Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-12-18

weeks, a feyiodical RELAPSE took plscss
which lasted four days, &c.
Whether the Doctor wishes TO play
upon the credulity of his readers, or was
wounded by some other snake, know
not, but have seen and heard oil many
cases of the bite of rattle snake, and the
effects were invariably the same, and
different from those above stated. Unless
proper aniidotes were applied, death al
ways followed in Twelve hours. When
these were used, the most speedy cure
always followed, and nc periodical re-
turn OF Stiv syUPvoIns ever was Observed
The following case, which l detail, with
the treatment, came within my own i'm
mediate observation
A girl, about ten years of age, trod
upon, and was bit by rattle snake ON
the top of the foot. She comp lained i'm
mediately of extreme hatn. Upon re-
moving her stocking, (Which could not
have been more than three minutes after
the infection Of the wound) four small
hunctures appeared on the skin, which
were filled with thick Shiny substance,
but no blood, and the skin swelledt to the
height of half an inch the swelling in
creased rapidly, and she stated that she
could feel the pain slowly advancing up
the leg. Her foot was instantly covered
with earth, about three inches deep, and
water poured over it bandage was also
tied round her leg; but the former be-
came SO painful an application, that the
earth was removed. She complained of
heat, and drank freely of water; bu, did
not perspire until twenty minutes had ex-
pired alter the inlliction of the wound.
A portion of the herb called by the In
dams the rattle snakes niastef.Lfece,* was
then procured, the root of which was APP
piled TO the wound and given internally,
which took effect in about thirty minutes,
and was followed by langor and sleep.
She remained in this stale nearly three
hours, and arose almost free from pain, &
immediately asked for more OF the pre-
paration OF the ve-mentioned root
She rested we'll the following night, and
the next morning complained OF nothing
but small degree of soreness in her
foot and leg. The above application was
continued till the fourth day, when she
was completely recovered. Iaiterwards
saw ner i"~lelS, when she was 10 years
OF age, and she had ntvv., as she inform.
ed me, felt the least pain or relapse since
her recovery on the fourth day af,sr The
occurrence. gsA ,f
A favori.e dog, severely bitten, and
unable 10 move more than 100 yards, ex-
pressed a sensation OF severe pain, and
was cured by the same root, in three
days, and never experienced any return
oil the disease.
Livery one in the least acquainted with
the rattlesnake, knows that the wound is
given with from Two to four fangs, which
are carved, and by which the venom is
elected from bag situated in the Jaw.
The rattle snake never bites i'll attacked,
and will rather shun than seek a conflict.
Providence has provided, that i'll every
situation where the rattle snake is found,
an antielote is found with it. To this the
reptile, after having given the bite, flies,
for the same blow which iptlicis The dead
ly wound, also creates in lie snake a
sickness, for which it immediately seeks
relief in the plant. At times, however,
they are known to bite without this effect
being produced but when the venom is
elected, il invariably follows.
A GEORGIAN.
slhc "Rattlesnakc's Masterpiece (as II is
termed BY the hdalis) is plant conliioni IN
the upper counties Of Georgia. X has leak
resembling, in shape and cop., hat of the aloe,
except the edge which is smooth, and about