The Sun.
London, England, 1826-08-23 00:00:00

SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

ON. THE POISON OF THE TOAD.
the `,'ed
formthe part of the Philosophical Transactions
pretent year, lately published, is inserted a
Parr
pr. Davy, F. It. S., on the above named
)•le4 ; of which, as it concerns a common and po-
ul4a question, our readers may not be uninterested in
iltViY.lg--
.Some account.
'The Doctor observes that in every country in which
This animal is found it is considered poisonous by the
fc"1" People ; and the opinion may be traced back
i(1) a very remote antiquity. Of late years the notion
as been rejected by the professed naturalist, and
hired in the number of vulgar prejudices; but in
r,„,l' 'LI in some other instances, he conceives the coin-
alicsl long opinion is well founded, and
tnat of the received,
ti le Philosopher hastily and erroneously formed.
• P°ll examination he found a peculiar fluid secreted
Just under the skin of the animal, which exudes by slight
Tnes si
lte, and will occasionally squirt to a considerable
..ifaiice. It is of a thick yellowish kind ; and he col-
lected a quantity of it which was subjected to chemical
examination, and its.cliaracters minutely described.
Dr. Davy tried its effects, and found that when ab-
sorbed and carried into the circulation it has no injuri-
ous efl'ect. This was tried by inoculating a chicken
with it; but it has Strong acrid properties and if ap-
plied to the hand occasions a. smarting sensation; the
effects of which last for two or three hours. Reflecting on the use which dilafluid may he of to
the toad, it occurred to him that it may answer two
Purposes of importance to the annual.
i 'The external first is, that as thee exteal surface of the
skis smeared with this " sweltered venom," (the ver n
appropriate- epithet given it by our great dramatic poet)
a must serve to defend it against the attacks of carni-
vorous animals: " a toad to eat," is a proverbial ex-
pression well,knowii, and the facts adduced show its
propriety and:force ; and this purpose is seconded by
the- provision which -nature has made against the same
evils in giving the toad integuments of unusual thick-
ness, elasticity, and strength, so that it is difficult even
to cut through them.
The Second use which Dr. Davy supposes this fluid
to answer, is that it is capable of separating ,a portion
of.earhon from the blood, 'and thus assisting the func-
tions of the lungs. He is led to this inference from
ft`taiii physiological observations detailed in the paper.

he T Strand is at present sadlyinfestcd vritkpickpockets.
ere are three lads engaged in that trade who are particularly
'll'lGenous When it is dark, their plan is to follow 4 person ;
Eo "41, the least of the pickpockets, walks up by the side of the per-
-40 is to be Picked; the. two bigger lads are in the
the tallest of the three then takes from the pocket of the
Igee what he can get hold of, and immediately hands it to
4...llCtopri *lto, in him turn, hands it to the least lad, in front,
i 4 , the person robbed, feeling that his pocket has been icked,
yn4nnhLtirla g round him, and titling the fellows behind with having
fiats “lm. We would ask why the blue costa and red waist,
' do not clear the streets of these vagabonds.