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Poison. injected by way of clyster. From these experiments, however, he concluded, that laurel-water would kill by being injected into the blood: but in this he was deceived; for two rabbits had each of them a large tea-spoonful injected into the jugular vein, without any inconvenience, either at the time of injection or afterwards. It proved innocent also when applied to the bare nerves, and even when introduced into the medullary substance.

We ought now to give some account of the proper antidotes for each kind of poison; but from what has been related concerning the extreme activity of some of them, it is evident that in many cases there can be but very little hope. People are most apt to be bit by serpents in the legs or hands; and as the poison, from the Abbé Fontana's experiments, appears to act only in consequence of being absorbed into the blood, it is plain, that to prevent this absorption is the chief indication of cure. We have recommended several methods for this purpose under the article MEDICINE, N° 408.; but the Abbé Fontana proposes another not mentioned there, namely, ligature. This, if properly applied between the wounded part and the heart, must certainly prevent the bad effects of the poison; but then it tends to produce a disease almost equally fatal; namely, a gangrene of the part; and our author gives instances of animals being thus destroyed after the effects of the poison were prevented; for which reason he prefers amputation. But the good effects of either of these methods, it is evident, must depend greatly on the nature of the part wounded, and the time when the ligature is applied, or the amputation performed. If the teeth of the serpent, or the poisoned arrow, happens to strike a large vein, the only possibility of escaping instant death is to compress the trunk of the vein above the wounded place, and to enlarge the wound, that the blood may flow freely, and in large quantity, in order to wash away the poison, and discharge the infected parts of the blood itself. If this be neglected, and the person falls into the agonies of death, perhaps strongly stimulating medicines given in large doses, and continued for a length of time, may enable nature to counteract the virulence of the poison. For this purpose volatile alkalies seem most proper, as acting soonest, (see MEDICINE); and perhaps a combination of them with ether might be advantageous, as by the volatility of that medicine the activity of the alkali would probably be increased. In the Philosophical Transactions, we have an account of the recovery of a dog seemingly by means of the volatile alkali, when probably he was in a dying condition. This dog indeed seems to have had a remarkable strength of constitution. The poor creature had first got two ounces of the juice of nightshade, which he bore without any inconvenience. An equal quantity of the juice of hemlock was then given him without effect. He then got a large dose of the root of wolfsbane with the same suc

cess.

Two drams of white hellebore root were next given. These caused violent vomitings and purgings, but still he outlived the operation. He was then made to swallow five roots of the colchicum, or meadow-saffron, dug fresh out of the earth. The effect of these was similar to that of the white hellebore, but still he did not die. Lastly, he got two drams of opium; and he even outlived this dose. He was first cast into a deep sleep by it; but soon awaked, and was seized with violent

2

vomitings and purgings, which carried off the effect of Poison. the opium. Seeing then that the animal had resisted the most violent poisons, it was resolved to try the effects of the bite of a viper; and he was accordingly bit three or four times on the belly a little below the navel by one enraged. The immediate consequence of this was an incipient gangrene in the parts adjoining to the wound, as appeared by the rising of little black bladders filled with a sanious matter, and a livid colour which propagated itself all around. The motion of the heart became very faint and irregular, and the animal lay without strength or sensation, as if he had been seized with a lethargy or apoplexy. In this condition his wound was cupped and scarified, and Venice treacle (a famous antidote) applied to it. In two hours after this all the symptoms were increased, and he seemed to be nearly dead; upon which half a dram of volatile salt of heartshorn mixed with a little broth was poured down his throat; and the consequence was, that in a short time he was able to stand on his feet and walk. Another dose entirely dispelled his lethargy, and the heart began to recover its strength. However, he continued very weak; and though he ate no solid meat for three days, yet at the end of that time his strength was evidently increased. The first day he drank water plentifully and greedily, and on the second day he drank some broth. On the third day he began to eat solid meat, and seemed out of danger; only some large and foul ulcers remained on that part of the belly which was bit, and before these were healed he was killed by another dog.

