Volume 1

Treatise on the venom of the viper; on the American poisons; and on the cherry laurel, and some other vegetable poisons. To which are annexed, observations on the primitive structure of the animal body; different experiments on the reproduction of the nerves; and a description of a new canal of the eye ... / Translated from the original French of Felix Fontana ... by Joseph Skinner.

  • Felice Fontana
Date:
1787
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Treatise on the venom of the viper; on the American poisons; and on the cherry laurel, and some other vegetable poisons. To which are annexed, observations on the primitive structure of the animal body; different experiments on the reproduction of the nerves; and a description of a new canal of the eye ... / Translated from the original French of Felix Fontana ... by Joseph Skinner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Experiments on the Sciatick Nervey on which a Liga’‘ tiire was made. A new fpecies of experiments remained to be made on the nerves, which might probably decide the queflion. I reflected that the nerve could only communicate the difeafe of the venom to the ani- mal, in confequence of there being a free commu- ’nication betwixt the nerve and the animal itfelf, and thought of putting an entire flop to this communi- cation, without even cutting the nerve. We know that a thread which makes a fmall preffure on a nerve, entirely prevents this communication; that the mufcle no longer obeys the will of the animal; and that the nerve is no longer the inftrument or or- gan, either of motion or fenfation. In confequence of this hypothefis, I laid bare the fciatick nerve on o];ie fide, of a rabbit, and tied it firongly in two parts with a thread. There was a portion of nerve betwixt the two ligatures of more than ten lines. I covered it with a piece of linen in feveral folds, and wounded it repeatedly with the venomous teeth of two vipers, taking care to co- ver all the parts about it efFe<ftually, to prevent a communication of the venom. The rabbit died at the end of fixteen hours. The part of the nerve betwixt the ligatures was white ; the mufcles adja- cent to the nerve were but very little redder than ufual; the heart, auricles, and great venous veflhls. were