Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-05-07

decomposition OF this poison, seems
altogether doubtful. The cure of
the fever OccasiOncd by this poison,
must be effected with reference to
those general indications which are
regarded in the cure OF other fevers
of equal force. The internal RENE
dies alluded to, so far as ! am ac-
quainted with them, are possessed
of little or no medical efficacy.
They are not emetics, cathartics, or
sudorifcs. What theni They are
harmless substances, which do
wonders il all those eases i'll which
there is nothing to be done.
The truth is, the bite ofa rattle or
copper-snake, in heshy or tendin-
ous part, where the blood vessels
are neither numerous or large, soon
healed under any kind of treat
ment. But when the iaugs of the
serpent, which are hollow, and
eject the poison through an oriice
near the points, penetrate a blood
vessel of any considerable size, a
malignant and incurable fever was
generally the immediate cOnse-
quence, and the patient often ex-
pired in the first paroxysm.
The same observations apply TO
the effects of the bite of serpents
when inflicted on beasts. Horses
were frequently Lilled by them as
they were commonly bitten SOME
where about the nose, in which the
blood vessels are numerous and
large. once saw a horse die OF
the bite of a rattle-snake; the
blood for some time before he ex-
pired exuded in great quantity
through the pores Of the skin.
Cattle were less frequently kill
ed, because their noses are OF a
erisly texture, and less furnished
with blood vessels than those OF
horse. Dogs were sometimes bit.
ten, and being naturally physicians,
they commonly scratched a hole IN
some damp place, and held the
wounded part in the ground till the
inflammation abated. Hogs, when
in tolerable order, were never hurt
by them, owing to the thick sub.
stratum OF fat between the skin,
muscular flesh, and blood vessels.
The hog generally took immediate
revenge for the injury done him,
10y instantly tearing TO pieces ana
devouring the serpent which III
flicted it.
The itch, which was a very con-
mon disease in early times, was
commonly cured 10y an ointment
made Of birthstone and hogs lard.
Gun.shot and other wounds were
treated with slippery elm bark,
flaxseeed, and other snch like
pOultices. Many lost their lives
from wounds which would now be
considered trifling and easily cnred.
The use of the lancet, and other
means OF depletion, III the treat
ment of wounds, constituted no
part of their cure in this country,
in early times,
Ny mother died in early life Of a
wound from the tread Of IL horse,
which any person in the habit OF
letting blood might have cured by
two or three bleedings, without
any other remedy. The wound was
poulticed with spikenard root, and
soon terminated in an extensive
modification.
Most of the men Of the early set
tiers of this country were affected
with the rheumatism. For relief
from this disease, the hunters gen
orally slept with their feet to the
fire. From this practice they GER
tainly derived much advantage.
The oil of rattlle.snakes, geese,
wolves, bears, raccoons, ground
hogs and pole.cats, was applied TO
the swelled joints, and bathed IN
before the fire.
The pleurisy was the only DIS
ease which was supposed to require
blood letting; but in many cases a
bleeder was not to be had.
Coughs and pulmonary conspmp-
tions were treated with great
variety of syrups, the principal
inpredients of which were spike.
nard and elecampane. These
syrups certainly gave but little re-
lief.
Charms and incantations were in
use for the cure of many diseases.
| learned, when young, the incanta.
ton, in German, for the cure Of
burns. stopping blood, tooth.acbe,
and the charm against bullets in
battle but for the want of faith in
their efficacy, / never used any of
them.
The erysipelas, or st. Anthony's |
fire, was circumscrlbed by the
blood Of a black cat. Hence there !
was scarcely a black cat to be seen,
whose ears and tail had not been
frequently cropped off for a con.
tfibu;ion Of blood.
Whether the medical profession
is productive of most good or
harm, may still be a matter of dis
pute with some philosophers, who
never saw any condition of society
in which there were no physicians,
and therefore could not be furnish
ed'with proper test for deciding
the question. Had an unbeliever