From comparing this with some other observations, indeed, it would seem that volatile alkali is the best antidote against all poisons which suddenly kill by a mixture with the blood, and even of some others. Indeed its effects in curing the bite of snakes seems to be put beyond all doubt, by a paper in the 2d volume of the Asiatic Researches, p. 323. "From the effect of a ligature applied between the bitten part and the heart (says Mr Williams, the author of the paper), it is evident that the poison diffuses itself over the body by the returning venous blood; destroying the irritability, and rendering the system paralytic. It is therefore probable, that the volatile caustic alkali, in resisting the disease of the poison, does not act so much as a specific in destroying its quality, as by counteracting the effect on the system, by stimulating the fibres, and preserving that irritability which it tends to destroy."

But whatever be the mode of its operation, the medicine is unquestionably powerful. Mr Williams used either the volatile caustic alkali or eau-de-luce; the former of which he seems to have preferred. Of it he gave 60 drops as a dose in water, and of the ean-de-luce he gave 40, at the same time applying some of the medicine to the part bitten, and repeating the dose as he found occasion. Of seven cases, some of which were apparently very desperate, only one died, and that appears to have been occasioned by bad treatment after the cure, Many of the patients were perfectly recovered in seven or eight minutes, and none of them required more than two hours: On the whole, Mr Williams says, that be "never knew an instance of the volatile caustic alkali failing in its effect, where the patient has been able to swallow it." Dr Mead asserts, that the alkali counteracts the deadly effects of laurel-water: we have seen its effects in curing the bite of a viper, and of enakes; and a

from

Poison. from Dr Wolfe's experiments on hydrophobous patients, it may even claim some merit there. Still, however, there is another method of attempting a cure in such deplorable cases; and that is, by injecting into the veins any thing which will not destroy life, but will destroy the effects of the poison. It is much to be regretted, that in those cruel experiments which we have already related, the intention seems almost always to have been to kill the animal at all events; whereas, it ought to have been to preserve him alive, and to ascertain what medicines could be safely injected into the blood, and what could not, with the effects which followed the injection of different quantities, none of which were sufficient to destroy life. But in the way they were managed, scarce any conclusion can be drawn from them. Indeed it appears that little good is to be expected from this mode; it is mere speculation, and future experiments must show whether it ever shall be used for the cure of poisons, or for any other purposes: its being now totally laid aside, seems to militate strongly against the efficacy of it; besides, the extreme cruelty of the operation will ever be a strong bar to its general introduction. See INJECTION.

There still remains another method of cure in desperate cases, when there is a certainty that the whole mass of blood is infected; and that is, by the bold attempt of changing the whole diseased fluid for the blood of a sound animal. Experiments of this kind have also been tried; and the method of making them, together with the consequences of such as are recorded in the Philosophical Transactions, we shall notice under the article TRANSFUSION.

Dr Mead, finding that many pretenders to philosophy have called the goodness of the Creator in question, for having created substances whose manifest and obvious qualities are noxious and destructive, remarks, by way of answer, that they have also salutary virtues. But, besides their physical effects, they are likewise food for animals which afford us good nourishment, goats and quails being fattened by hellebore, starlings by hemlock, and hogs innocently eating henbane; besides, some of those vegetables, which were formerly thought poisonous, are now used in medicine, and future discoveries may probably increase the number. The poison of many vegetables is their only defence against the ravages of animals; and by means of them we are often enabled to defend useful plants from the destroying in sect; such as by sprinkling them with essential oil of turpentine; and by means of some substances poisonous to them, we are enabled to destroy those insects which infest the human body, and the bodies of domestic animals, &c.-As for poisonous minerals, arsenic for example, Dr Mead observes, that it is not a perfect mineral, but only an active substance, made use of by nature in preparing several metals in the earth, which are of great service to mankind; and, after confirming this by several instances, he concludes by saying, the case will be found much the same in all natural productions of this kind. As for poisonous animals, &c. their noxious qualities may easily be accounted for, by reflecting that it is their only mode of self-defence.

