( •4 ) 
as common Silk was at firft. And fo much the more, 
by reafen Spiders Bags, in refped of rheir lightncfs, af- 
ford much more Silk than ihe other' ^ as a Proof of 
which, 13 Ounces yield near 4 Ounces of clean Silk 5 
3 Ounces of Which will make a Pair of Stockings' for the 
largeft fiz’d Man. Thefe here weigh but two Ounces 
and a Quarter, and the Gloves about three Quarters of 
an Ounce -, whereas Stockings of common Silk weigh 7 
or 8 Ounces. 
It is certain a great Advantage may be made of this 
Infed, which the Publick has always look’d on as trou* 
blefome and dangerous, on account of its Venom : But 
I can allure You, notwiihftanding, that Spiders are not 
Venomous, having been very often bit by them my felf, 
without any ill Confequence. And as for their Silk, it is 
fo far from having any Venom, that every body makes 
ufe of it to ftop Bleeding and heal Cuts ; and indeed its 
Natural Gluten is a kind of Ballam, that cures fraall 
Wounds, by defending them from the Air. • 
Thefe Reafons ought to be fufficient to take away 
the Fear and Prejudice, that fome People might have 
againft making ufe of the Silk of Spiders : But is is ne- 
cefftry before I end this Difcourfe, to add others, fo 
ftrong and folid, that the mod obftinate muft needs be- 
convinced, that of all Infers, Spiders leaft deferve the 
Contempt of the Publick. 
Their Silk is Ufeful, not only in refpeft of the Manu- 
facture it produces 5 but it Ufefulnefs is much greater, 
and more efTential, on account of the Specifick Medi- 
cines, that may be drawn from it. It yields by Diftil- 
lation a large quantity of Spirit and Volatile Salt $ and 
I have found by comparing, that it affords at leaft as 
much as common Silk, which of all mixt Bodies yields 
the raoft. This Salt and Volatile Spirit, which is drawn 
from Spiders Bags, is very aftive j as may be judged by 
the following Experiments. It changes the Tin&ure 
* of 
