The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-04-27
THE BITE OF A SNAKE
EVERY LAND HAS ITS CHARMS AND
CURES FOR 1T.

pois0n From Bites-A scotch Snake |
stone with "a Tragic History.
In every land the natives have cure,
or dozen, to which they trust, besides
charms. It is probable that the great
majority of these have never been test
ed. and persons who have not looked
into the matter naturally blame the
government and the doctors for neg
lecting an inquiry of such profound i'm
portance But investigation so far
has not been encouraging. Nearly al
ways it proves that the healing herb is
chosen under the influence of the max
i'm that "like cures like" Our forefa-
theirs held it as strongly as any modern
savages a few hundred years ago, and
it is not extinct among us to this day.
Various plants resemble a snake in
flower or mode of growth, and for no
better reason they are accounted RENE
dies for its bite. A roc t which curls
and twists proclaims its own vii tue, as
one may say, and if it be notified there
is no further room for doubt. Some Of
these resemblances are so strong, in
deed, that the fancy of the savage be-
comes quite ineligible.
Messrs. Sander introduced a new
aroid from the Malay countries some
years ago, the bloom of which is so
strangely like cobra in the act of
striking that the idea of connection
between the plant and the snake sug-
gests itself to even the unlearned OBJ
server 1t is called Arisema fimbriata.
We have not heard that the natives use
it as an antidote to the venom of the
cobra, but a savant inclined to bet
would offer long odds that they do.
Upon the same reasoning the Indians
of, Peru use the root of Polyanthus
tuberosa and a creeper which they call
huaco. Credible persons have borne
testimony to the good effect of both,
but neither could sustain a trial at the
| hands of scientific men in Lima. In the
successful cases reported, either the
poison had not been imbibed or else
| the snake did not really belong to a
poisonous species.
| The famous markhor of the Himala
vas, which young sportsmen dream
about-and old ones, too, for that mat
ter-is said to eat snakes-in fact, that
| The statement is not improbable, if it
be true, as highland shepherds allege
that goats '7age war on the adders. But
in the entrails of any old markhor that
| mystic substance beZoar is found some
| times.
It may be suspected indeed that most
of the ''stones' used as charms, which
puzzle European observers by their
singular formation, would be recognized
at sight by a Chinese 6HctOr as bezoar.
| The latest testimony which we have
noticed to the merit of ''snake stones
is that of Mr.. Selous. He describes one
from his own observation and expert
ence as light, porous, polished on the
upper surface, which had blackish and
grayish mottlings, rough below. The
latter was applied to the wound, and il
sucked up the poison like a sponge, Civ
ing it off Gin a thin white thread
when plunged in ammonia. This stone
belonged to Boer, in whose family il
had remained for several generations.
Mr.. Selous gives some examples of it,
efficacy from his own knowledge. But
he did not personally witness any Of
them.
Such stories are innumerable, an6
many of them rest upon good authori
ty. One of the best will be found il
Frank Buckland's 'Curiosities of Nat
ural History In this instance thu
'stone" was submitted to analysis a
the College of Surgeons, and readers
who have healthy love for the marvel
Gus will be delighted to learn that Mr.
Quekett, the chemist of that institu
tion, could make nothing of it. He sat
isfied himself that it was a vegetable
could not go beyond that. It SEEM
curious that so little should be know
about these things when a score at leas
are in the hands of rich and charita bl
Hindoos, who lend them in case of need
Some of those gentlemen would not OBJ
ject to an examination probably. Blu
doctors are hard worked in India, ant
they commonly despise all treatmen
which is not regular. There is no regu
lar treatment for snake bite, however
so they might allow themselves an ex
cursion into unauthorized realms.
Much has been done of late years
indeed, and it may be hoped that rea
cure. with no mystery about it, will b.
discovered soon. That is beyond gu
theme. But we need not travel to In
dia for snake stone. There is speci
men in Scotland older probably thai
any Of these foreigners and more re
! nowned-the Lee penny, now, by lates
= report, in the hands of Lockhart O
. Lee It must be admitted that this ven
, cradle object is rather too much of
panacea. One might feel more conf
dence in it's efficacy against snake bit
if it did not also profess to cure hydro
phobia, burns and the cattle plague
Yet the evidence is equally strong AM
equally abundant in it's favor for al
these cases. And that evidence extend
over many centuries 1t was Simol
Lockhart of Lee, the same who carrie,
Bruces heart in the train of Douglas
that brought the precious relic HON
from paganry; for proof, it is mounte'
d in silver coin of Edward l. And fro1
q that time until the ages of faith ha
d quite vanished-say, the middle of tn
o last century-the stone was in contin
g ual request. There are tragic incident
y in it's story Isabel Young was burne
in 1929 for curing her cattle with wa
# ter in which the Lee penny had bee
!. dipped. Under the commonwealth, 3
years later, the synod of Glasgow ven
!; tured to attack Sir James Lee himsel
for unholy practices. 1t lost courage
however, and withdrew the indictment
contenting itself with "serious ad
monition to the said laird. ''-Londo
: Standard. :>
Leaving 1t to the Jury.
~ A story is told of judge who up t.
4 his death sat Oh the crown side OIL to,