Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-11

L physicians, so STAR reporter
| drTs~i learned, 10 powdered CO. -
fy3 reaches. From this insect,
tNA dried and reduced to Q brown
AlE dust. great benefit is obtained
by dropsical patients The
dust thus obtained contains active principle
called ''auti-hydropin," which is most effective
| in the stimulation Of the kidneys and serves as
| check to the complaint mentioned. Cock
| roach powder is also employed as q vermifuge.
Crabs eyes are employed to some extent as a
remedy for acid stomachs. They are not actu-
ally the eyes Of the crab, but simply small
connections Of lime found in the stomachs OF
crayfish at the time when they are about TO
| cast their shell and make new ones 1t is sup
| posed that these connections are designed by
nature to provide material for the new shells.
At all events, having been deposited originally
by animals, they are more readily absorbed
into the human system. Before being adj
ministered medicine they pulveriZed
Oyster shells are used in precisely the same
way and for the same purpose. being prepared
| preliminary by washing and pulverizing. The
| pulverized shells are placed in solution in
water, the heavier and coarser particles falling
| to the bottom. BY pouring of the solution
thus obtained and permitting il to precipitate
| such fine particles of lime il still retains an
| exceedingly refined deposit is at length Sc
cured. Cutie fish bones, from the sepia fish
OF commerce-the same that used for
canary brds-are ground up and utilized in the
| same fashion and to serve like medical use
fulness
The cochineal insect is mostly known for its
use as a dye, but il has also an additional value
for relieving neuralgia pains and for checking
the spasms of whooping cough. Another tree
| insect ID the ''lac" of Mexico, which serves ad-
| nirably as an astringent in cases of dysentery.
BLOOD SUCKERS AND BLISTER BUos.
In speaking Of the contribution Of things
op,,, 81 % h.
omit mention of the leech. SO valuable by rea-
| son OF its addiction to and capacity for blood
sucking. II you want to know why leech
| is able to hold so much blood you have only to
| dissect him and you will End that his body is
almost entirely composed OF stomach as TO its
| interior. From mouth to tail the inside of the
leech Is series Of hollow. connected sacs,
| which may be filed with blood. so that the
| animal is able TO hold nearly its own bulk
| in the vital fluid it swallows. Lc1ches are
caught FOR market In swampy places mostly
with rakes, though sometimes animals are
driven into shallow waters infested by them in
order that they may be fastened upon by
| leeches and bring them out by the quantity.
A green insect called the Spanish fly" has
| achieved a reputation in medicine. Reduced
| to a powder, 1t is applied most effectively as a
blister, infaming the skin through the opera
| ton OF an active principle which the powder
| contains, called ''cantharidin." Precious few
people are aware, however, that ordinary po-
| tatO Dups. Qrleu ana powered, nave an equal
virtue of the same description. Furthermore,
| there are ever many other insects which
supply this cantharidin. For example, there
arc fifteen known species Of ''blister beetles"
| in this country which serve the same purpose.
One often hears of a thing called ''isingia lass"
| but not one person out Of a thousand can tell
| what it really is. As a matter OF fact, il is
| simply the swimming bladders Of fishes, by the
| expansion and contraction of which they
change their specific gravity and rise or sink at
| In hes hlol1 Cor rlyn.
| they are simply split and dried, the best quail
| ity, having the interior membrane, taken out.
| They are readily dissolved and most valua-
| BILE as a constituent Of many preparations use
| full to invalids.
AMMONIA Is NOT "HAnrsHoRS."
| When "hartshorn" isspoken Of people usually
identify it with ammonia Ammonia was origi-
nally called by that name in England and in
| this country because it was derived from the
horns OF young stays or harris. Subsequently
| it was learned that 1t could be obtained very
| cheaply and in great quantities from manure,
from which source it is now made CONNER
| cially. 1t was first produced in large amounts
from camels' dung, of which there were i'm
mense deposits in Arabia. in the nelghborhood
of celebrated statue Of Jupiter Ammon-
hence the name it has since borne. Real
hartshorn, made from stays horn, is a medici-
nal article now, being made into shavings for
| market boiled to a jelly, and prescribed by
| physicians for ricketts,.
Every one is acquainted with the use Of the
| digestive fluid Of the pig, known 'pepsn,"
| for indigestion or dyspepsia. For the same
purpose the fluid is scraped from the inside of
| the gizzards OF barn yard fowls and sold.
| Musk, derived from two little sacs on the
| belly OF the musk deer, is regarded a most
| important remedy for nervous troubles. 1t
| would be more used were 1t not that il Is so
| costly. In old times, though belief In the
| remedy is no longer entertained, red ants were
| thought to be a powerful cure for bruises and
pains in the limbs OF all Sorts Sometimes they
| were boiled by the quantity in muslin bag
and applied TO the parts affected; at other times
| foot or hand afflicted was thrust into the
| ants hole and the insects were permitted to
| chew upon the member in order that they
might take away the trouble.
| QUEER VEGETABLE REMEprFs.
Some OF the vegetable remedies used in medi-
cine are exceedingly curious. Doubtless you
have observed what are called "galls" upon
| trees. They occur on all trees and upon many
other plants Of every sort, being caused by in
| sects, which bore into the bark and build
| around themselves secure places for hiding and
| laying their eggs. In due time they bore their
| way out, appearing in the shape OF full-nedged
| hies and leave their empty houses behind
them. The oak is most particularly chosen by
/ these insects and in Asia Minor a large bust
ness is made Of collecting the empty gals for
| market 1t is from that part Of the world that
most Of the supply comes. Their chief use in
medicine is as an nstringent in diarrhea. Oak
gals contain something like 70 per cent OF tam
| mic acid, and it is from them that tanners OBJ
| tain their most important material for the
| preparation OF leather. However, gals from
| all sorts Of plants have very much the same
properties and constitution.
People who advertise patent medicines are
| very fond of saying that their preparations are
4 Of purely vegetable nature, coniidng in the
| popular ignorance Of the fact that the most
\ deadly poisons in the world are vegetable
poisons. For example, there is the "wOorari'
| plant from South America, which is used by
| the savage natives for poisoning their arrows
| Introduced into the circulation, the Juice OF
| this vegetable immediately paralyzes the mus
| cular system and soon produces death. Physi-
| clans experimenting in vivisection employ this
poison to paralyze the muscles OF frogs and
| other animals, in order that the subject treated
| may not move under the knife. 1t should be
mentioned that the arrows envenomed with
this powerful agent Of destruction are pro-
PEELED through blow-guns Of bamboo with
| astonishing accuracy OF aim, birds and other
game being captured in this way. Strychnine
| is q vegetable product obtained from the nux
| vomica plant OF India The seeds supply this
active principle, which 10 used in medicine TO
sct upon the nervous system 40 Q tonic. Too
| m UGH Of IL 10 . deadly poison, psralyzing the
| nerve ccpters and occasiouing convulsions that
| soon end in death
CURIOUS cHINKsI NHpIcINHA
The medicines Of Caucasian civilization are