The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-10-26 00:00:00

DOG-BITES AND SNAKE-BITES.

In connection with this subject, which is one of
general interest, the following communications have
been sent to The Tunes:—

There is no core for hydrophobia. On this point all medical
men are agreed. The best prophylactic treatment Is im-
mediate and total excision of the part bitten pending
this, forcible suction will remove some of the poison. A
bandage should at the crime time be applied above the part
If excision cannot be safely performed. lunar caustic should
be freely used. Amputation of tho limb above the place of
injury has been recommended by Sir Thomas Watson, who
writes, "111 had received a bite from a decidedly rabid animal
upon ray arm or leg, and the bite was of such a kind
that the whole wound could not be incised, my reason
would teach me to desire, and I hope I should have forti-
tude enough to endure, amputation of the limb." So much
for hydrophobia. With respect to snake bites, the treat-
ment adopted by Professor Halford, of Melbourne, has un-
doubtedly proved successful In many cues in which it has
been applied not only by Dr. Halford, but also by other mem-
bers of the medical profession in Australia. To carry out the
treatment, a solution of ammonia, of the strength of one
part of the strongest liquor contannice to two parts of dis-
tilled water, anti an ordinary hypodermic syringe are re-
quired. The ammonia is thrown directly, but gradually, into
the blood by puncturing any superficial vein, and may be
repeated as its beneficial operation ceases. In the Aus-
tralian Medical Journal for January, IS7O, is contained a
tabular statement of 16 cases of snake bite treated In this
manner. In every case except one, anti that a doe btiul one,
the recovery was complete. Several of the patients are said
to have been comatose and rapidly sinking. It has been sue.
grated that instead of injecting the liquor into the veins—
an operation only safe in skilled hands—a few drops, from
15 to 35, in a wine-glass 101 l of water should he given In-
ternally. Numerous cases illustrating the efficacy of Pro-
fessor Helloed's remedy have beau recorded in the Britiah
and Colonial medlad pamrs particulars of which may be
found in the Mali Pearly Abdract of the Medical Sciences,
vole 49, 52, and 63.
On the other band, it should be mentioned that Professor
Forte, of Calcutta who has paid considerable attention to
this subject, in speaking of this plan of treatment, states in
the Indian Annals of Medical Science, No 27, that it sterns
more rational than most suggestitis that have Igun male,
bet he regrets o,ceediegly that In his own experiments it
has proved of no avail. The reason, he a ,de, may be in she
greater virulence of the Indian Thanatophidia. The results
of Or. Furer'snurnerous experiments into the characters of
the poisonous snakes of India, anti the possibility of dls.
covering an antidote to their bite, tend to show that little
can us cone to counteract or neutralise the action of the
poison. It is to be hoped that, with such accomplished and
persevering investimtors as Professors Fayrer and Halford,
an antidote may soon be discovered to this terrible bane,
which, It is computed, carries off 24,000 persons annually in
Hindustan Aare the honour to be, Arc,
W. DOMETT STONE, MD,
Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons,
19, Oxford.terrece, Hyde Park, Oct 17.

Raving read the letter! In The Times on this select, I
wish to mention an instance in my ha n knowledge, when a
boy, which is, I believe, the most remarkable for he length
of time which elapsed before the disease showed Itself, after
the animal was bitten, end after the actual cautery having
been applied within a very short time.

A cow was always kept at Tsttersall's, on the old pre-
mises at Ilyde.parhcorner, and in the daytime was often
In the Ring, which was surrounded by garden walls.
A dog, said to be mad, ran down the yard from Oros.
venor-pl ice into the Ring, was seen to bite the cow in the
heel and then ran away, and I never heard what became of
it. The cow was taken very soon after being bitten into the
blacksmith's forge at the bottom of the yard, a hot iron was
applied to the wound, and it was thought there was an end
of all clangor. The cow was soon after sent to my father's
farm at Dawley, another being sent to London In Its place,
and the cow was turned out with the others, and very little
more was thought about itt but the man who looked after
her was told to mention if he ever saw any peculiar symp-
toms or anything in her manner different front the others. At

the end of about 11 months, when the matter seam almost
forg, tten, he reported that the cow was what he called
" queer in her manner, wandering about solitary, and IVA
feeding." My father thought it WU impossible this could
arise from the bite, but ordered the cow to be shut up in the
cowhouse and securely fastenel, and it was fortunate he did
so, as the next day she was raying mad. None of the men
liked to go near her, and my father shot the cow himself and
had her buried in the orchard. A few days afterward an
eminent member of the veterinary profession came down
from London, requested to have her exhumed, cut the leg off
and took it away with him, saying it was the most ex-
traordinary case he had ever heard of. I think it was the
late 3lr. John Field, but am not sure, as I was not at home
at the time, but I give you the facts as they occurred.
I cannot for a moment agree with Mr. Brantley Berkeley,
that because no remedy ever has been discovered none ever
will. Shakespeare makes Arid l Bay that he can put a girdle
:died the earth in forty minutes. Science can now accom-
plish what the poet foreshadowed, and science will, I be-
lieve, lidd a cure fir this horrible (nal nty. By all means let
eve:lLl:l.g he tried. I have read (I think In a French pager;
eta cure having been effected by constant hot baths. This
mieht easily he tried. Let us try everything, and trust in
skiff and science to conquer disease as chloroform hoe con-
quered pain —Yours truly,
Albert-gate. Oct 17. L LITTELSALL.

With reference to letters in The Times of yesterday on
the subject of remedies for the bites of venomous snakes,
I beg to state that, upwards of 40 years ago, when employed
on the quattermaster-Cieneral's Staff In Co,! na, on two
occasions I cored men who were bitten by Tie Prolosmos
(sm.posed to be the most deadly poisonous of the snakes of
that island) by simp'y cauterizing the punctures with my
knife, heaping a charge of powder from my flask, and blow-
ing it up in each case. I repeated the operation several
times. I was at work in the field at the time ; other means,
auntie, those referred to by your correspondents, were not
within my reach, and I adopted the Impromptu expedient I
have deeeribed, as the only one I could think of, little
hoping at the time that it would save the poor fellow's lives.
On returning to camp after my day's work, to my great joy
I found my first patient suffering only from the sore which
I had made in his foot. Is two days he was at work
again.

The second case occurred only a few days later. The
snake, a magnificent specimen of the Tic Polungo was brought
to mo with the man it had bitten. I tanned the same
course with the man and sent him to camp in the evening
I found him walking about, and he was at work the following
day.
I have before communicated this to the public through the
Press both in England and In Ceylon if you think It worth
repeating, tho information Is at your service.—Yours,
T. SKINNER, late Commissioner of
Bath, Oct. lit Public Works, Ceylon.