Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-06-17
HYDROPHOBIA.
A Cure For II May Perhap. he Founa
I'm Strychnfne


I'm Strychnine.
Some time ago l was told OF a rem
edy for hydrophobia which was used
by the natives I'm this part OF China.
IL was said TO be a secret I'm the sole
possession OF one family whose ances-
tral home is I'm Tungchowfu. I'm the
province of Shangtung. and had been
passed down from mother to daughter
for the last 400 years. The last possess
or of the secret had no daughters and
revealed it to her youngest son, who
now lives in Weihaiwel. The remedy
was said to consist Of powder made
from 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 il, then
grated on the outside of the basin and
reduced to a pulp. which was dried and
put up in packets for future use or at
once administered to the sufferer. who.
IL necessary, was tied down and the
remedy forced down his throat. The
patient was said to fall into a deep
sleep, In which he sweated profuseIy
anu awoke cured. No money was
taken In payment. the possessor of the
secret trusting 10 gain merit in the next
world after death.
L was assured that cures were an
thentic. My Informant, a Scotch lady
who had lived many years In China.
had Chinese servant who was bitten
by mad dog and was treated and re-
covered. n woman bitten at the same
time, not treated, died with all the
symptoms OF hydrophobia. My friend,
at my request, very kindly manag ed to
procure me an interview with the
owner OF the secret, who brought me
his basin and three powders and three
nuts. l was astonished to find that
they We're the seeds OF species of
strychnos, probably strychnos nux
Yomica. The coarsely ground fibrous
powders gave the tests, as far as 1
was able to carry them out, for strych-
nine. Each nut was about five-eighths
or an inch across and weighed nineteen
grains. The powders weighed four
teen, fifteen and sixteen grains respec-
lively. 1t 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 at my disposal unless we ex-
cept curara, which was at one time
used as a remedy in this terrible dis
ease. A species OF strychnos is said to
be potent element in it's composition,
The narcotic and sudorihc properties
spoken OF above seem also 20 be IN
known at the present time; yet, curl
ously enough. the writer OF the article
"Nux Vomica" I'm Chambers Cyclic
paedia OF the year lTS0, the four vol
umes OF which | possess, lays greater
stress on these than he does on its
poisonous properties. lie states that
they are OF a strong narcotic quality.
so as TO be ranked In the number OF
poisons." have consulted several
authorities In China. and, though the
drug certainly finds a place among ma
tive medicines. 1 can find no reference
TO Its use I'm 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 n
certain resemblance to those of poison
Ing by strychnine, and 1t would there
fore almost appear as though the prin-
ciple OF similia similibus curantur has
been applied by the Chinese I'm this
case. There Is no doubt that in regard
to other remedies they have a firm be-
lief in this doctrine.-Fleet Surgeon V,
u. Thorpe In London Lancet.