The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-05 00:00:00

(CONCLUDED rami OUP. eArit. !PIT TTTETST4.I" LAST.)
The Guaco:plarit is found indigenous in the
neighbourhood of Maraginta, as well, as in the
hot and temperate parts of the vice-royalty of
Santa Fe ; and thrives singularly well on the
margins of rivulets and in damp places. The
plant, as above noticed, has been called Guaco,
a name that was found preserved by tradition
among the negroes, froni whom the. communica-
tion was received ; but its genus is not yet deter-
mined in botany. Its root is fibrous,.and extends
in every direction. It is a species of creeper
or bind-weed, and its climbing and adhering
shoot is round when young, but angular when

old, and set with apposite leaves ; these are green,
intermixed with purple, smooth below, rough
above, and somewhat hairy.
The flower rises
four petals
like a crest, is yellow, flosculous, anal.
are seen in each calix. In the inside .ofthe
tassel of the flower, which is dented, arc ts.:e
stamino united to the apices. These, which
are cylindrically shaped, surround the style, and
contain long and bristly seeds.
Although as a preservative, it was at first sup-
posed .unnecessary to innoculate with the juice of
theGuaco plant, under an impression, that its effects
on serpents aroseout of the disagreeable smell the
plant emits; it was nevertheless found, that the
mode usually practised by the negroes possessed
some peculiar advantages, and that in like man-
ner as the virus of the small pox, introduced by
the smallest orifice into the system, affects the
whole mass,of the . blood, this also might have
some strong communicative properties; which yen -;
dered innoculation more safe and efficacious. The
juice operates as a powerful anodyne, and creates
in the patient a copious perspiration. When the
cure has been performed, in the manner above
described, the native empyrics nevertheless, say,
that it is advisable to continue the dose five or
six times, during the successive month, lest any
of the venom should be lurk;ng behind. The
repetition of the aforesaid process, moreover,
tends constantly to maintain, in the humours of
the body the strong effects of ti:. lisrb, which
operates as a shield against future poison, even
though, at the time of being bitten, the plant
should not be at hand to rub the wound and re-
new the dose. They further add, that the cu-
rative virtues of the plant subside, if the same
precaution is not used at the next increase of the
moon ; when it again becomes necessary to be
inoculated by the hand of the empiric. This, haw,
ever, is held out-from, no other than interested
views, as the curing of serpents' bites among the
negroes is still a kind of trade ; and both dis-
tinguished botanists and physicians have hat
ample and frequent proof that the remedy and
antidote are alike permanently efficacious. In
fact, by the way of experiment, serpents have
been handled long after the monthly period of
inoculation had passed ; though it is strongly
recommended, in cases of trial) that the,person
should prepare himself half on hour before the
serpent is taken into the lanai, by a dose of the
fresh juice, and previously rubbing his hands
followedjtielee
hbiay,creating
witho t s
aec
ackreils sny
d.
opointed
fdisgust, ot
or whether
whetheri a_ is
n-
with the leaf ; a practice that has been frequently
The experiments hitherto made on this sub-
the effluvia of the plant which acts, on the rep
agreeable sensation is communicated that lulls
it, and makes it forget its natural malignity.
It has, however, been noticed, that on spittle,
iinpregnated with the juice, being cast on th©
head of the serpent, it appears to become drowsy,
notwithstanding it was before in an irritated and
restless state ; whereas, when handled by the
person who had been previously prepared, it is
uneasy, and evinces a wish to escape. A con-
siderable quantity of the juice being poured on
two serpents, it was observed, that the sensation
of stupor was not very durable, for, after the
lapse of a short period, they recovered their ac-
customed vigour, and were as active as before
they had been sprinkled.
The Guaco plant is now applied, as a cure
for the bite of all kinds of serpents, by the
Spanish physicians in the tropical provinces of
South America. In those of Venezula and Ca-
raccas, its use is become so general that it has
been planted and reared on all the large estates ;
iwsoorskrriinedtwheithfietlidiesm,
isnmosallsecaalnaybanaslii
and every morning, when the labourers go out to
s foofr t
ut he juice
hap-
pens to any of the people.
As before observed, the Guaco plant, although
not in use for more than thirty years, has been
found to possess sovereign virtues, and to coun-
teract the poison of all the snakes and serpents
peculiar to the Spanish Maim : and experiments
to this effect have there been made can the Taya,
as before-mentioned; the Coral, or coral snake ;
called so from its red colour ; the Cascabel, or
rattle-snake ; and a green one, found near the
city of Giron. Indeed, no greater proof of the
powerful effects of the plant 'in question can be
brought forward, than the case of the rattle-snake.
The bite of the latter is both violent and
grievous; nevertheless, this remedy has proved
efficacious to persons in the agony of death.
liven
bederi‘.eaThis plant might be of the greatest service in
Europe, and deserves the notice of the rational
philanthropist, and the experiments of the public
schools its
s virtues,
reliefmi e
once
establish-
ed, would render the plant an object of trade ;
ands ]
essentialforlosmofthmisedaincine.
to the ills of the human frame. •en experi-
ments already made have proved, that
cellent vermifuge, and the 1. pecu iar
bitterness
of
the plant corroborates the fact.
It is also
stomachic and tonic.

The Sheffield cricket-players, smarting under
the defeat they sustained at Nottingham last
week, have sent a challenge to the Nottingham
Club, to play them for any sum not exceeding
5001., on any ground save that upon which they
experienced so decided a discomfiture. ,
One of the most brilliant and picturesque
tohfe
they
the
resembled flashes were
in
al?-
pearances of the Aurora Borealis ever seen in this
quarter, exhibited itself on the evening of Mon-
day last. The coruscations were . -ry rapid and
transparent, and overspread nearly the whole
almostnorthern
vertical,hemisphere.
narrow belt, crossing the heavens
/notion the undulations of a bright
clearness and
flame. At one time the meteors formed them-
selvesfrom east to west.—Pertli courier.
A few weeks age Mr. Dean,
lattSe°ll7
surgeon, el
Wilmslow, extracted a musket-ball from the 1: a
of an old pensioner, where it had been lodged
ever since the battle of Vittoria. The operation
was performed with
much skill, and the.
patient
into a
has experienced great relief from it. A few days
after the operation, the veteran, b •
being then in a
state of intoxication, threw the ball
into the
thee, I've
cc _
carried fire,
exclaiming— thee lone.
,nought'—Maecieffield Herald. 0