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difficulty prevailed on the natives to show him the different poison plants, which they carefully conceal, for the purpose of using them in war. Hence the many fabulous accounts that have been circulated respecting the fatal influence of the Upas; which in the language of the Javanese, signifies vegetable poison, and is applied only to the juice of the Bohan tree, and another plant with a twisted stem. The former is a large tree, which the writer considers as a new genus; the latter, yielding an equally powerful poison, is of the woodbine family. The Upas, or juice, is extracted by an incision made in the bark with a knife, and being carefully collected, is preserved by the natives to be employed in their wars. As to its diffusing noxious effluvia in the atmosphere, and destroying vegetation to a considerable distance around it, the absurdity of these stories is sufficiently exposed by the fact that the climbing species requires the support of other plants to attain its usual growth. Dr, Delille made several experiments with the upas on dogs and cats. An incision was made in the thigh of a dog, into which were dropped eight grains of the juice. The dog soon began to vomit, and continued vomiting at intervals till he became convulsed, and died in twenty minutes. Six grains were put into the thigh of another, which was seized with the same symptons, and died in fifteen minutes. A cat was treated in like manner, but the effects were more speedy and powerful; she expired in a few minutes. All these animals died howling and in great agony. The author also made several experiments on the effects of this poison when applied internally. A grain and a half being introduced into the stomach of a dog, produced only a slight purging. To another were given four grains, which in about four hours produced the same effect, toge ther with vomiting, and the dog died in the course of half a day. On examining the bodies of these animals after death, no very extraordinary appearances were discovered; the ventricles of the heart were full of blood, and some slight traces of inflammation appeared in the stomach; but the derangement was not so great as might have been expected from such a violent and sudden death. From this circumstance the author concluded that the absorbents had transmitted the poison to the nerves of the stomach, and that this peculiar species of vegetable poison acts exclusively on the

nerves.

The MEDICAL SOCIETY of LONDON have in the press a volume of Memoirs, containing several valuable Communications in Medical and Surgical Science from eminent resident and corresponding members of the Society. The title of the volume will be, "Transactions of the Medical Society of London, Vol. I. Part I.” and it will be accompanied by engravings. Part II. will appear in a few months afterwards, the Society having come to the determination of giving publicity to their Transactions more frequently than heretofore.

A new edition, being the fourth, of Dr. TROTTER'S Essay, Medical, Philosophical and Chemical, on Drunkenness, and its Effects on the Human Body, with many additions, is just published.

Meteorological Diary, kept at Clapton, Hackney, from March 27
to April 24, 1810, by THOMAS FOSTER, Esq.
Therm. Barometer. Wind.
Max.Min. Max. Min.

Day

Weather.

March 2751 41° 29 8029 65 s. s. E. Clouds & rain

W.

W.

Sun & showers
Clear & clouds

Fair day

Fair-rain

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S. W.

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Fair

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March 30. Cirro-Cumuli observed in the sky in the morning.

April 6. The maximum of the Thermometer happened at 11 o'clock, p.m.

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8. Salices, Vitellina, Fragilis, Rubra, Viminalis, Velutina, Russeliana, and others in flower

14. The modification of cloud, called Cirro-Stratus, observable in sky.

15. Cirro-Cumuli observed

16. Cirri in short tufts pointing to the South East, succeeded by rain,

17. Cirro-Strati in the sky.

18. Cirro-Cumulus prevails.

19. Very hazy moon.

20. The wryneck Jynx Torquilla first heard. I observed the swallow, Hirundo Rustica, as well as the martin, Hirundo Urbica flying about in the neighbourhood of West Ham,

21. Swallows first seen at Clapton,

22. Cuckoo first heard.

23 Cirro-Strati prevail,

24. Cirro-Cumuli observable.

By a Hygrometer of a peculiar construction which I make use of (see an account it in Phil. Mag. for November 1801,) it appears that the air has been extremely ever since March 30th.,

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Medical and Phyfical Journal.

VOL. XXIV.] SEPTEMBER, 1810. [No. 139.

Frinted for R. PHILLIPS, by W. Thorne, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, London.

To the Editors of the Medical and Phyfical Journal.

GENTLEMEN,

THE advantages resulting from the local evacuation of

blood by cupping, in a variety of complaints, being fully established, it would, I presume, be a waste of time ela borately to descant on the merits of such depletion, as forming a high or important remedy in the curative art. It must however be admitted, that the operative means which have been hitherto employed for this purpose, are not only too often tedious and painful in their applica tions, but very frequently extremely ineffectual in the event. Such being the acknowledged fact, and regarding it as very improbable, that the difficulty of obtaining blood could depend upon a want of manual dexterity in the operator, when the scarificator' usually employed had passed through the hands of so many able practitioners, it seemed natural to conclude that the want of success ought rather to be attributed to some fault in the construction of the instrument itself. Impressed with these ideas, and having taken up an opinion, that the failure of the scarificator now in use might be attributed to the manner in which the incisions are made, and supposing that simple punctures would more certainly enter the depth intended, I flatter myself, that by altering the principle upon which the instrument used to act, I have procured one which will effect all the purposes required, with more facility to the operator and less pain to the patient.

Without any intention, then, extravagantly to extol the properties of a new instrument, or unnecessarily to depreciate the merits of an old one, I take the liberty of recommending one to my medical brethren for their approbation, which I have found to answer in my hands much better than any other which I have yet been able to

procure.

(No. 139.)

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