New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-02
A Remarkable Ordeal.

The following was written re Gently by
| the veteran DR.. Ashbel Smith, one of the
| oldest physicians and most accom- plisheC
| scholars in Texas:
can't walk, but with help have bobbled
| to the table. If l improve reasonably in
| hobbling by Friday night shall he at my
post in your city on Saturday. My lame
ton but for some facts connected with its
cause which may, perhaps, be OF interest to
others in similar circumstances.
About dark on Saturday last, as | was
walking up the hill from the bay shore, /
felt heavy scufflng about one of my legs,
and at about the same instant the bites OF
sharp teeth. Reaching the house, saw by
the light three several little wounds, with
blood exuding from them, on my leg, three
inches above the ankle. There were two
punctures to each wound, made by the two
tangs of the snake that had bitten me.
Swelling had already commentaries
than five minutes from the biting. Still /
determined to do nothing, for while, at
least III order to Observ We the fleets of the
poison, unmodifed by treatment. The
swelling increased rapidly, and in fifteen
minutes more the pain was excruciatlng,
and could not bear any weight on my leg
l was obliged to lie down.
/ now took, in wine glass OF water, a.
half teaspoontul of saturated tincture Of
iodine About fifteen minutes afterward
repeated the iodine, about twenty drops. A
short time after. perhaps fifteen or twenty
minutes, third dose Of ioiine fifteen drOps;
in twenty-five or thirty minutes. the fourth.
The length of these several intervals Is con-
jectural l had the Orifces of the wounds
several times touched with the tincture of
iodine, and the leg, which was now swollen
from the ankle to the knee, was painted
with iodine.
The pain was excruciating, but at half.
past ten or eleven o'clock-two aud half
or three hours after the bite-hal abated
sensibly. About half-past one in the morn
ing fell asleep, and awoke at sunrise with
complete stiffness and superficial soreness
of the limb ON touch. now swollen to double
its former size, but with no pain worth
mentioning. Nor have l since had any
suffering further than complete disease
being obliged to have it at all times
elevated. The foot participated in the
swelling, and if the leg hung down it
became land indeed still does) AID 10 few
minutes perfectly livid. The interest OF
the matter in question lies in the use and
efficacy of iodine as remedy for venOmous
bites. Nothing else than iodine was used;
no spirits, no hartshOrD, not the least pos
sible thing, internally or externally, except
Former experience had given me conf
dence in iodine by its success with others.
was determined to give it far showing in
my own case, unaided and unObstrncted by
any ether medication. have attached the
greater interest to this case, because,
though one is seldom a safe judge in his
own case, the present bite has been by long
odds the severest snake-bite l ever knew.
Ii left to itself it would, in my opinion,
have been fatal in very few hours. That
the snake was a very large one know, from
his heavy scutflipg about my legs, and, Imay
add, from the depth to which felt his faDgs
enter. My instantaneous suspicion, from
the weight and severity Of the biting, was
that nv assailant was wild cat or some
such animal. The excruciating pain felt
subsequently,, as before mentioned, seemed
to me like the terocious cramps of the
muscles in malignant cholera, except that
they were not in any degree spasmodic.
There were other circumstances. symp
toms which l should detail we're l writing
to physician, bat they would only still
further bore you. To set forth truly the
efficacy of iodine must excuse my length.
do not know what kind of snake it was,
but suspect it to have been a rattlesnake.