POISON of Copper. This metal, though when in an undissolved state it produces no sensible effects, becomes exceeding active when dissolved; and such is the facility with which the solution is effected, that it becomes

a matter of some consequence to prevent the metal from Poison being taken into the human body even in its proper form. It doth not, however, appear that the poison of copper is equally pernicious with those of arsenic or lead; much less with some others treated of in the last article. The reason of this is, that it excites vomiting so speedily as to be expelled, even though taken in considerable quantity, before it has time to corrode the stomach. Roman vitrol, which is a solution of copper in the vitriolic acid, has been used as a medicine in some diseases with great success. Verdigrise also, which is another very active preparation of the metal, has been by some physicians prescribed as an emetic, especially in cases where other poisons had been swallowed, in order to procure the most speedy evacuation of them by vomit. Where copper is not used with this view, it has been employed as a tonic and antispasmodic., with which it has been admitted into the Edinburgh Dispensatory under the title of Cuprum Ammoniacale. The effects of the metal, however, when taken in a pretty large quantity, and in a dissolved state, or when the stomach abounds with acid juices sufficient to dissolve it, are very disagreeable and even dangerous; as it occasions violent vomitings, pains in the stomach, faintings, and sometimes convulsions and death. The only cure for these symptoms is to expel the poison by vomiting as soon as possible, and to obtund its acrimony; for which purpose drinking warm milk will probably be found the most efficacious remedy. In order to prevent the entrance of the poison into the body, no copper vessels should be used in preparing food but such as are either well tinned or kept exceedingly clean. The practice of giving a fine blue or green colour to pickles, by preparing them in copper vessels, ought not to be tolerated; for Dr Falconer, in a treatise on this subject, assures us, that these are sometimes so strongly impregnated by this method of preparing them, that a small quantity of them will produce a slight nausea.-Mortars of brass or bellmetal ought for the same reason to be avoided, as by this means a considerable quantity of the pernicious metal may be mixed with our food, or with medicines. In other cases, an equal caution ought to be used. The custom of keeping pins in the mouth, of giving copper halfpence to children to play with, &c. ought to be avoided; as thus a quantity of the metal may be insensibly taken into the body, after which its effects must be uncertain. It is proper to observe, however, that copper is much more easily dissolved when cold than when hot; and therefore the greatest care should be taken never to let any thing designed for food, even common water, remain long in copper vessels when cold; for it is observed, that though the confectioners can safely prepare the most acid syrups in clean copper vessels without their receiving any detriment whilst hot, yet if the same syrups are allowed to remain in the vessels till quite cold, they become impregnated with the pernicious qualities of the metal.

To what has now been said relative to the effects of mineral poisons, we shall add an account of some experiments, showing that a mineral poison may produce sudden and violent death, although the noxious matter cannot be detected by chemical tests in the contents of the stomach. As the subject of this investigation is of great importance in many points of view, we shall make no apology for laying the whole detail before our readers

without

by the nitrate of silver, shewing that it contained muri- Poison. atic acid.

Poison. without abridgement. The experiments were made by Dr Bostock of Liverpool, and the account of them is given by the author in a letter to the editor of the Edinburgh Med. and Surg. Journal, v. 14.

"In compliance with your request, I send you an account of some of the experiments which I made to il lustrate the question, which was proposed to me at the late memorable trial at Lancaster, whether it was possible that a mineral poison might produce a sudden and violent death, and yet be afterwards incapable of detection in the contents of the stomach? You have already seen, in the pamphlet that was published by Drs Gerard and Rutter, Mr Hay, and myself, the effect which was produced upon dogs by corrosive sublimate. We there relate the result of two experiments, in which it was given to dogs in solution; vomiting, purging, and the symptoms of violent pain ensued, which after some hours were terminated by death. The contents of the stomach, it is there stated, were analysed by me, but none of the sublimate could be detected. In the first experiment, 1 grains of the salt were given, and in the second 4 grains; this latter being the larger quantity, and also the one in which the process was conducted with the most accuracy, I shall confine myself to relate the circumstances of this alone.

