Of all this kind, those of a _Mineral_ Nature are the most violent and deadly, the greater Gravity and Solidity of their Parts giving to these a Force and Action surpassing the mischief of _Vegetable_ Juices; and therefore whereas noxious Plants do vary their Effects in different Creatures, so as to prove harmless, nay, perhaps Beneficial and Nutritive to some, as Hemlock they say is to Goats (111) and Starlings (112), and Henbane to Hogs (113), the Strength of the Stomach in These Animals being sufficient to Conquer and Divide such Corrosive Substances, and their Blood perhaps requiring to be recruited by such warm and active Particles; A Mineral Malignity is not, at least so far as we know, conquerable by any, but becomes universally hurtful and destructive. We shall here give the first Place to _Mercury Sublimate_. This is no other than a Mixture of _Quicksilver_ with _common Salt_. The way of preparing it, as ’tis made at _Venice_, from whence great quantities are sent into other Countries, _Tachenius_ has given Us in his _Hippocrates Chymicus_ (114); as to which we must observe, that tho’ there be always added a proportion of _Salt-Petre_, and _Calcin’d Vitriol_ to the other Ingredients, yet these do not enter into the Composition, but only serve to facilitate the Work; as abundantly appears from this Experiment, That Mercury sublim’d with the same Proportion of Nitre and Vitriol without _Marine Salt_, neither receives any increase of its Weight, nor acquires any malignant Quality. The Effects of this _Poison_ when taken are, violent Griping Pains, with a Distension of the Belly, Vomiting of a slimy, frothy Matter, sometimes mixt with Blood, and Stools of the same, an intolerable Heat and Thirst, with cold Sweats, Tremblings, Convulsions, _&c._ as will appear from the following History (115). To a large Dog was given a Drachm of _Mercury Sublimate_, mixt with a little Bread; within a quarter of an Hour He fell into terrible Vomitings, casting up frequently a Viscid, frothy _Mucus_, every time more and more Bloody, and purged the same downwards; till tired and spent with this hard Service, He lay down quietly as it were to Sleep, but Died the next Morning. The _Abdomen_ being opened, a great quantity of extravasated Blood was found between the Liver and Stomach, and between the duplicature of the _Omentum_ about the Stomach; the Guts as well as the Stomach were distended, and full of a frothy Bloody _Mucus_; on the outside they were of a livid Colour, within all over red, and inflamed down to the very _Rectum_; The Fibrous Coat of the Stomach being taken off, between that and the Nervous one, grumous Blood was found in several Places; the like was discovered here and there in the Intestins between the same Coats. The same _Symptoms_ with these, and manifest Signs of a burning Corrosion followed with _Ulcers_ in the Bowels, _Baccius_ (116) observ’d in a young Man Poison’d by _Sublimate_, mixt with his Meat.