[ 405 ] 
They afterwards electrifed in the fame manner a 
quart of water, in which were diffolved an ounce of 
gamboge and an ounce and half of re fin of jalap. A 
young man in perfecthealth grafped the glafs containing 
this mixture between his hands : when he touched 
the iron bar, he felt a violent fhock in his elbows 
and bread, which was a certain token, that the in- 
cluded mixture was become highly electric. This 
operation laded twenty minutes, and yet the young 
man perceived not the lead didurbance in his do- 
mach, nor felt any thing to be attributed to the pur- 
gative medicine. It was then tried, whether the 
fame glafs would have any effect on perfons elec- 
trifed ; for which purpofe two young men dood up- 
on the redn, where one daid thirty, and the other 
forty minutes, holding their hands upon the glafs 
all the time, whereby the electricity was conducted 
to them, and the fparks drawn from their bodies 
were very bright : but neither did thefe perceive in 
this manner any effects of the medicines. 
The lad experiment thefe gentlemen made, was 
with cantharides powder’d and mix’d with water. 
This mixture was put into a phial, and three per- 
fons held it in their hands fucceffively a confiderable 
time. Neither of the three perceived any difficulty 
or heat in making water: their urine was neither 
more nor lefs in quantity than ufual ; and they had 
not the lead fymptom of any of thofe complaints, 
which cantharides never fail to produce, if taken in- 
ternally, though in very fmall quantities. 
There appears, through the whole courfe of the 
experiments contained in the work before us, a great 
deal of care and accuracy. They were made by 
perfons 
