Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-06-18
HYDROPHOBlA.
A Cure For IL May Perhaps He Founa
In Strychnine.

Some time ago was told of rem
edy for hydrophobia which was useu
by the natives in this part or Chlha'
IT was said to be a secret in the Sole
possession of one family whose ances-
trail home is in Tungchowfu, III tue
province of Shangtung, and had Deeh
nossed down from mother to daughter |
for the last 400 years. The last possess
or of the secret had no daughters ana
revealed it TO her youngest son. WIN
NOW lives in Weihaiwei. The remedy
was said to consist of a powder nlaue
from a certain hard nut grown Ill 'lie
province. which was softened by Doll
ing in an earthenware pot, no KIM Vi
metal being allowed to touch IT, tnen
grated on the outside of the basin ana
reduced to a pulp, which was dried and
put up in packets for future use or AT
once administered to the sufferer VINO,
if necessary, was tied down and the
remedy forced down his throat. Inc
natient was said to fall into deep
sleep, in which he sweated profuseiy
and awoke cured. No money was
taken in payment, the possessor or the
secret trusting TO gain merit in the next
world after death.
was assured that cures were au-
thentic. My informant, Scotch lady
who had lived many years IN emma
had n Chinese servant who was bi'ten
nv a mad dog and was treated ana re-
covered. A woman bitten at the same
time. not treated. died with all the
SYMPTOMS of hydrophObia. My friend,
at my request, very kindly managed 10
procure me an interview win the
owner of the secret, who brought me
his basin and three powders ana three
nuts | was astOniShed to ina that
they were the seeds of species OF
strychnos. probably strychnos nuX
vomica. The coarsely ground hbrous
powders gave the tests, as far as l
was able to carry them out, for strych-
nine. Each nut was about tive-elghths
of an inch across and weighed nineteen
, grains. The powders weighed four
teen. fifteen and sixteen grains respec'
tively. 1t would be interesting to know
what the exact dose of the alkaloid III
each powder is.
can find no account of the treat
ment of hydrophobia by strychnine III
the books at my disposal unless we eX'
cept curara, which was at one time
used as a remedy in this terrible dis
ease. \ species of strychnos is said &c
he a potent element i'll its composition
, The narcotic and sudorihc properties
snoken of above seem also to be un
. known at the present time; yet, curl
:. ouslv enough, the writer of the article
! NIX Vomica" in Chambers Cyclo
= Dacdia Of the year 1856, the four vol
umes of which l possess, lays greate
. stress on these than he does on III
:, poisonous properties. He states tina
:, they are of strong narcotic quallty
= so as to be ranked in the number
nelson's" | have consulted seVera
- authorities in China, and, though tn
. drug certainly finds place among ia
tive medicines. | can find no referenc
. to its use in this disease or that II
at all used by native practitioners, a
least in this part of China. Some o
= the symptoms of hydrophobia bear
>, certain resemblance to those of poison
ing by strychnine, and it would there
fore almost appear as though the prlI
ciple of similia similibus curantur Ia
been applied by the Chinese in TIL
:, case. There is no doubt that III regaf
- TO other remedies they have a firm b.
'e lief in this dOctrine.-Fleet Surgeon
y G. Thorpe in London Lancet.