The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1884-07-12
COL. HOUNTON'S DISCO VERY.

III u'sIOScEInS u cure IOI AyuIOPuOOs"
Col. Houston, Of Georgia. has discover.
ed Il cure for rattlesnske poisoning. In
both cases the cure is brought about by
incubation with attsnuated poison
germs. aud although Col. Houston
made his discovery purely by accident
he is as great il benefactOr to the race
as NJ. Pasteur.
Col. Houston was hunting in a Geor-
gia swamp with two other COlOnels.
when lie was suddenly and without the
slightest dcIiberation bitten by u rattle
snake. The two unbitten Colonels
must huve been men of unusual powers
OF absorption, tor when the accident
occurred there was not a drop Of whis
key left in the party. Whiskey. rs is
we'll known, is IN antidOte to rattle
snake poison if it is administered in
doses Of a pint ut u time, aud the dose
is repeated ut brief intervaIs.' No
attempt was made to give whisky to
Col. HuOstOn, which shows that all the
whiskey in the three TASKS of the three
cOiOnels Was exhau sted. Moreover. the
moment Col. Houston was bitten. the
other two c"lon-ls went iu search of Il
medical colonel. The services If the
latter would not have been sought had
not the bitten mau been in imminent
danger. and he would not have been in
danger fine had already had his full
share Of the whisky carried by the hunt
ing party. Hence we find by an ex-
haostive process Of reasoning that Col.
HOusto1's two friends were men Of
great capacity in point of whisky. and
they doubtless felt as they rushed away
after the dearest medical colonel, that
they had selG-hly imperiled their
friends life.
Left to himself, Col. Hou ston Law
under a cypress tree, wrote a brief let
ter in lead pencil announcing that he
was about to die at the head of q rattle
snake, and exhorting all surviv ing
colonies to carry an extra supply of
whiskey with them whenever engaged
in hunting in rattlesnake regions. Hav
lug thus prepared for death. the Colo
mel closed his yes and the local mos
q%uitoes prepared to d. their best work.
The mosquitoes of Tnscumasauea-
Swamp are Of immense
size and strength. They fell upon Col.
III thick clouds, and bit him |
the rate Of two hundred bites per
In fifteen minutes the Colo
Del felt that he could bear their IA.
'aults no longer, and ~thereupon rose
Up and began to flee from the swamp.
lie still entertained the idea Of diving. !
'nt resolved to die in some locality
thickly Inhabited by mosquitoes.
The mosquitoes, however. followed
until lie was entirely out Of the
wamp and half way home. Finding
hat the rattlesnake bite was causing
i'm no Inconvenience, he resolved to
o home and 60 to bed, which he &C
ordingly did, and woke up the next
perfectly we'll. tolthe unbound
d astonishment of all tho colonies Of
nat part of the State of Georgia.
The facts of this case are beyond dis
ute. Col. Houston was bitten on tho
of the right leg by q large rattle
'ake. was treated by a million or b
! mosquitoes, and entirely recovered. :
his establishes beyond the possibility
doubt that incubation with mosoui
poison is an antidote to r~attlesnake
olson-a fact which will h~enceforth
the rattlesnake of all hi. Ne I
terrors. :
We may assume from the analogy :
Finished by the investigation of N. !
that the poison of the MOSQUITO :
identical with that of the rattlesnake q
nd differs from it only in the fact =
at it is greatly attenuated. It cures
poisoning in the same
ay that inocolation with the attenua 9
d virus of rabies cures hydrophobis. 3
Q have here an explanation Of the i!
igin of the mosquito: That much :
aligned insect exists, and 10 created q
leIy in order that an antidote to q
AXE poisoning may always b within =
ach. Hereafter, when . man 10 bites t,
q rationale. he will in.tarA,v.. O