fo rapidly, by changing the law of ELECTIVE ATTRACTION, as to extinguish their vitality, before they can have a fresh and adequate fupply of VITAL AIR?—The fudden extinction of life, and the state of the body after death, entitled the ingenious Dr. BEDDOES to make these fuggeftions; and start an opinion, which an enlightened and reformed fyftem of phyfic will foon, perhaps, fatisfactorily elucidate.

Mr. Y, of the age of fifty years, took by mistake, at bed-time, about ten drachms of lau danum he had a fit of the gout at the time. No alarm was given till about four o'clock next morning, when exceffive drowfinefs and languor came on after that he took repeated dofes of the OXYD of ANTIMONY, (antimony combined with oxygen) by which fome of the laudanum was rejected by vomiting.

I saw him, fays Dr. JOHNSON, about nine the fame morning his palenefs, languor, and lethargic difpofition, were very great; his pulfe beat languidly, about thirty-eight ftrokes in a minute. By ftimulating his throat with a volatile embrocation, he was empowered to fwallow a cathartic: blifters were applied to the back and arms; and finapisms to his feet. He took, by my direction, coffee frequently, and after each dofe of it, a desert spoonful of VINEGAR *. He was also carried out, and well fhaken in a poft chaise on a * Vinegar owes its acidity to the absorption of VITAL AIR.

rough

rough road. About four o'clock in the afternoon, he was fo much roused, that his pulfe beat at least seventy ftrokes in a minute. The dangerous fedative power of this enormous dofe of opium was thus obviated, and his brain put into fuch a state of vigilance, that the enfuing evening he passed a restless night. He then returned to his ufual ftate of health.

We have a cafe ftill more to our point in a letter from Colonel BRAITHWAITE BOUGHTON, to Dr. BEDDOES, in Part III. of his Obfervations on the Medicinal Use of Factitious Airs, and their Production.

To DR. BEDDOES.

SIR,

Pofton Hall, July 24, 1795.

Having for a confiderable time been troubled with Rheumatic pains, it was recommended to me to take a mild opiate every night on going to bed, and in the event of that dofe not proving fufficiently foporific, I was to add to it a few drops of laudanum, for which purpose I had procured a three-ounce phial of laudanum. Nevertheless, being unwilling to accuftom myself to the use of opium, I generally poftponed taking the opiate till extreme pain and want of fleep rendered it abfolutely neceffary. In one of these moments, about four o'clock in the morning, I reached

I reached out my hand to the table, on which, by mistake, my fervant had placed the phial containing the laudanum, and believing this to be my ufual night-draught, I poured out the contents into a tumbler glafs, and drank it off. I foon perceived my mistake by the taste of the laudanum, but from my immediate relief from pain, accompanied by a certain pleafing languor, it was fome time before I could roufe myself fo as to call affistance. Being, however, perfectly convinced that I muft foon beat a quick march to the other world, unless my ftomach was eased of the poifon it contained, I rang the bell, and ordered fome warm water. It was fometime before this could be got ready. As foon as it was brought, I drank large quantities, but without any effect. The apothecary was then fent for, who gave me three feveral dofes of VITRIOLATED ZINC *, when at last they fucceeded fo well, that I brought up a confiderable quantity of the laudanum. In the morning early I fent for Dr. THORNTON, who adminiftered the VITAL AIR †, and ordered me LEMONADE, which,

* This metal, like the reft, has no power until it be combined with oxygen.

Dr. THORNTON, in his obfervations on this cafe, remarks that the VITAL AIR was very rapidly confumed, which must recal to the reader's mind the celebrated experiment of SPALD ING, recorded in Vol. I. p. 89.

A mixture of lemon, fugar, and water. VOL. IV.

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from

from the weak state of my stomach, was almost as speedily returned, but perfectly fweet to the tafte, and fo deprived of all acidity *, as to be like fugar and water, and did not effervefce with alkali. This was frequently repeated, when in the evening I ate my dinner, without any fenfible difference, and felt the next day much as ufual. This is the fimple fact, to the best of my remem brance; if it can be of any ufe in a science which has for its object the ease and happiness of mankind, I shall always look back with pleasure to an accident which has afforded me an opportu nity of giving you this detail, I have the honour to be,

SIR,

Your most obedient Servant,

G. C. BRATHWAITE BOUGHTON,

P. S. Among the Indians, who take great quantities of folid opium, when they wish to remove the effects of ftupefaction, they drink plenty of lime juice, which they know, from experience, produces that effect.

*The acid principle has been before proved to be derived from the OXYGEN, OF VITAL AIR,

SECT.

SECT. XXX.

POISONS OF THE VIPER, ASPIC, AND POLYPUS.

I PROCURED, fays FONTANA, fifty of the ftrongest and largeft frogs I could meet with. I preferred these animals because they are livelier than others; because they die with greater difficulty: and, laftly, because their muscles contract even feveral days after they are dead. I had each of them bit by a viper, fome in the thigh, others in the legs, back, head, &c. Some of them died in lefs than half an hour, others in an hour, and others again in two and three hours. There were likewife others among them that fell into a languishing ftate, their hind legs that had been bitten continuing very weak and paralytic. In fome of them I contented myself with introducing cautiously into a wound, made with a lancet at the very inftant, a drop of venom. These laft lived longer than those I had caused to be bit; neither of them however efcaped. A short time after these animals had either been bit, or wounded and venomed, the lofs of their muscular force was very evident. When they were fet at liberty, they no longer leaped, but dragged their legs and bodies along with great difficulty, and could fcarcely withdraw their thighs when violently irritated:

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