(947 ) 
III. An Account of the ftrange efeHs of the Indian 
Varnifh. Wrote hy Dr Jofeph del Papa, Phyfici- 
an to the Cardinal de Mcdices, at the defire of 
the Great Duke of Tulcany, Communicated by 
Dr Williaoi Sherard. 
THe ufing and handling of the Indian VarniQi (or 
Lackar) fo far as is neceffary to apply or. lay it on 
fubjefts to be varnifht, having produced fuch extraordi - 
nary efFefts on Signior J^;/^^/6?, and more remarkably on 
his Maid Servant, in great fweUings of their Heads 
and Eyes, and in their Arms, and indeed almoft their 
whole Body, with an intolerable itching and inflaraation, 
or heat and pimples, is fo new and extraordinary a Phe- 
nomenon in Nature, as exafts the wonder, and preffes the 
curious to fearch.the. reafony and the rather, for that a- 
raongft the numerous Ingredients of th^ Materia Medka, 
and all other natural fubftances known to us, there is not 
one that produces equal or the like alteration to what this 
does in humane bodies- All our Liquors and corrofive. 
Spirits hurt only the parts of the Body that they immedi- 
ately touch, and difFafe not their mifchievous quality over 
the whole Body, as this Varnifti does, and the hurtcaufed 
by them is very different. Poyfonous fumes or fteanis 
from Mercury or Antimony manifeft their malignity on 
the Brain and Nerves with great and incurable evils : 
whereas the EfHuvium and touch of this Varnifh offends 
only the external skin of the whole body^indeed after a very 
ftrange manner, but yet not deftruftive to the part affeft- 
ed, which grows well again of itfelf.- There are mdeed 
fome juices of Roots and Herbs, and other parts of Vege- 
tables, which touching our fieOi, fome inflame it, fome exr 
ulce- 
