Toad tea

On Saturday last a remarkable accident happened at Mr. H. Stickland's, at Chalwell Farm near this town; as he and his family, consisting of a wife and five children, were drinking tea in the afternoon, he observed, after drinking two or three dishes, that the tea looked of a darker colour than usual, and had no flavour in it, upon which, after various surmises of what could be the reason, the kettle was examined wherein, to their great astonishment, they found a large toad, boiled to that degree, that the legs were separated from the body; upon this alarming circumstance, they all seemed greatly indisposed, concluding themselves poisoned, and sent directly for an apothecary, who very prudently gave each of them a large dose of salad oil, which both purged and vomited them plentifully, and thereby, 'tis presumed, happily recovered them, as they all seem out of danger.