The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-07-23
A PHYSICIANS ORDEAL.
Careful Experiments upon Him
seIfIn al Case % SNAKE bite-EO
dine as a. Remedy.

seIfiu "A Case % SNAKE bite-EO
dine as "a Remedy.
/ The following Is n copy of a privat,
, letter addressed by a Texas physician &,
/. Mr.. f. H. Gushing, a citizen of Houston
aud formerly editor ana proprietor OF th'
Telegraph of that city, by which paper
the letter has been made public. In
reproducing it, the New Orleans Times
say: The letter is from the veteran DR..
Ashbel Smith, one OF the oldest and most
distinguished citizens OF Texas, thor
ough physician, an accomplished sholar
and gentleman, who has served Texas
: while a Republic, ami then a- a State. i'm
various public and honorable offices, with
talent and distinction. Having had the
pleasure of knowing DIR. smith intimate
ly, We can vouch for it that this letter
was not written for publication, and that
the whole trying ordeal-in which his life
has hung suspended i'm the balance for
hours-took place just as he describes 1t.
The combination of the cool courage OF
the old soldier-for such he is-with the
higher moral courage Of the veteran ply
stefan and clear-headed, intelligent seeker
after scientific facts beneficial To the pro-
fession, is 50 strikingIy shown in thisletter
that We give it entire. DR.. Smiths dis
/ covery, from his own personal experience,
of the efficacy of iodine in poison from "A
| snake-bte, will, of course, be duly noted
by physicians The following il the LETT
! ter:
EvERGREES, june -, 1874
E. H. Gushing Esq.
My DEAR SIR: | can't walk but
with help, have hobbled to the table If
| improve reasonably in hobbling 10y
Friday night, | shall be at my post, in
your city, on Saturday. My lameue--
would deserve but the shortest mention
but for some facts connected with the
cause, which may, perhaps be Of interest
to others in similar circumstances.
About dark Saturday last, as l was
walking up the hill from the bay shore, ]
felt a heavy scufliug about one Of my legs,
and at the same instant the bites ofsharP
teeth Reaching the house, ! saw 10y the
light three several little wounds, with
blood exudiug from them ON my leg 3
inches above the ankle There We're two
punctures to each wound, made by the
two tangs Of the snake that had bit me.
Swelling had already commercials
than five minutes from thel biting still
l determined to douothing, tor while at
east, in order to observe the effect Of the
poison unmodihed by treatment. The
swelling increased rapidly, and in fifteen
minutes more the pain had become ex-
cruciating, and | could not bear any
weight on the leg. was obliged now to
lie down.
l now took, in IA wine glass of water. a
half teaspoonful of saturated tIucture of T.
iodine About fifteen minutes after
wards | repeated the ioIine-about TWEEN /.
ty drops \ short time after, perhaps F.
fifteen or twenty minutes, q third dose |
Of iodine-ffteen drops; ia twenty-five |
or thirty minutes after, the fourth. The
length of these several intervals is con
jectural. | had the orifices of the wounds
several times touched with the tincture
Of iodine, and the leg, which was swollen
from the ankle to the knee, was painted
with iodine.
The pain was excruciating, but by
1920 or IL o'ciock-two and a half or
three hours after the bte-had abated
sensi5ly. About 1880 in the morning
fell asleep, and awoke at sunrise with
complete stiffness and superficial soreness
Of the limb on couch, now swollen to
double its former size, but with no pain
worth mentioning. Nor have | since
had suffering further than complete
disease of the leg, until this morning
and being obliged to have it at all times
elevated. The foot participated in the
swelling, and if the leg hung down it be-
came (and indeed still does in few min |
utes perfectly livid.
The interest OF the matter in question I
lies in the use, the eiiiracy, OF iodine rs |
remedy for venomou- bites. Nothing
else than iodine was used 100 spirits, no
hartshorn not the least possible thing in
the world, internally or externally,
except iodine and one small drink OF
water.
Former experience had given me conf
dence in iodine by IT, use with others. ]
was determined to give 10 Ilir show.
ing in my own case, unaided and unob-
structed by any other mediation. ] have
attached the greater interest 10 this case
because, though one Is seldom safe Judge
in his own case, the present bite has been
by long odds the sevcre-t -nake-blte ever
knew. If left TO Itself IL would, IN my
opinion, have been fatal IN a very few
hours That the snake was very large
one, / know from his heavy scutilIug
about my legs, and may add, from the
depth to which | felt his fangs enter.
Ny instantaneous suspicion, from the
weight and severity Of the biting, was that
my assailant was a wildcat, or some such
animal The excruciating pain felt sub
| sequently, rs before mentioned, seemed 20
I me like the farociou- cramps of the mus
/ eles in malignant cholera, except that
/ they were not in any degree spasmodic
There were other circumstances, -ymp-
| toms which should detail were ] writing
to physician, but they would only still
further bore you. Tc set forth truly the
efficacy Of iodine must excuse my length.
I | do not know what kim Of snake it was,
but suspect it to have been ratte-nake
Very truly yours,
A~HBEL SMITH.
GranIsand south Carolina.