Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-09-13
BITTEN BY A SCORPION.
A Brooklyn Doctors Horrible
Experience In the Wllds OF
MaNinn

Mexico.
DIR. George Mallett OF Brooklyn, who
is on his way to the mining camps OF
the interior of Mexico, writes from Las
Yedras to the New York World the
following story of his journey and his
experience with a scorpion:
81 started across the country on mule
back with dangerous-looking guide,
whom / feared might at any moment
cut my throat while asleep for the little
money had; fortunately he did moth
ing OF the kind and turned out to be a
very good man. The third night out |
had an experience that | would not re-
peat for all the wealth of Mexico. IL
was just dark, about 1880, when | dis
covered IA light up the side of n
mountain and thought il would be a
good time TO camp as we had been in
the saddle almost constantly since 5
O'Clock that morning. We made for it
and found a little shanty inhabited by
two Notwithstanding specimens of
humanity in the most abbreviated of
costumes.
The guide told them we wanted to
stop all night, and the female prepared
corncake for me. AS they of course
had no chairs | sat on low stool in
front OF the fire to eat il. was scarce
ly seated before felt something on my
neck, and putting my hand up felt an
exceedingly severe sting on my left in
deX finger 1t almost made me howl.
Immediately tied my handkerchief
around it and stopped the circulation
and then sucked it, and the old woman
parted with chew of tobacco for it.
In about ten minutes the singing
ceased and | thought it was all over,
when intense vertigo came on, with
much vomiting and retching, then
sense OF great weakness and collapse,
accompanied by a profuse cold perspira-
ton, then sharp tingling began in the
bitten finger, extending over the hand
and up the arm, then the other arm
and hand. then both feet; they tingled
and stung like an electrical current,
and yet they were completely dead to
all external impressions, and scarcely
could move them; then my face began TO
feel the same way, called for water and
was terrified to find that | had lost all
sense of taste and my jaw was getting
stiff and | could scarcely articulate at
all.
just imagine my feelings-no one
near but those almost savages and they
understanding not n word ] said and
the horrible sense OF impending death
due TO the depression caused by the
poison. | tried TO ask if there was a
doctor anywhere near. but could not
even speak English now. and OF course
they did not understand me. 1t was
simply horrible and | thought surely |
was dying, for the dead feeling SEEM
ed TO be extending and | could scarcely
move muscle. With great effort /
made signs for bottle OF claret that |
happened to have in my bag To use in
case OF bad water. Most of this |
drank. and it braced me up some, so
that ] made them understand that |
wanted hot water, and IL seemed al
most year before they got any. When
it came, although they could not bear
their hands in it, put both hands and
feet into it without feeling it, Then
made them rub hard, and this they did
all night. and by morning ! slept for
about two hours, being perfectly ex-
hausted. On awaking | felt much
better, my limbs tingled just as though
they were asleep: but could use them;
by moving about the sensation began
TO return.
AS soon as | could get M got into
the saddle again. hoping TO reach some
civilization in case | should get worse
The journey was Just half over. so |
pushed on for ledras, and soon found
that the exercise was OF benefit. the
tingling ceased; and by that night |
could taste the food. | ate the next
morning and had no signs OF the pre-
vious nights experience, except loss
of sensibility in my left arm and hand
and a feeling of great weakness. Now.
five days after, am entirely well. ex-
cept that | have no feeling at all in my
left index finger and half OF back OF fore
arm up 10 the elbow. | was told here
that il was "a scorpion that bit me and
that / was lucky in getting out of it so
easily. ] am all right now and appre-
bend no further trouble"