"When the stomach of the dog was opened, a small quantity of water was added to wash out its contents more completely, making the whole somewhat less than one ounce. It was deeply tinged with blood, and I let it remain at rest for 30 hours, in order that the colouring matter might subside from it. It had then acquired a very fœtid smell, and not being much clearer than at first, I added to it about an equal quantity of water, and passed it, first through a linen strain, and afterwards through a paper filter. It was now nearly transparent, but slightly tinged with blood.

"On the following day, a slight brown precipitate had subsided from the stomach fluid, and the whole had become very opake. The precipitate was dissolved by potash, at the same time that the fluid was rendered more transparent. It was become extremely putrid. The putridity increased : and, in two days more, a scum was formed on the surface, and the sides of the glass were also encrusted with a gray matter. The experiments were performed between the 17th and 22d of August.

"The following experiments were then made on the corrosive sublimate, with every possible attention to accuracy. Two grains of the salt were dissolved in 600 grains of distilled water. This I call solution N° 1. Ten grains of N° 1. were then added to 90 grains of water, forming solution N° 2. in which the fluid would contain of its weight of the sublimate. Into 10 drops of N° 2. two drops of the muriate of tin were added, and caused a very obvious precipitate. Ten grains of N° 2. were added to 90 grains of distilled water, making the fluid to contain of its weight of the salt. Into 10 drops of this solution, two drops of the muriate of tin were added, and an immediate gray cloud was perceptible in the fluid, although no precipitate was thrown down. The galvanic process was repeated with the solution No 3. ; it remained six hours, and I thought I perceived a whiteness on one part of the gold; but it was not very distinctly visible.

"From these experiments, we may draw the following conclusions:

66

1. The fluid taken from the dog's stomach contained muriatic acid, probably in the form of common salt, and animal matter, probably mucus, in considerable quantity.

"2. The tests that were employed to discover the corrosive sublimate, were capable of detecting it in a fluid, when it composed only 1 of its weight.

"3. These tests did not detect any corrosive sublimate in the fluid taken from the dog's stomach; it may therefore be concluded,

66

"A solution of corrosive sublimate was prepared,
containing of its weight of the salt. Into a quan-
tity of this solution the recently prepared muriate of tin
was dropped, which produced an immediate and very
copious precipitation. Caustic potash also threw down
a precipitate, although in small quantity. The same 4. That an animal may be suddenly killed by re-
tests were then added to the fluid taken from the sto-ceiving a metallic poison into the stomach, and yet
mach, but no effect was produced by the muriate of tin that the nicest tests may not be able to detect
any por-
for some hours, when at length it became, in some de- tion of the poison after death, in the contents of the
gree, opake. The effect here, both as to time and the stomach.
nature of the appearance, was quite different from the
precipitate in the solution of corrosive sublimate, and I
considered it as depending upon the action of the mu-
riate of tin upon the mucus. In proof of this, when the
stomach fluid had potash added to it, instead of having
a precipitate thrown down, it was rendered more trans-
parent than before the experiment. The solution of
corrosive sublimate was subjected to the action of gal-
vanism, by having a piece of gold placed in it, clasped
by zinc wire; in an hour the gold was obviously whi-
tened by the precipitation of the mercury upon it. The
fluid taken from the stomach was submitted to the same
process for three hours, but no effect was produced (c).
The fluid from the stomach did not exhibit either acid
or alkaline properties; it was copiously precipitated
VOL. XVII. Part I.

