Star.
London, England, 1824-09-15 00:00:00

particulioly the Liverpool, Newspapets.

. _
One of them, the Liverpool Mercury I thia;published
a plate aryl full description of the plant to which I al-
little. Yet the rented.), has never been tried in this
country, although the plant grows in almost every
pond, ditch, and running stream, throughout the three
kingddms. I have made numerous inquiries of the
faCulty, and their answer uniformly was, that they had
never heard of its being employed. The plant is known
by the name of alisma plantagoi or great water plantain.
It is arranged by Linnaeus, in the class Hexandtia and
order Monogynia. his the only plant of that class and
order in the Linmean arrangement hitherto discovered.
The following is the description of-the plant given by
Cuttis, in the " Flora Londinensis :"
" Calyx, three.leaved—Tbe leaves ovate, a little pointed, cer
cave, marked with lines. Corolla, petals three, roundish, purple,
Sat, spreading. Capsules numerous, twelve or more, placed in a
circle,—styles as numerous as the germina fiiinnm, upright. Stn.
mata simple—the pistillum magnified. " there is no plat more
common, -growing by the sides of ponds, rivers, and ditches. It
Rowers In July, August, and September, when the plant is in its
state of greatest activity."
I think it my duty to state what I know ofits specific
powers. Many persons may remember that a remedy
for the Faison of the rattle-snake was purchased by the
Assembly of the State of South Carolina, of a negro, by
gising him his freedom, and settling upon him an an-
nuity of one hundred pounds for life for making the
discovery known. It is as follows:—" Take of the
roots'and branches of the herbs plaintain and horehound
gathered in Summer, of each an equal quantity; bruise
them in a mortar and express the juice. Of this ex-
pressed juice a table-spoonful is to be administered as,
aoan as possible after the person has been bitten, or if
the patient be swelleg, the same dose is to be forced
down his throat."
This quantity will generally effect a cur.', but if no
relief be found in the course of an hour, the dose may
be repeated, Which never fails in effecting a cure. If
the plants be dry, they must be moistened with a little
water. A leaf of good tobacco dipped in rum may be
applied to the wound. The above specific for curing
the bite of the rattle-snake was subjected to the severest
trial. The negro by whom it was disclosed, stripped
off his shoes and stockings, and jumped into a tub
amongst half a. dozen large sized rattle-snakes, in pre-
. sence of most of the Members of the Assembly. Several
other negroes also allowed themselves to be bitten for a
bottle of rum, so great was their confidence in the
remedy. The negro reverted the effects of the poison
taking place in himself and in all the others who were
bitten. It was impossible so large and tespectable a
body as composed the State Legislature, could be de-
ceived in regard to the specific powers of the remedies
employed by the negro. This discovery was adver-
tised for the benefit of mankind. No sooner was it pub-
lished, than many attempts were made in various parts
of the country to cure the bite of the I attle-snake, but
every experiment totally failed. It was *rally curious
to hear the numerous conjectures which were afloat,
how it wits possible for the poor negro to have prae-'
tried such a deception ; with which Pt Rice Iluhenlohe's
miracles cannot for a moment be compared. In proof
of the efficacy of the Prince's pniyers, I ss ould suggest
to his followers, that they should try the experiment of

the poor negro, and see if his prayers would be equally
successful. Thisexperiment would put the Prince's powers
to the beseteit imaginable, and would make superstition,
folly, and ignorame; appear in their true characters.
At the suggestion of the late Dr. Baron, President of
the College of Physician's of S:ruth Carolina, who con-
sidered
it_the duty cf the profession to put the remedy.,
to the fairest trial, a number of experiments were in•
stunted. lie applied to me to furnish him with all tire'
different species of plaintain and horehound to be found
in the State. Rattle-snakes were procured in abun-
dance by Mr. Bankshaw, of Ashly Ferry.
Old horses, hogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, poultry, and
wild fowl, were fed with the different kinds of plantain
and horehound, and then the snakes were allowed to
bite them. But, with the exception of the hogs, every
one of them died within twenty-four hours,-and many
of them•in one hour; and some in fifteen minutes, after
the wound was inflicted.
Seeing that the hogs only escaped, we supposed that
the greasy nature of their flesh 'prevented the poison
from taking any effect upon them ; and that the ne-
gives must haie rubbed their legs and feet with oil as
a prevemi‘ e of the poison; by which.means they had
deceived the spectators. Therefore we oiled and greased
the animals w►th olive and other oils and, with hog's
fat, and have oil and fat internally, before they were
bitten, but every one of them died as speedily as before.
We then tried mercury, antimony, acids, common salt,
ammonia, iiher, laudanum), and other narcotics arid
antispasmodics, the fixed alkalis, and every other remedy
said to be a specific, but without effect, as every animal
died, exhibiting the same phenomena as if nothing had
neen applied. excepting those symptoms which arose
from the acid and corrosive substances applied with
the hope of counteracting the poison.
The specific. action of the poison apfears.to he.ch;efly
confined to the muscles. After its infli,t;on powerful
in uscular contractiOns t ike place over the whole body,
the muscles are highly inflamed, a coldness and con u-