Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-08-27
HYOROPHOBIA.
A Cur. For IL May Perhaps he Found
In Sirychnine.

A Cur. For IL May Perhaps he Found
In Strychnine.
Some time ago | was told of rem
edy for hydrophobia which was used
by the natives in this part of China.
Ii was said To be Il secret in the sole
possession of one family whose ances-
trail home is in Tungchowfu, in the
province of Shangtung. and had been
passed down from mother to daughter
for the last HOO years. The last possess
revealed il to her youngest son. who
now lives in Weihaiwei. The remedy
was said To consist of Il powder made
from Il certain hard nut grown In the
province. which was softened by boil
ing in an earthenware pot. no kind of
metal being allowed to touch it, then
grated on the outside of the basin and
reduced to pulp. which was dried and
put up in packets for future use or ut
once administered to the sufferer who,
If necessary. was tied down and the
remedy forced down his throat The
patient was said to fall into deep
sleep. i'm which he sweated profusely
and awoke cured No money was
taken in payment. the possessor of the
secret trusting 10 gain merit I'm the next
world after death.
was assured that cures were au-
thentic. My informant. IL Scotch lady
who had lived many years I'm China.
lin no L.;
by n mad dog and was treated and re-
covered. y woman bitten at the same
time. not treated. died with all the
symptoms of hydrophobia. My friend,
at my request. very kindly managed to
procure me an interview with the
owner of the secret. who brought ME
his basin and three powders and three
nuts. was astonished to find that
they We're the seeds of species of
strychnOs, probably strychnos nux
vomica. The coarsely ground fibrous
powders gave the tests. as far as I
was able TO carry them out. for strych-
nine. Each nut WAS about five-eighths
of an inch across and weighed nineteen
grains. The powders weighed four
teen. fifteen and sixteen grains respec-
lively. Ii would be interesting to know
what the exact dose of the alkaloid I'm
each powder is
| can find no account of the trent
ment of hydrophobia by strychnine in
the books ut my disposal unless we ex-
cept curara. which was ut one time
used as II remedy in this terrible dis
ease. \ species of strychnos Is said to
be potent element in its composition.
The narcotic and sudorific properties
spoken of above seem also to be un-
known at the present time: yet, Curl
ously enough. the writer of the article
'NuX Vomica" I'm Chambers Cyclic
paedia Of the year 1856. the four vol
umcs of which | possess. lays greater
stress on these than he does on Its
poisonous properties He states that
they are of IL strong narcotic quality,
so rs to he ranked i'm the number of
poisons." have consulted several
authorities in China. and. though the
drug certainly finds place among ma
tive medicines. | can find no reference
TO its use In this disease or that IL Is
at all used by native practitioners. at
least in this part of China. Some Of
the symptoms of hydrophobia bear a
certain resemblance TO those of poison
ing by strychnine. and il would there
fore almost appear as though the prin-
ciple of similia similibus curantur has
been applied by the Chinese In this
case. There IS no doubt that In regard
TO other remedies they have firm be-
lief in this doctrine.-Fleet Surgeon v.
G. Thorpe i'm London Lancet.