"This conclusion appears incontrovertible; and
though some analogous facts had occasionally been no-
ticed, it is so different from the generally received⋆ Hoffma-
opinion upon the subject, that I think it must have con- nus de Ve
siderable influence on all future judicial proceedings, in neni dati
which the question of poisoning is agitated."

POISON of Lead. See MEDICINE, No 303.
POISON-Tree. See RHUS, BOTANY Index.
POISON-Tree of Java, called in the Malayan lan-
guage bohun upas, is a tree which has often been de
scribed by naturalists; but its existence has been very
generally doubted, and the descriptions given of it, con-
taining much of the marvellous, have been often treated
as idle fictions, N. P. Foersch, however, in an account
of it, written in Dutch, asserts that it does exist; and
+
H

tells

Accusa

tione.

(c) This experiment was performed at the suggestion of Dr Wollaston.

Poison. tells us, that he once doubted it as much as any person; but, determined not to trust general opinions, he made the most particular inquiries possible; the result of which was, that he found that it is situated in the island of Java, about 27 leagues from Batavia, 14 from Soura Charta, the emperor's seat, and about 19 from Tinkjoe, the residence of the sultan of Java. It is surrounded on all sides by hills and mountains, and the adjacent country for 12 miles round the tree is totally barren. Our author says he has gone all round the spot at about 18 miles from the centre, and on all sides he found the country equally dreary, which he ascribes to its noxious. effluvia. The poison procured from it is a gum, issuing from between the bark and the tree; and it is brought by malefactors who have been condemned to death, but who are allowed by this alternative to have a chance for their life. An old ecclesiastic, our author informs us, dwelt on the outside of the surrounding hills, whose business it was to prepare the criminals for their fate, if death should be the consequence of their expedition. And indeed so fatal are its effluvia, that he acknowledged that scarcely two out of 20 returned from above 700 whom he had dismissed.

Mr Foersch farther tells us, that he had seen several of the criminals who had returned, and who told him, that the tree stands on the borders of a rivulet, is of a middling size, and that five or six young ones of the same kind stand close to it. They could not, however, see any other plant or shrub near it; and the ground was of brownish sand, full of stones and dead bodies, and difficult to pass. The Malayans think this tract was thus rendered noxious and uninhabitable by the judgement of God, at Mahomet's desire, on account of the sins of the inhabitants. No animal whatever is ever seen there; and such as get there by any means never return, but have been brought out dead by such of the criminals as have themselves escaped death.

Our author relates a circumstance which happened in the year 1775, to about 400 families (1600 souls), who refused to pay some duty to the emperor, and who were in consequence declared rebels and banished; they petitioned for leave to settle in the uncultivated parts round Upas: the consequence of which was, that in less than two months their number was reduced to about 300 souls, who begged to be reconciled to the emperor, and were again received under his protection. Many of these survivors Mr Foersch saw, and they had just the appearance of persons tainted with an infectious disorder.

With the juice of this tree arrows, lancets, and other offensive weapons, are poisoned. With lancets thus poisoued, Mr Foer-ch observes, that he saw 13 of the emperor's concubines executed for infidelity to his bed in February 1776. They were lanced in the middle of their breasts; in five minutes after which they were seized with a tremor and subsultus tendinum, and in 15 minutes they were dead. Their bodies were full of livid spots, like those of petechia, their faces swelled, colour blue, and eyes yellow, &c. Soon after he saw seven Malayans executed in the same way, and saw the same effects follow; on which he resolved to try it on other animals, and found the operation similar on three puppies, a cat, and a fowl, none of which survived more than 1 13 minutes. He also tried its effects

internally on a dog seven months old; the animal became delirious, was seized with convulsions, and died in half an hour. From all which our author concludes, that it is the most vielent of all vegetable poisons, and that it contributes greatly to the unhealthiness of the island in which it grows. By means of it many cruel and treacherous murders are perpetrated. He adds, that there exists a sort of cajoe-upas on the coast of Macassar, the poison of which, though not near so violent or malignant, operates nearly in the same

manner.

