OF SERPENTS. 2^3 



Exhalation, to the dry ones emitted from fblid Bodies, as Earth, 

 Fire, Minerals, Sulphur. 



The nocuous Effluvia fent forth from them may infedt the 

 Air, and caufe epidemical Diftempcrs, and even new Difeafes. 

 About Mines and deep Caverns, are frequently found copious Ex- 

 halations continually flreaming out, which, in a Moment, deftroy 

 any Animal that comes within their reach ; fo much as the very 

 Infedls themfelves not efcaping : Therefore thefe Places were by 

 the Ancients called Gehemice, ^-u^rw/,— intimating thereby, that 

 a Mineral Pit was Hell, and that Subterraneous Exhalations were 

 Steams from the Fiery Lake. 



S'TRABO takes notice of a Cave or Grotto in Natolia, from 

 whence ilTue peftilential Vapours that infedl the Air : No fooner 

 is any Animal put in, but it immediately dies. Bulls have been-^ 

 put in, and fuddenly taken out dead. Sparrows that have beetle 

 thrown in, dropt down dead inftantly. 



The Turks fancy it to be haunted by evil Spirits, becaufe thofe 

 who had the Curiofity to enter it, have either died or fallen de- 

 fperately^C;^ *. 



Mineral Poifons are more or lefs dangerous, as their Salts 

 receive a greater or lefs Force from the metallic Particles : And 

 hence, as the moft virulent may be mitigated by breaking the 

 Points of the faline Cryftals, the moft innocent Minerals may 

 become corrofive, by combining them with Salts, as is feen in the 

 Preparations of Silver, Antimony, Iron. 



Nothing more fatal than mineral Poifon, which often 

 brings fwift Deftrudion without remedy. To a large Dog, 

 fays the learned Dr. Mead, was given a Drachm of Mercury Sub- 

 limate, mixt with a little Bread, who after violent Evacuations, 

 died next Morning. The fame Gentleman obferves, that in Ar- 

 jhiic is a very noxious quality : the factitious white is the moft 

 violent of all kinds, fuperior in iorceto Mercury fublimate 



These mortiferous Steams that flow from the Earth, are 

 called Mephites, poifonous Damps; and are very common in Coun- 

 tries fruitful of Minerals and Mines : Damps happen in moft of 

 the Hungarian-Mines, not only in the direft Paffages, where they 

 walk on horizontally, but alfo in the perpendicular Defcents. 

 Now, to guard thanfelves againft the fatal Effects of thefe Ex- 

 halations, 



** Strabo Gtograph. 



