The NARWHA& 
<Gz 
tion were proportionally few in number. The tooth of 
the narwhal about a century ago was univerfally afcribed 
to fome land animal : it had often been dug up among 
foffil fubftances, and from that circumftance it was natu- 
rally bellowed upon a terreftrial owner. P/my had long 
ago defcribed an animal refembling a horfe, with a fingle 
h°rn fpringing from the middle of its forehead * : Upon 
this animal, which a farther knowledge of nature has 
proved to be fictitious, the tooth of the narwhal was una- 
nimoufly conferred; and the finding of fo precious a remain, 
Was conlidered as a fortunate incident, that afforded a 
ftrong tetlimony of the veracity of that hiftorian. 
But it was not the curiofity of mankind alone, nor the 
rarenefs of the object, and the fingularity of its form, 
*hat brought the narwhal’s tooth into fuch high repute in 
l he different countries of Europe. A medicine was pre- 
paied from it, which was long given out by the quacks 
as an infallible fpecific againlt poii'on, and malignant fe- 
vers j-. At length, liowever, thefe frauds were dete&ed 
an d expofed by one of the privy counfellors t who had 
a concern in the whale filhery, and received by the re- 
turn of his own veffels a number of thofe teeth, fome of 
Which were of the enormous length of three yards. 
The error of fuppofing this armour of the narwhal a 
horn, has led fome writers to fuppofe, that as among qua- 
drupeds the female was often found without horns, fo 
t hefe inflruments of defence were only to' be found in the 
flaale. This, however, has often been contradicted by 
a Tual experience ; both fexes are found armed in this 
mannerj 
* Hiftor. Natural. 
t T. Bartholin. Adt, Med. An. i &j 3 . 
} Htfnry Muller. 
