350

POISONOUS ANIMALS AND PLANTS.

ease. That analogy recommends th*; trial of the oil of turpentinein the convulsive stage of the disease ; but unfortunately, whenonce the hydrophobic symptoms have commenced, there is little orno hope of saving the patient, the disease having almost invariablybaffled every plan of treatment which the united talents of nume-rous medical generations have suggested. All the most powerfulmeans of every class have been tried over and over again ; happi-ly, however, surgery possesses tolerably certain means of prevent-ing hydrophobia, which ought not to be delayed after the accident,and that has been already mentioned, viz. that of cutting out ef-fectually the bitten parts. How late this operation may be per-formed with a prospect of utility, we are not at present preparedto say ; but there are practitioners who deem the practice right,even when heat, irritation, or inflammation is observed in the bittenpart.*

The next poisonous animal which we shall mention is the Viper.The grease of this animal rubbed into the wound, is said to curethe bite. Though that is all the viper-catchers generally do whenbit, we should not think it sufficient for the bite of an enraged vi-per. It would surely be more safe to have the wound well suck-ed,T and afterwards rubbed with warm salad-oil. A poultice ofbread and milk, softened with salad-oil, should likewise be appliedto the wound ; and the patient ought to drink freely of vinegar-whey, or water-gruel with vinegar in it, to make him sweat. Vin-egar is one of the best medicines which can bo used in any kindof poison, and ought to be taken very liberally. If the patient besick, he may take a vomit. This course will be sufficient to curethe bite of any of the poisonous animals of this country.

With regard to poisonous insects, as the bee, the wasp, the hor-net, &c. ; their stings are seldom attended with danger, unlesswhen a person happens to be stung by a great number of them atthe same time ; in vyhich case something should be done to abatethe inflammation and swelling. Some, for this purpose, apply hon-ey ; others lay pounded parsley to the part. A mixture of vinegarand Venice treacle is likewise recommended ; but I have foundrubbing the part with warm salad-oil, or frequently repeated appli-cations of pledgets dipped in laudanum, succeed very well. In-deed, when the stings are so numerous as to endanger the patient'slife, which is sometimes the case, he must not only have oily poul-tices, or pledgets moistened with laudanum applied to the part, butshould likewise be bled, and take some cooling medicines, as nitre,or cream of tartar, and should drink plentifully of diluting liquors.

It is the happiness of this island to have very few poisonous ani-mals, and those which we have are by no means of the most viru-

* See Medical Repository, vol. 3. p. 54.

t The practice of sucking out poisons is very ancient ; and indeed nothing can bemore rational. Where the bite cannot be cut out, this is the most likely way for ex-tracting the poison. There can be no danger in performing this office, as the poison¿loes no harm, unless it be taken into the body by a wound. The person who Bucksthe wound ought, however, to wash his mouth frequently with salad-oil, which willsecure him from even the least inconvoniency. Tho Psyili in Africa, and the Marriin Italy, were famed for curing the bites of poisonous animals, by sucking the wound;mil we are told, that tin; Indians in North America practice the s^r.*.. at this day,