VEGETABLE POISONS. 167 



a rattle snake, that immediately turned upon 

 him and bit his boot. At night, when he went 

 to bed) he was attacked with sickness ; he 

 swelled, and before a physician could be called 

 in, he died. All his neighbours were surprised 

 at the suddenness of his death ; but the corpse 

 was buried without examination. A few days 

 after, one of his sons put on his father's boots* 

 and at night when he pulled them off, he was 

 seized with the same symptoms, and died on the 

 following morning. At the sale of the effects, a 

 neighbour purchased the boots ; and on putting 

 them on, experienced the like dreadful symptoms 

 with the father and son, A skilful physician* 

 however, being sent for, who had heard of the 

 preceding affair, suspected the cause ; and by 

 applying proper remedies recovered the patient. 

 The fatal boots were now examined, and the two 

 fangs of the snake were discovered to have been 

 left in the leather with the poison bladder ad- 

 hering to them. They had penetrated entirely 

 through ; and both the father, the son, and the 

 purchaser of the boots, had imperceptibly scratch- 

 ed themselves with their points on pulling them 

 off." 



The Cobra de Capello, or Hooded Serpent, to 

 which are given the different appellations of 

 coluber naja, spectacle serpent, and the like, is a 

 native of the East Indies, and of South America; 

 and is still a more formidable animal than the rattle 



