The Opelousas courier., 1891-01-17
MANY CURES FOR PAINS.
SOME ASTONISHING REMEDIES OF
TEE WORLDS PHYSICIANS.

Surprising Sources From Which some
Medicines Are Notwithstanding
Too Horrible to be Used.
Few people have any notion OF me
oueer things that are used i'll medical
practice at the present day. Not the
least extraordinary among the remedies
employed at present by physicians, SO a
WASHINGTON Star reporter learned, ID
powdered cockrcaches. From this IN
sect. dried and reduced to a brown dust,
great benefit is obtained by dropsleal
n~stients. The dust thus obtained con
tains an active principle called "antl-
hydropip." which is most effective IN the
stimulation of the kidneys and serves as
a check to the complaint mentioned
Cockroach powder is also employed asa
vermifuge.
Crabs eyes are employed to some ex-
tent as a remedy for acid stomachs.
| They are not actually the eyes OF the
crab, but simply small concretIons OIL
| lime found in the stomachs of crayhsh at
the time when they are about to cast
| their she'll and make new ones. 1t IS
supposed that these connections are de-
| signed 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 as medicine they are pulver-
lied. 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 off the solution
thus obtained and permitting it to pre-
c~ipitate such fine PARTICLES of lime as it
still retains an exceedingly refined de-
post is at length secured. Cutie fish
bones. from the sepia fish ofcommerce-
the same that are used for canary birds
are ground up and utilized in the same
fashion and to serve a like medical use
! fulness.
The cochineal insect is mostly known
for its use as a dye, but it has also an
additional value for relieving neuralgia
pains and for checking the spasms OF
whooping cosgh. Another tree insect
is the alac" Of Mexico, which serves adj
mirably as an %astringent in case of dys-
EMERY.
In speaking of the contribution of
! things animal to the pharmacopia, one
should not omit mention of the leech,
SO valuable by reason of its addiction to
and capacity for blood sucking.9 II you
want to knew why q leech is able to
hold so much blood you have only to
dissect him and you will find that his
body is almost entirely composed OF
stomach as to its interior. From mouth
to tail the inside of a leeeh is u 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. Leeches 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 callen the "Spanish fly"
has achieved a reputation in medicine.
Reduced to a powder, it is applied most
effectively as a blister, infaming the skin
throught the operation of an active prin-
chile which the powder contains, called
stcantharidin.n Precious few people are
aware, however, that ordinary eto
bugs, dried and powdered, have an equal
virtue of the same description. Further
more, there are ever so many other insects
which supply this cantharidin. For ex-
ample, there are fifteen known species OF
eblister beesles'' in this country which
serve the same purpose.
One often hears of a thing called ssisin-
glass; but not one person out a thous and
can tell what it really is. AS a matter of
fact, it is simply the swimming bladders
of fishes, by the expansion aud contrac-
ti6l of which they change their specific
gravity and rise or sink at will. In pre-
pairing these bladders for market'they are
simply Split and dried, the best quality,
having the interior membrane, taken out.
They are readily dissolved and are most
valuable as a constituent of many pre-
parations useful to invalids.
When sthartshorn" is spoken OF PEG.
pie usually identify it with ammonia.
Ammonia was originally called by that
name in England and in tins country be-
cause it was derived from the horns Of
young stays or harts. Subsequently it
was learned that it could be obtained
very cheaply and in great quantities from
fertilizers, from which source it is now
made commercially. Real hartshorn,
made from stags' horn, is a medicinal ar
ticle now, being made into shavings for
market, boiled to a jelly, and prescribed
by physicians for rickeyf.
Every one is acquainted with the use
of the digestive fluid of the pig, known
as "pepsin," forindigesdon 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 body of the musk deer, is regarded
as a most important remedy for nervous
troubles. 1t would be more used were il
|, not that it 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 q muslin
bag and applied to the parts affected; al
other times q 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 Thu