The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-09-04
9maersas gnteIligenesr,
Two Remedies For Snake Bite.

Mcdonald Furman, OF Ramsey, >. VI,
calls attention to the fact that an an
nuity Of s1O4 was granted by the Co.
lonial Assembly of South Carolina in
1929 to a negro, Sampson, for the
discovery of remedy for the bite Of
a rattlesnake, and asks from your
readers some further information about
Sampson and his remedy.
The following account was given in
1884 by the Southern Agriculturist, a
journal published in Charleston, at
that time edited by John D. LeGare.
The account was taken from an old
almanac published in 1880 by John
Tobler. Sampson was not only grant
ed an annuity, as stated by Mr.. Fur
man, but his freedom was also pur-
chased by the Colonial Assembly.
"Sampson frequently went about"
says the account, with rattlesnakes
in calabashes, and would handle them,
put them into his pockets or bosom,
and sometimes their heads into his
mouth, without being bitten. In
proof of the efficacy Of his medicine
he several times suffered himself to be
bitten by the most venomous snakes,
and once let his wounds come so near
modification that it was doubted
whether he could recover, yet the cured
himself with them. He disarmed any
snake of its venom with some one of
the herbs. 1t is said chewing the
heart snake-root and splitting the juice
UPON snake will instantly kill it.
The following is Sampson 8 remedy,
which may be interesting to some of
your readers: "Take heart snake-root,
both root and leaves, two handsful,
polypody leaves, one handful; bruise
them in a mortar, press out a spoonful
Of the juice, and give as soon as possi-
BILE after the bite; then scarify the
wound, and take the root of the herb
avena, bruise it, pour little rum over
it and apply to the part, over which is
to be put the heart snake-root and
polypody, which remains after the
juice is squeezed out. These medi-
cines and applications must be repeat
ed, according to the violence Of the
symptoms, SO as in some dangerous
cases it must be given to the quantity
of eight spoonsful in an hour, and the
wound dressed two or three times
day."
The above herbs may also be bruised
and beat up into paste with clay, and
when necessary may be scraped down
to the quantity of half common
spoonful and given amongst little
rum and water, and repeated as the
doses of the juice above mentioned.
A little of this paste may be wet with
rum and rubbed over the wound. He
always used this method when he
could not find the green herb. Some
times the cure is entirely performed
by the patients chewing the heart
snake-root and swallowing the juice,
and applying some of the same herb
bruized to the wound.
It will be observed that the snake
root used in the remedy is called heart
snake-root, from the shape of the leaf.
It is identical with what is now known
as Sampson snake-root, and no doubt
it took the latter name, as Mr.. Fur
man suggests, from the negro Samp-
son.
But Sampson was not the only ne
gro who discovered remedy for rat
tlesnake bite, in the Colonial days,
and was rewarded by the Legislature
of the Province, as is shown by the
following from the Carolina Gazette
of May 9, 1850: -.
''Mr. Timothy: I am commanded
by the Commons House: Of Assembly
to send you the enclosed, which you
are to print in your Gazette as soon as
possible. It is the negro Caesars 8
cures for poison and the bite of rat
tlesnake- For discovering Of which
the General Assembly hath thought
fit to purchase his freedom and grant
him an allowance Of s100 per annum
during life. I am, etc,
JAMES IRVING" J"
Here is the remedy: "Take Of the
roots of plantane, or horehound, Gn
summer roots and branches togethcr,)
sufficient quantity, bruise them in a
mortar and squeeze out the juice, of
which give as soon as possible one
large spoonful; if he is swellcd you
must force it down his throat. This
generally will cure, but if the patient
finds no relief in an hour after you
may give another spoonful, which
never fails. If the roots are dried
they must be moistened with a little
water. To the wound may be applied
leaf Of good tobacco, moistened with
rum.
Caesars remedy, as will be seen
from the above, was entirely different
from SIMPSONS, and antedated it by
at least dozen years. The reward
for the discovery was the same in each
case.
would not be surprised if, on in
vestigation, Mr.. Furman should find
that some of the herbs named in these
old remedies are still used for snake
bites by the negroes of the low-country
of South Carolina. 4. NJ. LAW.