Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-14
Cure for RSiI.ess,ake Rife.

Richard Whedey in I.arper 5 Weekly
The bite OF the rat;lesnake is a very serious
matter, and often proves fatal. 1t is inflicted
by the curved tangs On each side of the upper
jaw. These are pointed rs needles, hollow. and
fixed upon sacs which contain bright green
deadly poison. The latter Is forced through the
fang into in the wound S9hn Gesr, the rattle
bitten three tlmcs-once on the bottom OF his
great toe, then on the leg through the fine
leather OF his boot, and lastly by snake that
he was training, and that stuck its fangs in 20
his thiSh. Tearing 1T away, a lacerate1 and
badly poisoned wound was tine result Three
or four days OF temporary Inconvenience fol-
lowed: He promptly applied salt and indigo
mixed III equal quantities and moistened by
water, TO the wound; the indigo was what is
sold i'll stores under that name Next he ate
the leaves OF the arrow-leaved violet VIOI1
suyittotd, which grows plentifully in localities
where rattiesnakcs breed, and which has the
TASTE OF slippery elm bark. Tea made from the
same leaves is almost equally etficacious
The ieavesa are to be eaten until the symptoms
OF poisoning subside. Wherever possible, a ban
daSe OF them is bound around the stricken
nmb, Kept damp by water, or renewed every
three or four hours when dried by the inflan-
nation, To prevent the spread OF the swelling
AS soon as possible "a plaster is made from the
thick milky root OF either variety of the "Iion' s
heart'-plants of the Nabulus or rattIesnake-
root genus-and applied to the wound after the
salt and indigo mixture is taken away This.
when removed at the end OF two hours, is color
ed bright green 10y the virus. "The violet drives
out and the lion s-heart draws out the poison ("
The larger specimen OF the ''liOn s-heart is also
called lion sfoot," "gall of the EARTH "rattle-
snake-rOot,' and has u Leaf like that OF the wild
buckwheat.
This is the remedy applied for generations,
and always with success, in the case of man or
beast, by members OF the celebrated Geer fam
lily to sufferers from rattlesnake bites Joseph
Geer, who moved with his grandfather Amasa
Geer. from COeyman's Patent, New York, to
Geer Creek. Long Eddy, more than 4 century
ago, received the knowledge of it from John
Johnston, a halt-breed, long before the INDIANS
went away, and afterwards freely commune
Gated IL TO his friends and family. Mr. E. NJ,
North, OF Cincinnati, nephew OF General
worth, Is among the witnesses to its
at his museum in the BOwery, New York,
ON the lett thumb. Sending d policeman tor an
ambulance and friend for whiskey, he drank q
quart OF the latter, became unconscious In
twenty minutes, and on his arrival at
Jected to the stomach-pump and relieved
OF much of the whiskey. His thumb
was aiterward amputated at the first
joint. While exhibiting in Brooklyn In the
loiiowing May he accidentally ran shed
poison-iang into his right thumb. Both that
and the lett stub began to swell, and he knew
that he was again endangered. Avoiding the
hospital this time, he applied the salt and
indigo as directed, drank literally of rye
Eddy, for the remedy, and when the violet ar.
rived drank freely OF an infusion OF it, and was
well in q few days. Sickness, swelling and dis
coloration resembling the spot on the snake
appeared on the anniversary of his first bite
Authenticated instances OF similar character
are numerous, and repeat themselves until the
poison is eliminated from the SYSTEM
More than twenty instances OF cure by this
remedy, without u single failure, are known tc
nave been effected In Long Eddy and its vicin.
ity. In other localities they are quite as numer
Gus. Names, dates and facts are carefully pre-
served.