American Poifon called Ticunas. xxxi 
This then is a truth gained from experiment, to which nothing 
can be objedted, however dark or little underftood the caufe of 
death may.be in fuch cafes : viz. that the American poifon, in- 
troduced into the blood, kills the animal inftantaneoufly ; from 
whence alfo it indubitably appears, that when it is externally 
applied to a wounded part of a living animal, it can and ought 
to communicate, by means of the blood, a great diforder into 
the animal oeconomy, and occafion death itfelf. The death of 
the animal, which follows the inftant that the poifon is intro- 
duced into the blood by the jugular, proves to a demon ft ration, 
that in fuch cafes all the adtion of the poifon is againft the blood 
itfelf, and that the nervous fyftem is not at all affected or altered. 
This, however, is ftill no proof that the nerves may not be 
more or lefs affedted by that poifon, when death happens much 
flower, and when it is applied externally to wounded parts. In 
this cafe we perceive the convulfions, and all the figns of a ner- 
vous diforder. The nerves may, therefore, probably be affedted 
by the poifon, and be the chief caufe of the death of the animal. 
We muft here, however, ftill have recourfe to diredt experi- 
ment, as was done with refpedt to the poifon of the viper, and 
fee what diforders and difeafes are produced by the American 
poifon when applied immediately to the nerves without touch- 
ing the veffels. 
My experiments have been made on the fciatic nerves of large 
rabbits, which I prepared in the fame manner as I had done at 
Paris, when I was making experiments with the poifon of the 
viper, fo that I fhall not here give any particulars concerning 
the method of preparing theft nerves. I fhall mention, how- 
ever, a fmall number of the principal experiments made on the 
nerves, by which may be feen the variety of fucceffes 1 met 
with, efpecially in the firft trials, which would have deceived 
me if I had not perfifted in multiplying my experiments, and 
varied them in proportion as I found lefs agreement in the re- 
fults. To this perfeverance, or obftinacy as I may call it, I 
chiefly owe the new difcoveries which, 1 believe, I have made 
concerning the two poifon s of the viper and the Ticunas. 
Having 
