Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-05-22
Sting of Insects Curative.

| DIR. Telepho Desmartis of Bordeaux
France, has for some months past been
making use of most extraordinary
medical remedy for the cure Of certain
diseases, which cannot fail to excite
astonishment among those who hear ot
il for the first time. That one disease
may be cured or prevented by inocula-
ton with the virus Of another, is, as
thousands of persons know, not new
idea but there is novelty in the sug
gestion that painful maltdies may bC
cured by causing insects to sting the
part affected. This is the practice which
DR.. Desmartis has been applying, ant
which he desires to extend and as BIZ
experiments on venomous inoculatior
have been carried on for fiften years, he
does rot speak without experience
They have been tried on plants as well
as animals, and with similar results
He observed that plants inoculated with
the virus of syphilis produced small
cryptogamia on different parts of then
surface, and that a second incubation,
with another animal poison, cleared the
plants of these parasite growths, and OF
the insects or animalcule which they
attracted. 1t has long been medical
tradition that leprosy is curable BY the
poison of certain serpents, and it is well
known that poisonous drugs are admins
tered in medicine, as powerful alternatives
in certain diseases. DR.. Humboldt,
nephew of the late illustrious German,
in his practice at Havana, has ascertain
ed that the poison of the scorpion tribe
is a remedy for yellow fever. He in
ocuIated two thousand four hundred and
seventy ight men of the military and
naval garrison six hundred and seven
ty six afterward caught the fever, of
whom not more than sixteen died. A
distinguished Frenchman, M. de Gas
pariD, having heard of the facts cited by
Dr. Desmartis, communicated TO him
fact in his own experience. He bad
long been afflicted with a rheumatism,
which kept him almost constantly infrm.
o. Is-. IN ninkinn nr a handful nf
weeds in his garden, he was stung by a
wasp on the wrist. The arm swelled (;
but the rheumatic pan disappeared
Seeing this result, he caused himself to
be stung the next day along the seat of
pain in bis leg, and was again delivered
from suffering, and was able to walk
with ease. This happened three years
ago, and every subsequent reappearance
of the malady has been cured by SINH
lar means; and by wasp sting on his
neck an attack of bronchitis was over
come. Among other instances mention
ed by DR.. Desmartis, we notice a hope
less case of cholera in a man, and epil-
eptiform disease in a child, both cured
by the sting of scorpion; and it ap-
pears that lachryma fstula, and some
other diseases of the eye, are curable by
the sting of wasp or bee. These are
curious facts. Their value will, perhaps
appear on further discussion. Dead in
sects and live leeches have long figured
10 pharmacy but it will be something
new to have to buy living hymenoptera,
hemiptera, or aptera, in which orders
singing insects are found, to use as
medicinal remedies. Yet, fter all,
there may be nothing new in it; for as
M. de Gasparin, remarks, are we not
told that Mucianus, an important COM
nander under Vespasian, used to carry
about with him, enveloped in a white
cloth, certain insect to cure him of the
eye disease, to which he was subject ?