JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, LITERATURE, AND ART. 467 
Before we pass on, we would recommend to our brethren^, and 
>ur younger brethren particularly, the perusal and study of the 
ate Sir Humphry Davy’s “ Agricultural Chemistry.” W e are 
nuch mistaken if it will not give them a very different conception 
>f what they ought to know, and what it would do them much 
f ood to know. 
The next paper is by Mr. Hancock, on the Worari , or the poison 
vith which the Indians of Guyana arm their arrows, and which, 
lestroving the functions of the brain, speedily lulls the animal 
nto insensibility, and takes away life without the slightest pang, 
>r as it were in the most placid swoon. Mr. Brodiemade a variety 
if experiments with it, which led him to conclude that it was ab- 
orbed by the veins, and that its effect was on the brain. The 
ccount of one of these experiments, from its peculiar interest, we 
xtract from the Philosophical Transactions lor 1811. 
“ A small quantity of Woorara was introduced into a wound made in a 
ouugcat. He was affected by it in a few minutes, and fell into a state ol 
elhargy, and of partial insensibility: he remained in that state tor an hour 
nd a quarter, when the application of the poison was repeated, lour 
ninutes after this repetition, respiration entirely ceased, and he appeared 
o be dead ; but the heart still beat about a hundred and four strokes in the 
ninute. The animal w as placed in a temperature of 85° of Fahr.; the lungs 
vere artificially inflated at about the rate of four times per minute ; the 
iction of the heart continued regularly; the artificial respiration was sus- 
>ended for four minutes; the pupils w ere seen to dilate or contract as the 
ight was diminished or increased ; the saliva flowed from its mouth ; a few 
ears appeared on its eyelids; but it remained insensible and motionless. 
\t the expiration of sixty-four minutes, there were seen some slight invo- 
imtary contractions of the muscles, and an appearance of efforts to breathe: 
liese movements continued, and became more frequent. An hour after, he 
rave, for the first time, signs of sensibility when roused, and breathed 
pontaneously twenty-two times in the minute. The artificial respiration 
laving been discontinued, he remained forty minutes in a profound sleep, 
hen awoke all at once, and began to walk about. The next day, he appeared 
.omen hat indisposed ; but he recovered by degrees, and in the end, was 
estored to perfect health.” 
Mr. Hancock does not quote this experiment; but, speaking ol 
he possible antidotes to the worari, and expressing his belie! 
hat some of the Indians of llio Negro do possess an antidote to 
t, although the salt and sugar which some ol the tribes represent 
is antidotes have palpably failed, he very judiciously adds, “ Could 
such an antidote be found as to render the worari manageable, l 
feel a persuasion that it would put us in possession of a most im¬ 
portant medicinal agent, in convulsive disorders, as in tetanus and 
hydrophobia, and in diseases perhaps ol an acute inflammatory 
nature.” It does, indeed, seem to approach to the nature of a 
direct sedative in the strictest sense of the term ; and if any me¬ 
dical gentleman or naturalist would favour us with a small por- 
