166 



ON ANIMAL AND 



system than in the latter, when there may be time 

 for its being so diluted as considerably to weaken 

 its efficacy. This observation will apply to the 

 bites of all venomous animals; and it will serve 

 to explain, why we sometimes hear of very rapid 

 effects being produced by treatment, and at 

 other times, why the patient recovers even with- 

 out the trial of any remedy. 



In Mr. Bingley's Animal Biography, we read 

 of several experiments made with the poison of 

 the rattle snake upon the dog species, as well as 

 upon the body of the animal itself; by which it 

 appears, " that a cur dog died from the bite of 

 a rattle snake in a quarter of a minute ; another 

 dog, which was bit in the ear, survived two hours; 

 and two other dogs, as large as our bull dogs, 

 which were bitten in the thigh, one died in half 

 a minute, and the other in four minutes ; the first 

 having received a wound in the inside, and the 

 other on the outside of the thigh ; while the 

 animal, by irritation, was made to bite itself, and 

 died in ten minutes afterwards. The snake was 

 then cut into five pieces, which successively were 

 devoured by a hog, without receiving any injury 

 in consequence." 



The same gentleman also related a circum- 

 stance, which strongly evinces the great activity 

 of the rattlesnake poison. 



" An American farmer was one day mowing 

 with his negroes, when he by chance trod on 



