254 
MANIHOT. 
an increased secretion of saliva, and abundant eva- 
cuations. On opening the body the juice which 
had been swallowed was found undiminished ; it 
had not produced any vestige of inflammation in 
the stomach ; no alteration in the viscera, nor any 
coagulation of the blood. From whence he infers 
that the poison acts entirely on the nervous system; 
and adds, that he cured a cat poisoned with this 
juice by giving her hot rape-oil till she brought it 
off her stomach. 
Dr. Fermin supposes, with good reason, that the 
juice owes its venomous quality to a volatile matter. 
To prove this, he distilled fifty pounds of the juice 
by a gradual heat, and drew from this quantity three 
ounces of a spirit whose smell was insupportable. 
Having an opportunity to try the effect of this spirit 
on a condemned slave, he gave the unhappy wretch 
thirty-five drops, which were scarcely swallowed be- 
forehe cried out most dreadfully, and writhed in every 
direction ; this was followed by evacuations and con- 
vulsions, in which he died, after suffering extreme 
torture for six minutes. Three hours afterwards the 
body was opened, without finding any symptoms of 
inflammation ; nor was any part injured, except the 
stomach, which was contracted to less than half its 
size. 
