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of the deadly quality of the Bella-donna ; and they 
are unhappily corroborated by more recent inftances 
in modern authors. The Gentlemans Magazine (20), 
Mr. Miller in his Gardeners Dictionary, and Dr. 
Hill in his BritiSh Herbal (21), exhibit to us feveral 
melancholy cafes of this kind. 
The effects of this plant have been fo extraordi- 
nary, that feveral diftindt treatifes have been pub- 
lished profefledly upon it. The mod: remarkable of 
thefe is that of J. M. Faber’s, printed at Auglburg 
in 1 677, under the following title ; Strychnomania 
explicans Strychni manici antiquorum, vel Solani fu- 
rioji recentiorum hijioriam. In this tradt the author 
has collected a number of cafes from various hands, 
concerning the poifonous quality of the plant in que- 
stion. In the year 1724. C. Sicelius published a 
treatife upon this plant, under the title of Diatribe 
de Bella-donna . ‘Jenee. 8vo. 
Medical History. 
Who it was, that was bold enough to venture firft 
upon the internal ufe of this plant as a medicine, I 
cannot fay; chance very probably led to it, as in 
many other cafes. In the mean time, there is reafon 
to believe, that it is not altogether a modern practice. 
One would be led to think, by the accounts given us 
in Matthiolus and Bodaeus, that in their days its 
operation was very well known ; and that they knew 
how to dofe it very exadtly, fince they give us an 
(20) For Auguft and September 1747, and for Sept. 1748. 
(21) Page 329. 
account 
