The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-08
CTRE SNAKE BITES.
,--rDoTE USE BY D. LAwA6E
-'nrANS 100 YEARS AGO.

mans 100 YEARS AGO.
onion Poultice Efacecious for
p,e Of C pperheads-P erman-
- Of Potash the Remedy in
outs America
r.,,, tie Scientific american
- canes inevitably to all, and in a
- varied forms, but outside of
--Iobia, death by the bite of a rattle
,6r other poisonous serpent is surely
., the most horrible. No wonder a
ms snake inspires such dread, as it is
: the wounds are cured unless tended
20 before the venom has time to
i Scarcely a week passes without
mis- of snake bites that often end
rv feel so much interest in the sub
That I have for years carefully noted
..svar I could find relative to it, and as
If the remedies have secured have
successful, on the best authority,
them to the public in hopes they may
some sufferer who is in the neighbor-
Il of such venomous reptiles. Fortu-
,srv. north, we have only the rattlesnake
copperhead, and they, in my opinion,
two too many. and I trust some of the
rDle remedies may help W here the victim
sr from medical aid.
ssttlesnake bites, if not fatal, are always
ops especially in hot weather. 1t is
that ammonia is not the antidote it has
been represented. All the same, it is a
Il thing to have handy, some strong
Its of ammonia, to be used Internally
externally when no other remedy is
ilgble. not forgetting to Tie a ligature
N tightly Tor it is useless above and be-
the wound, to stop the spread of the
son in the veins. The following recipe |
siyed in a letter from j. D. Legg of Long
iv. n. Y, and | think it invaluable, as
within the reach of most people in the
entry.
This gentleman wrote me: "This remedy
ss obtained by one Of the first settlers in
g section from O half~breed Delaware
dian, nearly 100 years ago, and has been
ccessi uIly used by those kno wing it ever
nee. In no case has there been a failure
man or beast. l have known of it
thirty years, and am personally &C.
lainted with six individuals bitten by rat
esnakes and cured by this remedy. Apply
Immediately to the wound O poultice of
Indigo lor common washing blue and salt,
la equal parts, mixed with cold water, and
renew every two or three hours.
Eat freely, and also drink a tea of the
hayes Of the common blue violet Viola
kggittata), which may be distinguished
rom othe species by chewing the leaves
bra moment, the TASTE being like slippery
LIN bark The violet leaves should also be
#lsced round the member bitten, between
he wound and the heart, far enough from
be bite to be Just beyond the swelling,
hakiHg compact ring covering the flesh
kompletely in its course AS the leaves be-
Nome dry from the fever engeudered by the
POISON, they should be dampened with cold
Eater and be replaced by new ones from
Two 70 three times a day, taking care to
keen them Just beyond, yet close t. the
Swelling. Their effect seems to be, both
uEardly and outw ardly, to thoroughly
tuneract the poison. This is ali that is
bSsntial to the cure"
Two years ago / was informed for the
ftt Ii lie of sure cure for the bite of
tpperhead, so much more dreaded tina
ebe rattlesnake, as it gives no warning to
fle intruder, but strikes unawares. This
Fsmedy is SO simple it would seem almost
Esburd did we not know that our Indians
T and the natives of most other countries find
sthelr sureSG relief from the various ills they
|are subject to in simpes provided by nature
'cOse TO their doors. | confess, from the i'll
success attending much of tho treatment for
snake bites in hospitals, aid by the doctors
gener lily, am inclined TO have more faith
In the simple remedies.
was told Of young lady who as seek
ing for wild flowers In the woods at South
Salem, Westchester county. New York. and
was bitten on the foot by a copperhead, OF
Chunkhead snake, as it is C lied in the neigh
borhood. The snake was killed, and one
cf the party, a Mr.. Judson, sliced an
onion and applied it to the wound, and it
was cured.
On hearing the story l resolved to get
further information from headquarters, as
IL certainly ought to be made known if a
remedy so accessible to every one is thus
eficaclous. 1 wrote to o. Judson, who is a
farmer In that vicinity, 10 ask if the cure [
had heard of was really effected by an
onion, and he answered as follows:
I'm regard to the snake business, onion,
II applied Immediately, will draw out the
poison, and it is about as easily cured as a
bee sting, and should be treated about the
same, only with more promptness. Cut the
onion In two crosswise, not lengthwise :;
hold part of the onion on the wound for
FIVE minutes, when it will turn green; re-
move 1t and apply the other half, and let it
remain on about the same time. 1t will
take two or three onions to effect cure. II
the person has been bitten, saw half OF
three quarters of an hour, you must apply
nitrate of silver to the wound, and take
plenty of whisky inwardly."
Mr.. Judson vouches so assure lily OF the
certainty OF the onion cure from his own
experience that whenever he sees a party
gong into the woods where these snakes
abound, he asks if thev have any o. ions
with them. Surely it is worth while for
collectors of dead y reptiles to take few
d these mmon roots along, as | do not
'ee why they should not also cure the bites
II other reptiles and poisonous insects.
At Pernambuco, and all through Para
quay, an equally simple application is used,
'heY tell me with certain success. A solu-
lon is prepared of two or three grains of
Of potash, aud simultaneous
injection made above and below the bite.
Ahls remedy was given me by gentleman
VINO mas travelled much in South America
insects, and he said they never
we out into the field without It, and it
rendered him quite fearless of accidents.
In the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa,
"nere there are SO many deadly serpents,
many people are bitten every year, often
atally. Cobra capelias and puff adders are
'Wo OF the commouest snakes all over the
colony. A clergyman, who resided where
'he hldeous puff adders swarm, had been
very successful among his people in his
reatment of their bites, and for the benefit
u the whole colony he pu olished his recipe.
The following is the best mode of using
ms invaluable antidote: Mix teaspoonful
u lpecacuanha powder with little cold
wafer, then scarlfy the part bite J, making
Re- kNrrt ,Cshf ta Oh Il