826 P O I 
veiled in the courfe of the fvmptoms, its internal coat 
was covered with froth. The brain indicated lefs of the 
afiion of the poifon than the vifcera of the thorax and 
abdomen. In fome inftances it was perfectly natural, in 
others marks of a fniall degree of inflammation weredif- 
covered. The appearances obferved in the animals de- 
itroyed by the tfhettik were very different. In a number 
of difleftions, the vifcera of the thorax and abdomen were 
found nearly in a natural date; and the large vefl’els of 
the thorax exhibited that condition in which they are 
ufually found after death from other poifons. But the 
brain and the dura mater fliowed marks of a moft violent 
and exceflive affefticn. In fome inftances, the inflamma¬ 
tion and rednefs of the dura mater wasfoftrong, that, on 
firft infpeftion, Dr. H. fuppofed it to be the confequence 
of a blow previoufly received, until he found, by repeated 
examinations, that this is a univerfal appearance after 
death from tfhettik. See Staunton’s Embafly to China, 
vol. i. p. 272, 3. 
Another poifon of a moft formidable nature, and 
which is alfo ufed by the tribes that prepare it to envenom 
the points of their arrows, is called the Wourali. The 
tribes in queftion are Indians inhabiting the extreme 
wilds of South America, between the Oronooko and 
Amazon rivers. The compofition of this poifon was 
difcovered by a Mr. Waterton, who performed a perilous 
journey of four months to obtain the information. The 
ingredients are fo numerous, and the preparation accom¬ 
panied by fo many apparently fuperftitious obfervances, 
that the effective ingredients in this compofition can 
fcarcely be fixed upon. A peculiar fort of ant, the fangs 
of Snakes, an infeft of a poifonous kind, and the wourali- 
vine, are the moft important; but the laft ingredient is 
perhaps the grand agent. This poifon evidently aft 
through the medium of the nerves : quiefcence, followed 
by nodding of the head, then by convullive movements, 
fupervenes to a wound; and the animal is dead in five 
minutes. 
Among the recent difcoveries of chemiftry, many fub- 
flances have been found poflefled of a fimilarly-violent 
control over the vital functions. Pruflic acid and the 
empyreumatic oil of tobacco are the moft powerful. 
Though the fuddennefs with which thefe poifons aft 
renders any attempt to counteract their operation nearly 
futile, we ftiould not give up the matter without an effort. 
The experiments which Mr, Brodie has detailed in the 
Philofophical Tranfaftions for 1811, lead to the inference, 
that moft of thefe poifons operate by annulling the func¬ 
tions of the brain, but that the other functions of the 
body are only deranged fecondarily. He found, on open¬ 
ing the bodies of animals poifoned by alcohol, Pruflic 
acid, aconite, and the woorali, or the empyreumatic oil 
of tobacco, that the heart was ftill beating, and circulating 
venous blood; and moreover, that the fcarlet colour of 
the blood might be reftored by artificial refpiration. 
Hence it w f as naturally inferred, that, as the death of the 
heart could only in thefe cafes be a Secondary effeCt of the 
want of refpiration, and the latter again merely a confe¬ 
quence of inaction of the brain, life might be reftored by 
S O N. 
the ufual refufcitating procefs. This inference was well 
borne out by the following experiment. Mr. Brodie 
inoculated a rabbit with a drop of the bitter-almond oil, 
and placed the animal in a temperature of 90 0 . In two 
minutes the poifon had begun to aCt; and, at the end of 
five, death had apparently enfued 3 but the heart conti¬ 
nued to beat. By inferting a tube in the noftrils, artifi¬ 
cial refpiration was kept up at the rate of thirty-five 
times in a minute : fix minutes after it was begun, the 
animal moved his head and legs, and made an effort to 
breathe. Convulfions followed, and he was again ftill; 
but he made frefh efforts to breathe, and the artificial ref¬ 
piration, at the end of Sixteen minutes, was discontinued. 
In a fhort time he attempted to get up ; and, after relap- 
fing into a dozing ftate once or twice, he gradually reco¬ 
vered. In lefs than two hours he was quite well, and he 
continued fo on the following day. Here, then, is an 
inftance of artificial refpiration being ufed with complete 
fuccefs, where the animation was fufpended by an injury 
to the brain, an injury quite fure of proving fatal but for 
this meafure. We believe this treatment has never been 
applied to the human body; but, fliould a profeffional 
man be called to a cafe in which thefe dreadful poifons 
had juft produced their effeCts, it would certainly be im¬ 
proper to omit an exertion of this kind ; and indeed, 
if the quantity were very minute, we fliould have much 
confidence in the refult. 
The tarantula and the Scorpion give fevere bites, which 
require laying open, and the application of ammonia; 
alfo, on account of conftitutional difturbance they pro¬ 
duce, the adminiftration of narcotics. The bites of the bee 
and hornet of this country are bed treated by cooling 
lotions: in all cafes the fangs of thefe infefts ftiould be 
Squeezed out of the flefli. 
The killing a perfon by poifoning was, heretofore, 
held more criminal than any other murder, becaufe of 
its Secrecy, which prevents all defence againftit; whereas 
moft open murders give the party killed fome opportu¬ 
nity of refiftance. For this* reafon, offenders guilty of 
poifoning any perfon were anciently judged to a Severer 
punifhment than other offenders. Richard Roofe (other- 
wife Cooke) was attainted of high treafon, for putting 
poifon into a pot of pottage boiling in the bifliop of Ro- 
chefter’s kitchen, by which two perfons were poifoned ; 
and there was a particular ftatute made for his punifh¬ 
ment ; viz. by the ftatute 22 Hen. VIII. c. 9, it was 
enafted, that he ftiould be boiled to death, and that 
in future wilful murder by poifoning ftiould be ad¬ 
judged treafon; but this aft was repealed by the general 
operation of the aftsof Edw. VI, and Mary, repealing all 
new treafons. 
By 43 Geo. I IT. c. 58, any perfon adminiflering poifon 
with intent to murder another, or to procure the mif- 
carriage of a woman quick with child, is declared guilty 
of felony without clergy: and perfons adminiflering 
medicines to procure mifcarriage, though the woman is 
not quick with child, are declared guilty of felony, pu- 
nifhable by imprifonment or transportation. 
