Volume 2

A mechanical account of poisons in several essays / [Richard Mead].

  • Mead, Richard, 1673-1754
Date:
1708
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A mechanical account of poisons in several essays / [Richard Mead]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    only Microfcopes difcover, but Reafon teaches 5 becaufe there is but very little Mufcular Force in the Stomach to com¬ minute the Food, and make a Chyle of fine Parts, and therefore the Blood muft accordingly be of a Tough and Clammy Confidence. Befides, the Heart of a Viper has properly but one Ventricle, and the Circulation of the Blood is performed after the fame Manner as it is in a Frog and Tor- toife, in which not above one Third of it pafiesthro’ the Lungs^upon which Account its Comminution in them by the Air is proportionably leffer than in other Animals. Now fuch a manner of Feeding as this does neceffarily require, that the Prey fiiould upon the firft Catching be immediately kill’d, otherwife it were by no means fit to be let into the Stomach 5 for we are not to think that the Force of this Part would be alone fufficient to deftroy it, the Sub- tilty of a living Creature (befides the Confideration of the Weaknefs of the Fi¬ bres J being in a great Meafure able to e~ lude that, as indeed we do every Day find live Animals in the Ventricles of others 5 and therefore to do this is the proper Ufe both of the Teeth and their Poifon^ for which being defigned and adapted, it is no wonder if the V iper, this fame Way by d v T* r L '• ' which