Most of our readers will probably consider this whole account as highly incredible; but we have to add, that it has been directly controverted in all its parts in a memoir of Lambert Nolst, M. D. fellow of the Batavian Experimental Society at Rotterdam, (see Gentleman's Mag. May 1794, p. 433.). This memoir was procured from John Matthew à Rhyn, who had been 23 years, from 1763 to 1786, resident in the island, and therefore had every opportunity of informing himself on the spot. In this memoir we are told, that Foersch's account of the tree is extremely suspicious, from a variety of circumstances: 1. Though he had letters of introduction, he went to no considerable house, and afterwards privately withdrew among the English. 2. When the emperor was asked respecting Foersch, and the facts he relates, he answered, that he had never heard either of him or of the tree. 3. The distances given to mark the situation of the tree are not accurate. 4. The execution of criminals is different from what he represents. 5. The circumstance of several criminals returning when Foersch was there, has a suspicious appearance. 6. There exists no such tradition, as that the tree was placed there by Mahomet. 7. There were no such disturbances in 1775 as Foersch represents, the tract to which he alludes having submitted to the Dutch East India Company as early as 1756. 8. The island is not unhealthy, as Foersch asserts; nor are violent or premature deaths frequent. 9. The Javanese are a curious and intelligent people, and of course could not be so ignorant of this tree if it had any existence. 10. The assertions and pretended facts of Foersch have no collateral evidence; and every thing which we gather from the accounts of others, or from the history of the people, invalidates them. For these and other reasons, Dr Nolst concludes, that very little credit is due to the representations of Foersch, and that the island of Java produces no such tree, which, if it really grew there, would be the most remarkable of all trees.

We must notice also, that the account of this very remarkable tree has been still farther controverted by Sir George Staunton, who, during his stay at Batavia, made the most particular inquiries concerning it, and found, that the existence of such a tree had never been known there. (Embassy to China). The fabulous history of this tree, however, has produced a most beautiful description from the muse of Dr Darwin, whose harmonious verses on the subject we shall present to our readers.

Where seas of glass with gay reflections smile
Round the green coasts of Java's palmy isle,
A spacious plain extends its upland scene,
Rocks rise on rocks, and fountains gush between;

Poison.

Soft

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tions indeed are involved in fable; but the Poles never Poland. had even a fabulous history of their own nation. The reason of this is, that it was not the custom with that nation to entertain itinerant poets for the amusement of the great for to the songs of these poets entertained among other nations we are obliged for the early part of their history; but this assistance being deficient in Poland, we must have recourse to what is recorded concerning it by the historians of other nations.

No refluent in the unpeopled stream divides,
No revolant pinion cleaves the airy tides ;
Nor handed moles, nor beaked worms return,
That mining pass the irremeable bourn.-
Fierce in dread silence on the blasted heath
Fell UPAS sits, the HYDRA-TREE of death.
Lo! from one root, the envenom'd soil below,
A thousand vegetative serpents grow;
In shining rays the scaly monster spreads
O'er ten square leagues his far-diverging heads;
Or in one trunk entwists his tangled form,
Looks o'er the clouds, and hisses in the storm.
Steep'd in fell poison, as his sharp teeth part,
A thousand tongues in quick vibration dart ;
Snatch the proud eagle towering o'er the heath,
Or pounce the lion, as he stalks beneath;
Or strew, as marshall'd hosts contend in vain,
With human skeletons the whiten'd plain.
-Chain'd at his root two scion-demons dwell,
Breathe the faint hiss, or try the shriller yell;
Rise fluttering in the air on callow wings,
And aim at insect-prey their little stings.

Loves of the Plants, canto iii.

