 use of his remedy longer than he perceived the effects 

 of the venom reaching his heart ; but this time, being 

 willing to satisfy the company thoroughly, and trust- 

 ing to the speedy effects of his remedy, which was 

 nothing more than olive oil, he forbore to apply any 



