American Poifon called Tietmas. xix 
elfe it is not mortal. In this refpect the American poifon has 
much analogy to that of the viper. As the poifon of the viper 
is quite innocent when applied to the tendons and ligaments, 
efpecially if they are without blood veflels, fo the American poi- 
fon is equally innocent when applied to the fame parts. It is 
fuperfluous to relate the fequel of thefe experiments. 
I was delirous of knowing whether the American poifon were 
more furely fatal when introduced into the mufcles than when 
applied to the Ikin, though drawn through the latter from fide 
to fide. A large Guinea-pig, which two days before had twice 
undergone the operation of the Ikin cut, without fuffering any 
diforder, and a third time with but little figns of being affe&ed, 
died in lefs than twelve minutes after I had applied the poifon to 
the wounded fibres of a mufcle of its thigh. It fell down mo- 
tionlefs after the firft three minutes. I repeated the experiment 
ten times on Guinea-pigs, pigeons, and middle-fized rabbits, 
and all the animals died ; fo that there can be no doubt but that 
poifon ed wounds in the mufcles are more fatal than thofe in the 
fkin, or in the ears, or in the combs of fowls. The more cer- 
tain method, however, of fucceeding is, to foak well a piece of 
very porous wood, cut very fharp, in the poifon, and fo intro- 
duce it into the fubftance of the mufcle laid bare for that pur- 
pofe. But even this method failed three times that I tried it on 
the combs of fowls : nor did I ever obferve any appearance of 
diforder, although the wood was well foaked, and although I 
left it for feveral hours ill the combs. 
On this occafion I made ufe of the arrows ; many of which 1 
employed in perforating the Ikin of animals* and many others in 
piercing the mufcles. All the animals, efpecially the larger 
rabbits, which were wounded in the Ikin, did not die, though the 
greater part of them did ; but none of thofe recovered which 
were pierced in the mufcles. In general, I found that the ar- 
rows are more dangerous, and oftener fatal, than the poifon dif- 
folved in water, and then fimply applied to the wounded parts. 
I found the poifon on the arrows more aftive after fleeping 
C z them 
