POISON in' THE RATTLESNAKE. 307 



of the decoction of the root, and appeared indifferent about 

 the external application of the same to the wound. He slated 

 that the original stock of the vegetable being exhausted, and 

 the season too far advanced to enable him to obtain more at 

 present, he would be under the necessity of applying portions 

 of the ilesh of one of the reptiles (just decapitated for the 

 purpose of another experiment) to the wound. 



2 h. 30 m. He has held the bloody portion of the snake to 

 bis wound incessantly, from which all the swelling has sub- 

 sided, together with all uneasy sensations, from his hand and 

 arm. 



4 o'clock. P. M. The man Elnswortb bas remained con- 

 stantly in the room under my inspection. His dinner was 

 offered to him. but be bad little disposition for food: says lii- 

 stomach is a little sick, probably the effects of the medicine. 

 No tumefaction or other symptoms remain : the wounds re- 

 semble slight scratches without any appearance of inflamma- 

 tion. The vein in which the bite took effect presents a pe- 

 culiar appearance, being for the distance of an inch between 

 the valves above and below the wound quite empty. Directly 

 above the valve the vein is unusually prominent, and the pres- 

 sure, from the application of the flesb. has been removed 

 for more than an hour. It is scarcely necessary to remark 

 thai the application of portions of the snake to (be wound. 

 which the man appeared to think very important, could exert 

 no other influence than might have been obtained from the 

 application of (be recent flesh of any other animal. 



The root and leaf of the "specific" were produced and ex- 

 posed to the inspection of an able botanist. I)r Charles Pick- 

 ering, who identified it with the meraceum venomm, or 

 Hawk-weed. Adder's-tongue, P ■ Robin's plantain. Rattle- 

 snake weed, ^.e. — a common weed in the dry open wood- 

 lands*. The same plant i> noticed by Schoepf as a remedy 

 for the bite of the Rattlesnake. 



' Vi,|. Florula Cestrica, by \V. Darlington. M.D., p. B I 



