32 ANATURALHISTORY 



the. Veins of a living Dog, or other Creature; for in a fhort time 

 he falls into Convulfions, and dies, A Decoftion of white Hel- 

 kbore injected into the jugular Vein of a Dog, as foon as it enter'd 

 .the Heart, kill'd as fuddenly as if fliot thro' the Heart with a 

 Bullet. On "January 4, 1 679. a Drachm and a half of Spirit of Salt, 

 diluted in an Ounce and half of Water, and injedled into the ju- 

 gular Vein of a Dog, kill'd him immediately. We kill'd a Dog 

 almoft in a Moment by injecting into his jugular Vein an Ounce 

 oi Spirit of JVitie, in which was dilTolved a Drachm of Camphire : 

 The fame Day we injedled warm into the crural Vein of a Cat, 

 50 Grains of Opium, diffolved in an Ounce of Water, which was 

 foon feized with convulfive Motions, and died within a Qn^rter 

 of an Hour. We injedted an Ounce of Oil of Olives into thejugu- 

 lar Vein of a Dog, which fufFocated him the fame Moment. 



N. B. In all that were fufFocated by Oil, we found their 

 Lungs fili'd with a very thick Froth *. 



The Pvcmarkables here are, 



I. That a fm all Portion of this venemous Liquid Jljould info Jhort 

 a time do fiich terrible Executions: That it fliould fb foon infect fo 

 great a Quantity of Fluid, as the whole Mafs of Blood in the wound- 

 ed Animal. A very learned Phyfician accounts for it thus, viz. 



" T H A T in the Drop of Poifon are pungent Salts, by which 

 *' little Bladders in the Blood are prickt, and the elaftick Matter 

 " in them being let out, carries thofe acute Salts thro' the whole 

 " Region of Fluids; upon which follows a Coagulation -j-. 



All venemous Creatures hurt, by inftilling a liquid Poifon 

 into the Wound, fappofo the Wound to be given by the Tooth or 

 Tail. The aforefaid ingenious Phyfician lays, viz. " This ve- 

 *' nemous Juice it felf isoffo inconfiderabk a ^antity, that it is 

 " no mere than one good Drop that does the Execution." In or- 

 der, adds he, to examine the Texture of the Liquor, I enrag'd a 

 Serpent till it bit upon fomething folid, fo as to void its Poifon; 

 whofe Parts I view'd with a Microfcope as nicely as I could. 



" Upon the firft Sight, I could difcover nothing but a Parcel 

 " of fmall Saks nimbly lloating in the Liquor, which foon Ihot 

 " out, as it were, into Cryftals of incredible Tenuity and Sharp- 



*' nels, 



* Mr. Bcnj. /^/•sz/i^'sPhilofophicalTranfaa. abridg. Vol.1. Part.ji. p. 220, 221, 

 where you may find many Inftances of the fame Nature, 

 t Dr. Mead\ Mechanical Account. 



