102 REMARKS ON’ THE 
poifon might be thrown into ligamentous or tendinous mat- 
ter, from which there would be little probability of an 
abforption into the mafsof blood. ‘Thefe laft mentioned 
circumftances enabled me to underftand how, in fome in- 
ftances at leaft, the internal ufe of the various vegetables 
which were employed, might have led my informers to fup- 
pofe that thofe vegetables had accomplithed a cure. 
Upon examining the fubje&t more minutely, I found 
that although the principal dependance feemed to be placed 
on the internal ufe of vegetables, yet the employment of ex- 
ternal means was evidently the moft important part, both 
of the prevention and of the cure. In general, the firft 
thing that was attended to, after a perfon had been bitten 
by the RaTTLE-SNAKE, was to throw a tight ligature a= 
bove the part into which the poifon had been introduced : 
at leaft, this was the practice whenever the fituation of the 
wounded part admitted of fuch an application The 
wound was next f{carified, and a mixture of falt and gun- 
powder, fometimes either of thefe articles feparately, was 
laid upon the part. Over the whole was applied a piece 
ef the bark of the White-Walnut*. At the fame time, 
fome one, frequently more than one, of the vegetables 
which were mentioned to me, were given internally, ei- 
ther in decodtion, or infufion, along with large quanti- 
ties of milk. ; 
Such is the rude and fimple practice of our weftern fet- 
tlers for preventing, or for curing, the dangerous effe&s 
of the bite of the RaTTLE-SNAKE. ‘They likewife ex- 
tend this practice to the bites of feveral other kinds of fer- 
pents, the hiftory of which will form the fubje@ of a me- 
moir, 
lifhed in the Appendix to the fecond ante off the monthly review enlarged : fee page 511. The fimple 
experiments which I have juit related delerve to be attendedto. ‘Ihey enable us to affign a 
reafon why perfons who have actually been bitten by the Rarrie-Snake have fometimes ex- 
ptrienced very inconfiderable, or no bad, confequences from the wound: they enable us to 
difcover in what manner many vegetables have acquired a reputation for curing the bites of 
ferpents, without our recurring to the very difagreeable neceflity of arraigning the veracity of 
thofe from whom our information is derived: and, laftly, they teach usa phyfiological fact, 
that the poifen of the RatTLe-Swaxe is fecreted very flowly. 
* The Juglans a/da of Linnzus. 
