OF SERPENTS. ^5 



ing this Story, relates from Authors, that flie killed herfelf, by 

 pouring the Poifon of an Afp into a Wound made in her Arm 

 by her own Teeth ; as if under Convidion, that the Poifon would 

 not efFed;ually anfwer the End, without touching the Blood. lizj. 

 Of which more in the Second Part of this Difcourfe. 



III. In Serpents is an inexhaujlible Store of Poifon. If they dif- 

 charge all their Artillery to-day, their Arfenal will be full to- 

 morrow. 'Tis true, by a ipeedy repeated Emiffion of Poifon at 

 one time, the Viper lofes its force, probably by a Diminution in 

 Quantity; but is recruited in a fliort fpace. Thus, one Viper 

 cannot poifon fix Creatures, one immediately after another; the 



Truth of which is confirmed by unconteftable Fad;s. ^ An 



Experiment was made by Dr. Areskine, when he was at Paris. — ' 

 Having got a large female Viper, he made it bite fix Pigeons, one 

 immediately after another. The firfi: and fecond that were bit, 

 died within half an Hour; one a little before the other; the third 

 lived about two Hours; the fourth feem'd to be very fick for a 

 while, but recover'd; the fifth and fixth that were bitten, were 

 no more hurt than if prick'd with a Pin. Ibid. 



The learned Italian, Signior Redi, fays, that having, at the 

 Entrance of Winter, a Scorpion fent him to Rome from Tunis in 

 Africa, he irritated it to ffing Pigeons and Pullets, without any 

 bad Effedls; but upon the approach of warm Weather, after eight 

 Months fafling it was provoked to fling two Pigeons fucceflively, 

 which foon died; but the third and fourth received no hurt from 

 its Wound. 



The Author of the Natural Hijlory of Carolina, fpeaking of 

 the Rattle-Snakes, fays, they can't renew their Poifon as oft 

 as they will; for he had feen a Perfon bit by one of them, who 

 never rightly recovered, and very hardly efcaped with Life; and 

 another Perfon immediately after being bit by the fame Snake, re- 

 ceived no more Hurt than if bit by a Rat. p. 129.* 



A^. B. Poifon in different Countries, is more or lefs dangerous 

 according as it is exalted and heighten'd by various Degrees 

 of Heat; for by Increafe of Heat, that venemous Quality is 

 increafed. 



* New Colledion of Voyages, printed A. D, 1711. 



F 2 O BJEC- 



