XXXV11 
American Poifon called Ticunas. 
The greateft part of thefe experiments were made in the pre- 
fence of Dr ingenhousz, phyfician to the Emperor, my parti- 
cular friend ; a man who has manifefted in feveral works his 
poflefling the talents of a true obferver. Mr. tiberius ca- 
vallo was alfo prefent at many of the more important ones. 
I thought that the authority of two gentlemen, (o well known 
to the learned, would procure the more credit to my experi- 
ments. 
After having finifhed my experiments on the American poi- 
fon, a friend of mine in London procured me a great number of 
Eaft Indian arrows. I wifhed to make fome experiments on 
them alfo ; but thofe I have made are neither many nor fuffi- 
ciently varied. It appears to me, however, that this poifon dif- 
fers not from the other, except in its being lefs aCtive, in killing 
of animals : which lefler activity is probably to be attributed 
either to thefe arrows having been lefs carefully preferved than 
thofe from the Weft Indies, as really appeared to be the cafe, or 
elfe to the poifons having been prepared many years fince. 
I have never fucceeded in killing any rabbit (even the fmalL 
eft-frzed one) with it, by applying it to the (kin fcratched or 
(lightly wounded, although I have uled it in greater quantities, 
and on more extenftve parts of the (kin, than the poifon of Ti- 
cunas ; even in rabbits of fcarcely a pound weight it did not 
produce any fenfible alteration. 
I pierced the (kin of feveral animals with the arrows, and let 
them remain in it feveral whole days, without being able to per- 
ceive that the animal was affeCted with the poifon ; but when I 
perforated the mufcles with the arrows, and left them there, its 
effects w T ere very obfervable. Several animals died in this man- 
ner, and that with all the vifible figns of the poifon, and with 
all the figns or fymptoms with which animals die who are killed 
by the American poifon : it is true, however, that none of them 
died, or were fenfibly afteCted, till after feveral hours ; fo that 
this poifon feems not to differ eflentially from the other. It per- 
fectly agrees with it when examined with the microfcope, when 
mixed with turnfol, when thrown into the eyes of animals, 
when tafted with the tongue, and when chew T ed between the 
teeth ; 
