For this Method of curing venemous Wounds by Suction, _Avicenna_, an old _Arabian_ Philosopher and physician, is quoted; who says, that those who suck out the Poison are in no danger, so their Teeth be sound and perfect, and their Mouths be free from all Ulcers. At _Rome_ was an Order of Servants whose Office was to suck venemous Wounds, which they did with Safety and Applause[59]. Footnote 59: Sr. _Redi_, p. 185. “Many _acid Substances_ taken into the Stomach, are, by its action turned into _Alcalious_; so there is no question but these _saline Spicula_ are, partly by the muscular Motion of the Fibres, partly by the salival Juice, all broken and dissolved; or if any escape into the Intestines, the Balsam of the Bile will be an Antidote for them. _p. 14._” Creatures reputed venemous, are indeed no Poisons when swallowed, tho’ the Venom may prove so when put into Wounds. The Venom that falls upon the Skin, is not so mischievous as that which enters into the Stomach, or is communicated by a Wound. “Yea, the Venom of a Viper, in itself, is not mortal to a robust and strong Body; and tho’ very unhappy and mischievous Accidents attend it, as Convulsions, Vomitings, _&c._” yet in eight or ten Days at most, these are over; tho’ the Patient may be very ill, yet he recovers, while the Poison having run thro’ divers Parts of the Body, at last always throws itself into the _Scrotum_, and is discharg’d by a great Quantity of Urine: This Evacuation being the ordinary and most certain Crisis of the Disease[60]. Footnote 60: Philosoph. Transactions abridged by _Lowthorp_, Vol. II. p. 814. _Noxia Serpentum est admisso sanguine partis._ Lucani Pharsalia. Amstelod. Edit. p. 266. The Water—which amphibious Serpents frequent, receives no venemous Tincture from them. When _Marcus Cato_ commanded in _Africa_ (the Element of poisonous Animals) he had in his Army a Number of those Natives called _Psylli_ and _Marci_, the supposed Aversion of Serpents, and who suck’d the Wounds of those hurt by them. It is said, these _Psyllians_ inchanted Serpents, who fled at the sight of them, as if their Bodies exhaled some _corpuscular Effluviums_ that were most offensive to Serpents, and put them into such pain that made them run. To these, the General added another Set of Persons, famous for curing the wounded by other Methods; and all little enough, Serpents being the Lords of the Country through which they were to pass[61]. Footnote 61: _Auli Gellii Noctes Atticæ_, lib. 16. c. 11. p. 161. _Herodot._ lib. 4. _Plutarch in Cato._