The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-02-25
Hvdronbobia Dan he Onred.

the people should be taught what
to do in emergencies, poisoning ls
one instance; and the dread disease
hydrophobia is an instance of pol
soning at once so peculiar, so sub
tie, and SO generally fatal that the
profession, who may only encoun-
ter it. once or twice in q lifetime,
and the citizen who may be removed
from q physician or druggist,
should both know that, properly
treated, itneed not be fatal to hui
man lie, and. that in more ways
than one can immunity be gained.
Lei one. thing more be.understood--
no quack nostrums and. no "secret
remedy'' will be the subject of ref
erence in this article; nor is it the
purpose of the writer to take up
medical terms or an analysis Of
causes or effects, but to put in a
clearly. stated way certain facts
With reference to.ssrabies,p canine
madness or hydrophobia into plain
language SO that if, by unfortunate
contact, either child or man shall
De hitten, the correct means may
be tax to .nentralize the jnoculA-
t. d poison, by certain and simple
methods. at the earliest moment,
| and not wait for development and
the fearful scenes so often looked
looked upon by the physicians in
the past, who have, as Q rule, been
completely helpless. .
The clothing upon the subject
may prevent incubation and it may
not; cases have been known where
only a grazing of the skin has been
observed, which has conveyed the
poison as effectively as a dozen In
cisions or punctures could have
done it, and in due time the person
so slightly wounded died in spasms
Cauterization of the wound at
once, whether it be deep or shallow,
even if only Craze, should be ac
complished with the least delay
first washing the wound with so
luton of salicycle acid, or with
saturated solution Of permanganate
of potash, or Q solution of amuonif
and water, or carbolic acIg apd wa
ter, and then dried with a sponge
4then cauterize-and the average
man need not be told that cauter-
ize means aburn." The physician
will use caustic potassa; but if the
physician cannot by had, any per
son can wash out the wound al
above, and then use a cherry-hot
iroG, carefully touching every par
of The wound. Time is the impor
tant element, and human life "tss;;
stake" As soon as this done, ge
anything possible that will main
tain suPpuration, or what people
know as a running store, and this
should be kept up five or six weeks
mean time capterizlng about once s
week; but the utmost care shoulC
be taken to destroy all the banda
.ges and the matter upon them, fol
incubation of dog or cat with The
matter discharged from such s
wound has produced by drophobi
in from 10 to so thours. Hardly
any case is likely to occur where 8
| physician cannot be had in an houl
or two, but let prompt means be Ia
ken, and make sure at every step.
Several drugs and plants have
in years past been claimed as spe-
cities for this dread affection
There are two positive cures now
known. and records prove that both
have been relied upon by different
physicians, and in different coun
tries, with success.
If cauterization has been careful
ly attended to, the Turkish bath
every SECOND day has completely
eliminated the poison and French
physician, DR.. Buisson, some eigh
teen years ago, had an opportunity
to try the vapor bath, on his owe
person, and was successful, yet the
bath has not had credit tor all il
has done or might do, if wejudge by
accessible records.
In 1878, a remedy which has
proved its efficacy was first brought
to the notice Of physicians in gen.
eral way, although known limitedly
before, and it has continued to be
not only available, for Parke, Davis
d Co, of Detroit and New York,
prepars it regularly, but reliable
1t has been used in New York
state, and the writer is not positive
but in the city of New York.
The remedy is, to the writer's
knowledge, in use in New Granada
and Guatemala, as positive rene
dy for the bites CT 9 number of va
rieties of poisonous snakes, as well
as scorpions, tarantulas, and other
reptiles or animals; and such re-
lance is placed upon this remed y
that the natives will not go upon
hunting or exploring expeditions
without they are first supplied.
The remedp referred to is the seeds
of a small tree of the order Simaru-
bea, indigenous to Granada, Qua
temala and Mexico. The seed are
known as cedron seed. and the tree
us slmaba cedron. A fruit with a
single seed like the peach or olive
is grown, and the seed is from an
inch to one and a half inches in
length, four-ffths of an inch in
width or more, and half An inch in
thickness; fat or concave on one
side and convex on the other; and
when cut with a knife shows al
most metallic luster; very bitter
indeed. The natives cut the seed
and chew pieces, when bittsn by
snakes or tarantulas, and place the
fragments upon the wound, and
chew and swallow pieces of the
bean. Sometimes, if spirits are
available, they dip slices or chips
of the bean in brandy, whisky, or
other spirits, and then wash the
wound, swallowing meanwhile 9TH
or portions. When thus armed
with the cedron seeds, they have a
reliable antidote, and seemingly do
not care much about a snake bite,