OF SERPENTS. 2r 



rous Smell beyond others ; and yet Charcoal is a commodious 

 Fuel. 



Eve N when the fharp Points of Nettles pierce the Flefli, they 

 inftil a kind of venemous Juice into the Wound, which gives 

 a painful Senfation. The Leaf of a Nettle h?s fome relation to a 

 Sting ; 'tis covered with very fharp Prickles, whofe Bafe, which 

 is a Bladder of a flexible Subftance, has a Hole in the middle, bv 

 which this venemous Liquor runs into the wounded Part, and 

 excites Pain. 



This may be eafily perceived with a Microfcope ; If a Man 

 prefs with the Finger, the End of thofe Prickles againft its 

 Bafe : for then, thro' thefe Prickles which are tranijDarent, this Li- 

 quor is manifeflly feen to mount, and to defcend, as the ingenious 

 Mr. Hook afTures us, he had often made the Experiment. 



I N Carmania Dejerta, towards the Perjwji Gulph, they have 

 two forts of dangerous Shrubs, one called Giilbad-Samour, i. e. 

 the Flower that poifons the Wind, where there are many of thefe 

 Shrubs. The Wind that pafTes thro' them, kills thofe who are 

 near it. The other is Kerzehre, the Gall of Aff'es, becaufe it kills 

 thofe Creatures, and others that eat of it j yea, the Water that falls 

 from it is poifonous. They fay, that Part of its Root which 

 fpreads to the Eaft is Poilbn : for which, that on the South-fide 



is an Antidote *. — N. B. Is not our Author miftaken ? 



for can any Poifon grow in the delicious Plains of the Eaft, con- 

 fecrated to the Service of the Altar and Knee ? 



An Overdofe of Opium, which is the condenfed Juice of Pop- 

 pies, is poifonous. The Turks take Opium, which they call yJf- 

 fion, without any Preparation, it being merely the Juice of black 

 Poppy, dried in the Sun, without any purification. It is won- 

 derftil, that ufe Jliould make that Liquid ivhich is Poifon to us, a 

 Cordial to them -f. 



The Vapour arifing from vegetable Liquors during their Fer- 

 mentation, ought not to be approached too near, becaufe it is poi- 

 fonous : We have Accounts in the French and Ger7nan Tranfac- 

 tions, of People who were immediately flruck dead, by receiving 

 at the Nofe the Fumes that iffued from large Veffels of Wine in 

 the State of Fermentation '\. 



" I 



* Tavernler, in Atl. Geo. p. 349, and 396. f JVJjcekrh Voyages, p. 203. 

 X Boerhaave, p. 120, £30. 



