The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. IX. The Effects of Poysons from particular venemous things, and what Prognosticks may thence bee made.

IT is the opinion of Cornelius Celsus, and almost of all the antients, That the bite of everie beast had some virulencie, but yet some more than othersome. They are most virulent that are inflicted by venemous beasts, as Aspes, Vipers, Water-snakes, and all kindes * 1.1 of Serpents, Basiliskes, Dragons, Toads, Mad dogges, Scorpions, Spiders, Bees, Waspes, and the like. They are lesse maligne, which are of creatures wanting venome, as of Horses, Apes, Cats, Dogges not mad, and manie other things, which though of their owne nature they are without poison, yet in their bites there is something more dolorisicke and ill natured, than in common wounds inflicted by other occasions: I beleeve that in their slaver or sanies, there is something, I know not how to terme it, contrarie to our nature, which imprints a maligne qualitie in the ulcer, which also you may observe in the tearings or scrat∣chings of such creatures as have sharpe clawes, as Lions and Cats. Moreover manie affirme that they have found by experience, that the bites of men are not altogether without virulencie, especially of such as are red haired and freckled, cheiflie when as they are angred; it is probable that the bites of other persons want this maligni∣tie, * 1.2 seeing that their spittle will cure small ulcerations. Wherefore if there shall hap∣pen difficultie of cure in a wound, caused by a mans biting, which is neither red hai∣red nor freckled, neither angrie; this happens not by meanes of the spittle, nor by anie maligne qualitie, but by reason of the contusion, caused by the bluntnesse of the teeth, not cutting, but bruising the part, for being not sharp, they cannot so easily enter the flesh, unlesse by bruising and tearing, after the manner of heavie and blunt

stroaks and weapons, wounds being occasioned by such are more hard to bee cured, * 1.3 than such as are made by cutting and sharp weapons. But of the fore-said bitings of venemous creatures, there are few which doe not kill in a short space, and almost in a moment, but principally if the poison be sent into the bodie by a live creature, for in such poison there is much heat; also there is therein a greater tenuity, which serves as vehicles thereto into what place or part soever of the bodie they tend, the which the poisons taken from dead creatures are detective of. Wherefore some of these kill a man in the space of an houre, as the poison of Aspes, Basiliskes and Toads; others not unlesse in two or three daies space, as of water Snakes; a Spider, and Scorpion require more time to kill, yet all of them admitted but in the least quantity, doe in a short space cause great and deadly mutations in the bodie, as if they had breathed in a pestiferous aire, and with the like violence, taint and change into their owne nature all the members and bowels, by which these same members do in the time of perfect health change laudible meats into their nature and substance. The place whereas these poisonous creatures live, & the time, conduce to the perniciousnesse of the poi∣son, for such as live in drie, mountanous and sun-burnt places kill more speedily than such as be in moist and marish grounds; also they are more hurtfull in winter than in summer; and the poison is more deadly which proceeds from hungry, angry and fasting creatures, than that which comes from such as are full and quiet; as also that which proceeds from young things, chiefly when as they are stimulated to venery, is more powerfull than that which comes from old & decrepite; from females worse than from males; from such as have fed upon other venemous things, rather than from such as have abstained from them, as from snakes which have devoured toads, vipers which have fed upon scorpions, spiders & Caterpillers. Yet the reason of the efficacie of poysons depends from their proper, that is, their subtle or grosse consi∣stence, & the greater or lesse aptnesse of the affected body to suffer. For hot men that have larger & more open veins & arteries, yeeld the poison freer passage to the heart. Therefore those which have more cold & straight vessels, are longer ere they die of the like poison; such as are full, are not so soon harmed as those that are fasting: for meats, besides that by filling the vessels, they give not the poison so free passage, they also strengthen the heart by the multiplication of spirits, so that it more powerfully resists pernicious venome. If the poison worke by an occult and specifick propertie, it causeth the cure and prognostick to be difficult, and then must we have recourse to Antidotes, as these which in their whole substance resist poysons, but principally to treacle, because there enter into the composition thereof medicines which are hot, * 1.4 cold, moist and drie: whence it is, that it retunds and withstands all poisons, chiefly such as consist of a simple nature, such as these which come from venemous creatures, plants and mineralls; and which are not prepared by the detestable art of empoi∣soners.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lib. 2. cap. 27. The bites of all wild beasts are virulent.
• * 1.2

  The bites of a red haired man virulent.
• * 1.3

  Contused wounds harder to heale than such as are cut.
• * 1.4

  Why treacle retunds the force of all sim∣ple poysons.