C So6i ) 
their teeth,to fee what difference there might be berwixt them^ 
and the thorns, this made the Doctor loofc patiences and fooa 
taking a pin^which was none of the leaft^ he gave to the firft 
PigeoDj that he could lay hands on^ a very deep wound in the 
breaft. which no fooner was got free but began to leap & frisk 
about the room, as if it had not been concerii'd in the Jeaft, 
After this, they began in good earncft, Fqr another Pi- 
geon was taken and bit in the breaft by both the Matter- teeth 
of a Vipers head^ that had been cut off the morning before^the- 
execution being exaftly hke that cf the day before. The ef- 
fed wasjthat the Pigeon had the fame fhaking fits^ after which 
faUiog upon his belly he died, giving fignes a little be-- 
fore ofa painful Agony, by his often gaping. His end was 
not only very fenfible to him. but alfo more tedious than that 
of the other day^for^ this lived 5 or6 minutes after his wound,. 
Another having been ferv'd after the fame manner with ano- 
ther head, had the like accidents^ and died within a quarter 
an hour This Obfervation was made on this other, that his^ 
wound let out a great deal of blood 5 whereas n©t fo much as 
one drop was feen to come out of any of the others. 
All this appearing as yet but little to the Doftor, to exclude 
the dodtrine of Spirits, which now began to loofe ground af- 
ter fo many experiments of D^^^.Vipers heads • he took three 
ftaIksx)ucof aBroom, and having imoothed them^, and fliarp- ' 
n'd them at the ends after the manner of a Lancer^ he drew 
from the gums of feveral heads enough of that yellow juice 
todawbe twoof thofe.ttalkes ^ which, being thus moiftned^ 
with that liquor^were both put into thebreafts of two Pigeons^ 
and there left 5 the like having been done to another with the 
g^ftalk not covered with tbatj nice, which was at leaft one third 
part bigger and longer than the other two. In a word, the 
two firft died within 4 or 5 minutes, and the laft continues to 
this very day in Signor Ma^aktth Pigeon-houie as brisk and 
as fat as ever 5 his wound in his breaft^ inftead of having cau» 
led an Inflammationj is now almoft perfedly healed. 
Whilftthefe Experiments were makings it came into the 
heads of fome to try another^upon the relation that Sign.P^?e?& 
deW Ara (lately come from Paris^ had made 5 which was, that 
fomehadaffertedthere^that, tofwallowa Vipers head was a 
iBoft certain Prefervative and Remedy againft the biting of k 
.Vioerr 
a. . 
