XXI 
American Poifon called Ticunas. 
I prepared, likewife, the (kin of another fmall rabbit, and 
covered it with the poifon diflolved in the marine acid ; but the 
animal was not affedted. Six hours after I applied the poifon, 
diflolved in rum, to another part of the (kin, and in forty-five 
minutes it fell, and w r as convulfed ; but it recovered in lets than 
an hour. 
From thefe firft experiments it fhould feem, that mineral 
acids render the poifon innocent; and that, on the contrary, 
vinegar and rum make no alteration in it. I continued my ex- 
periments with the poifon diflolved in vinegar and in rum, but 
the refuits were fomewhat various. Of fix animals, to which 
was given the poifon diflolved in vinegar, only two died ; two 
others were very fick, and the remaining two were not at all 
affefted. Of fix- others, treated in like manner, with the poifon 
diflolved in rum, five died ; and the fixth was very fick. From 
hence it appears, that the poifon diflolved in thefe two fluids 
preferves its noxious quality. 
On the other hand, I repeated the experiments with the poi- 
fon diflolved in mineral acids on fix animals ; and not one of 
them was in the leaft affedted. I began to fufpeft, that the 
poifon might fail in its effedl, not becaufe it had loft its noxious 
quality, but becaufe it could not infinuate itfelf into the wounded, 
parts, on account of the too great adlion of the mineral acids on . 
the (kin and veflels, which they fhrivel and burn up. To clear 
up this doubt, I evaporated by heat the poifon diflolved in the 
mineral acids, and, when it was quite dry, applied it many times 
to feveral animals in various parts of their (kin; but none of 
them were hurt by it. 
It appears, therefore, that the mineral acid deftroys the noxious 
quality of the American poifon : I only fay, it appears , becaufe 
it may, perhaps, be fufpedled, that, as there remained a little of 
the acid mixed with the poifon after evaporation, it was this that 
produced the ufual alteration in the veflels of the (kin. I ought 
to have made fome other experiments with it w 7 afhed feveral' 
times in water, and rendered quite infipid ; but at that time 
I was in wxmt of animals to afcertain the truth of this fufpi- 
cion, and I have not had time fince to refume the fubjeft. 
with 
