390 APPENDIX. 



■*' operation for eighteen or twenty days, and am 

 '' furprized at the phsenomenon. I am in no ex- 

 " pe6lation of any great fervice from the applica- 

 '' tion : the age, conftitution, and thoroughly can- 

 " cerous condition of the perfon, being uncon- 

 " querable barriers to it. How an ail of that 

 " kind, abfolutely local, in an otherwife found 

 " habit, and of a likely age, might be relieved, I 

 " cannot fay. But as to the operation, thus 

 " much 1 can afiert, that there is neither pain nor 

 *' naufeoufnefs in it. The animal is put into a 

 " linen bag, all but its head, and that is held to 

 " the part. It has generally inftantly laid hold of 

 ^' the fouleft part of the fore, and fucked with 

 " greedinefs until it dropped off dead. It has 

 *' frequently happened that the creature has fwolen 

 *' immenfely, and from its agonies appeared to be 

 " in great pain. I have weighed them for feveral 

 ^' days together, before and after the application, 

 " and found their increafe of weight, in the dif- 

 " ferent degrees, from a drachm to near an ounce, 

 ^^ They frequently fweat exceedingly, and turn 

 " quite pale: fometimes they difgorge, recover, and 

 *' becQm.e lively again. I think the whole fcene 

 '* is furprifmg, and a very remarkable piece of na- 

 '' tural hiftory. From the constant inoffenfivenefs 

 " which I have obferved in them, I almoft queftion 

 " the truth of their poifonous fpitting. Many peo- 

 " pie here expe6b no great good from the applica- 

 *' tion of toads to cancers j and where the diforder 



is 