POLACRE, a ship with three masts, usually navigated in the Levant and other parts of the Mediterrarrean. These vessels are generally furnished with square sails upon the mainmast, and lateen sails upon the foremast and mizenmast. Some of them, however, carry square sails upon all the three masts, particularly those of Provence in France. Each of their masts is commonly formed of one piece, so that they have neither topmast nor top-gallant mast; neither have they any horses to their yards, because the men stand upon the topsail-yard to loose or furl the top-gallant-sail, and on the lower yard to reef, to loose, or furl, the topsail, whose yard is lowered sufficiently down for that pur

pose.

POLAND, a country of Europe, in its largest extent bounded by Pomerania, Brandenburg, Silesia, and Moravia, to the west; and, towards the east, by part of Russia and the Lesser Tartary; on the north, it has the Baltic, Russia, the grand province of Livonia, and Samogitia; and on the south, it is bounded by Bessarabia, Transylvania, Moldavia, and Hungary. Geographers generally divide it into the provinces of Poland Proper, Lithuania, Samogitia, Courland, Prussia, Massovia, Polachia, Polesia, Little Russia, called likewise Russia Rubra or Red Russia, Podolia, and the Ukraine. The present kingdom of Poland, however, lately the duchy of Warsaw, occupies but a small part of these territories. For a map of Poland and Prussia, see Pl. CCCCXXXIV. With regard to the history of Poland, we are not to gather the early part of it from any accounts transmitted to us by the natives. The early histories of all na

The sovereigns of Poland at first had the title of duces, Polish so. dukes or generals, as if their office had been only to vereigns at lead the armies into the field. The first of these is first only universally allowed to have been Lechus or Lecht; styled dukes. and to render him more illustrious, he is said to have 2 been a lineal descendant from Japhet the son of Noah. Lechus the According to some writers, he migrated at the head of first duke, a numerous body of the descendants of the ancient Sclavi from some of the neighbouring nations; and, to this day, Poland is called by the Tartars the kingdom of Lechus. Busching, however, gives a different account of the origin of the Poles. Sarmatia, he observes, was an extensive country, inhabited by a variety of nations of different names. He supposes the Poles to be the descendants of the ancient Lazi, a people who lived in Colchis near the Pontus Euxinus; whence the Poles are sometimes called Polazi. Crossing several rivers, they entered Posnania, and settled on the borders of the Warta, while their neighbours the Zechi settled on the Elbe, in the 550th year of Christ. As to the name of Poland, or Polska, as it is called by the natives, it comes from the Sclavonic word Pole, or Poln, which signifies a country adapted to hunting, because the Derivation whole country was formerly covered with vast forests, of the diffeexceedingly proper for that employment.

rent names of Poland.

Of the transactions of Lechus during the time that he enjoyed the sovereignty, we have no certain account. His successor was named Viscimer, who is ge- Viscimer nerally supposed to have been the nephew of Lechus. the second He was a warlike and successful prince, subduing many duke. provinces of Denmark, and building the city of Wis-mar, so called from the name of the sovereign. But the Danish historians take no notice of his wars with their country; nor do they even mention a prince of this name. However, he is said to have reigned for a long time with great glory; but to have left the people in great distress, on account of the disputes which arose

about a successor.

5

to an aris

tocracy.

After the death of Viscimer, the nobility were on the Form of go point of electing a sovereign, when the people, barassed vernment by the grievous burdens occasioned by the wars of Vis- changed ins cimer, unanimously demanded another form of government, that they might no longer be liable to suffer from ambition and tyranny. At first the nobility pretended to yield to this humour of the people with great reluctance; however, they afterwards determined on such a form of government as threw all the power into their own hands. Twelve palatines, or vaivodes, were cho. sen; and the Polish dominions divided into as many provinces. These palatines exercised a despotic authority within their several jurisdictions, and aggravated the misery of the people by perpetual wars among themselves; upon which the Poles, worn out with oppression, resolved to return to their old form of govern ment. Many assemblies were held for this purpose; but, by reason of the opposition of the vaivodes, they

H 2

came

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