Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-08-01
ALfgA. GAZETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER
PUBLISHED DAILY BY
EDGAR SNOWDEN.
A REMARKABLE ORDEAL.

The following was written by the veteran DR..
Ashbel Smith, one of the Oldest physicians and
most accomplished scholars in Texas:
EVERGREEN, HARRIS Co., June u, 1874.
S. H. Gushing, esq:
My DEAR SIR Il can't wax but with help
have hobbled to the table. 1t improve rea-
sonab!y 10 hobbling by Friday night shall be
at NY post in your city on Saturday. My lame
ness would deserve but the shortest meDtlon
but for S, m. facts connected with Its cause
which may, perhaps, be of interest to others IN
similar circumstances.
About dark on Saturday last as was walk
inc up the hill from the bay shore, l felt
heavy scuthng about one of my legs, aud at
about the same instant the bites of sharp teeth.
Reaching the house, | saw BY the light three
several little wounds, with blood exudlng from
them, on my leg, three inches above the ankle.
There were two punc!ures to each wouud, made
by the Two fangs of the suake that had bitten
me. Swelling had already commenced
than five minutcs from the biting. Still | de.
termoed to do nothing, for while at least 10
order TO observe the effects Of the poison, un-
modified by treatment The swelling increased
RAPIDLY, aud 10 fifteen minutes mure the pain
was excrucatiug, and | could not bear any
weight on my leg. | was obliged TO lie down.
now took, in wine-gla of water, half
teasponntu of saturated tincturc of ludlue.-
Abou, fifteen minutes atterward | repeated the
iodine, about twenty drops A short time al
ter, perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes, third
dose Ut iodiue, fifteen drops; in twenty five or
thirty minutes, the fourth. The length OF
these several Intervals is con njcc;ural. had the
ortccs of the wounds several times touched
with the tiucture OF iodone, and the leg, which
was now swollen from the ankle to the knee,
was painted with iodine.
The pain was excruciatng. but at 1890 or
II 'cock-two aud ;-half or three hours after
the bite-had abatcd seusibly About l.30
10 the morning ieli asleep, and awoke at sun
rise with complete stiffness and superficial sore
ness of the limb on touch, now swollen to dou
bic it's former size, but with no pain worth
mentioning. Nor have since had any suffer
lug further than complete di>usc of the leg till
this morning, aud being obliged to have it at
all tunes elevated. The foot participated in
the swelling, and if the leg hung down 1t be-
came land indeed still does) 10 few minutes
perfectly livid. The interest of the matter III
question lies in the use aud efficacy OF iodine as
"a remedy for veuomous bites. Nothing else
than iodine was used; no spirits, no hartshorn,
not the least possible thing, internally or eX
telually, except iodine and one small drink OF
water.
Former experience had given me confidence
in iodine by its success with others. | was de.
termiued TO give it lair showing in my own
case, unaided and unobslructed by any other
medication. | have attached the greater inter
est to this case, because, though one is seldom
safe Judge 10 his own case, the. present bite
has been by long odds the severest suake-bite
ever knew. If LETT to itself it would, 10 my
opinion, have been fatal in a very few hours.
That the snake was very large Que | know,
from his heavy scuhliug about my legs, and, |
may add, from the depth to which | felt his
ianrs euter. My instantaneous suspicion, from
the weight and severity Of the biting, was that
my assallant was wildcat or some such ami
NAL. The excruciating paiu felt subsequently,
as before mentioned, seemed to me like the
tcrocious cramps of the muscles in malignant
cholera, except that they were not in any de-
gree SpaSmodlc.
There were other circumstances, symptoms
which should detail were | writing to a ply
sclau, but 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 rattesnake Very truly yours,
ASUBEL SMITH