The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-01-23
Rheuma tlsm ana other sDiseases
Cured by the Sting Of lnsects!

-.-, From the Providence journal.
DR.. Desmartis of Bordeaux, France, has intro
duced into his practice an extraordinary medi.
cal remedy for the cure of certain diseases which
is attracting much attention from these who have
heard of it for the first time 1t is well estab-
lished fact in medicine that one disease may be
cured or prevented by incubation with the virus
of another. 1t is not equally well knewn that
painful malades may he cured by causing insects
to sting the parts affected. DIR. Desmarts has
carried on his experiments on venomous inocu
lation for fifteen years, and therefore does not
speak without experience. He has tried his sys-
tenn on plants and animals. with similar re'ults.
Plants inoculated with the virus of certain an
imal poison produce some cryptogamia on differ
emit parts OF their surface, and second inocula-
ton with another animal poison cleared the
plants Of these parasitic growths, and of the in
sects or animalcule which they had attracted
It has long been tradition in medicine that lep-
rosy can be cured by the poison of certain
serpcnts; and it is well known that poisonous
drugs are freely administered as powerful alter
atives in certain diseases, DR.. Humboldt, a
nephew Of the great naturalist in his practice at
Havana, found that the poison of the scorpion
was remedy of yellow fever. He inoculated
over two thousand men of the military and ma
val garrison; more then six hundred afterwards
were attacked with the fever, of whom not more
than sixteen died. ,r7 etEt's FssS.5ft
A distinguished Frenchman, M.,de Gasparin,
related the following incident to DR.. Desmartis .
He had long been affected with rheumatism,
which was attended with great suffering One
day while picking handful Of weeds in his gar.
den he was stnng by wasp on the wrist The
arm swelled, but the rheumatic pain disappear
ed The next day he caused the new remedy To
be applied to the seat of pain in his leg, and he
was again freed from suffering, and could walk
with ease AT every subsequent temperance Of
the malady for the last three years he has been
cured by similar means. Other cases are also
recorded where q hopeless, case OF cholera in a
man, and an epileptitoric disease in child were
cured by the sting Of scorpion; and it is said
that certain diseases Of the eye can be cured by
the sting of wasp or bee. Dead insects and
live leeches have long been used in pharmacy I;
and we are told that Micianus, an important
commander under Vespasian, used TO carry about
with him, enyeloped in in white cloth, a GER
tain insect to cure him of the eye disease to
which he was subject
These are curious facts, and we hope our rheu-
matte friends will be philanthropic enough to APP
ply the singing remedy, and test its efficacy for
the good Of suffering humanity. Wasps, and
bees and scorpions are a novelty on the lists of
remedial agents, and the time may come--strang-
err events have happened when the most &C.
ceptable gift to an afflicted friend will be buzz
eng bee for diseased eye, or well-developed
wasp for rheumatism. Hymenoptera will rise
in market value, and even despised wasps fill q
useful niche in the worlds history. We shall
take pleasure in recording any interesting ex-
perience which may arise from the application of
this new agent, and the great prevalence Of the
disease at this season makes it peculiarly APP
propriats time to commence the novel treatment.
Col. McKenty, who was very generally known