who died by the Bite of a Rattlesnake. 85 
blister was formed and burst on the back of the hand, which 
discharged three ounces of black foetid pus. On the 20th, an 
abscess burst on the hand, in the same situation as the blister, 
which discharged a large quantity of a fluid having an offensive 
smell. He was directed to take a drachm of Peruvian bark in 
port wine, every two hours. On the 22d the swelling was 
gone, but the discharge was considerable. From this time 
the man gradually, but slowly recovered, with the loss of the 
use of his forefinger, which remained permanently extended, 
and some of the other fingers were affected in a less degree. 
In this case, the swelling of the arm was slower in coming 
on, and less extensive; the pain running up to the axilla, 
which preceded it, was mistaken for the effect of absorption. 
In the year 1782, while in the island of St. Lucia, I made 
the following experiment. 
A spotted dark coloured snake, about two feet in length, 
having the poison fangs on each side double, with the corres- 
ponding surfaces grooved, so as to form a canal for the poison, 
was put into a square tin box, open at the top, in which a half 
grown rat was confined. The rat expressed great terror, and 
remained crouching in one corner of the box, with its eyes 
fixed on the snake, who lay coiled up at some distance, they 
were allowed to remain a few minutes in this situation : I then 
raised one end of the box, which caused the snake to slide 
along the smooth surface, till it came in contact with the rat, 
which it immediately bit. The rat died in a minute after the 
bite. I removed it immediately from the box by means of a 
pair of long forceps. The wounds made by the fangs were 
marked by two specks of blood immediately below the 
shoulder blade. On dividing the skin with a scalpel, the 
