E-text prepared by RichardW and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 53202-h.htm or 53202-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/53202/53202-h/53202-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/53202/53202-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/mechanicalaccoun00mead Transcriber's note: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Upright text within a block of italic text is enclosed by parenthesis marks [example: 〈Poisons)]. A carat character is used to denote superscription. A single character following the carat is superscripted (example: M^r). A Mechanical Account of Poisons in Several Essays. BY RICHARD MEAD, M.D.F.R.S. And Physician to St. _Thomas_’s Hospital. _The Second Edition, Revised, with Additions._ _LONDON_: Printed by _J. M._ for RALPH SMITH at the _Bible_, under the _Piazza’s_, of the _Royal Exchange, Cornhill_. 1708. THE PREFACE _〈To〉 give an exact and particular Account of the Nature and Manner of acting of 〈Poisons〉, is no easie Matter; but to Discourse more intelligibly of 〈Them〉 than Authors have hitherto done, not very difficult. One may without much Pains shew their Effects to be owing to something more than the bare Qualities of Heat or Cold; and Discover the Footsteps of 〈Mechanism〉 in those surprizing 〈Phænomena〉 which are commonly ascribed to some 〈Occult〉 or Unknown Principle. But to Unravel the Springs of the several Motions upon which such 〈Appearances〉 do depend, and Trace up all the Symptoms to their First Causes, requires some Art as well as Labour; and that both upon the account of the Exquisite Fineness, and marvellous Composition, of the Animal Machine in which they are Transacted, and of the Minuteness of those Bodies which have the force to induce in it such Sudden and Violent Alterations._ _I have attempted somewhat this way in the following 〈Essays〉; in which I do not promise Methodical, and Finish’d Treatises, but only some short Hints of Natural History, and Rude Strokes of Reasoning; which, if put together, and rightly Improved, may perhaps serve to furnish out a more tolerable SPECIMEN of the DOCTRINE of POISONS, than has yet been Published._ _The First Draught of this small Piece, I made some Years since, Entertaining my self at Leisure Hours, with Experiments on 〈Vipers〉, and other 〈Venomous Creatures〉; Examining now and then the Texture of 〈Arsenic〉, 〈Mercury Sublimate〉, and the like Malignant Substances; Turning over what Authors had said on the several Subjects, and making such Remarks as from Time to Time Occurr’d._