BITE or rar RATTLE-SNAKE. 109 
glands, which form an eflential part of the abforbent-fyf- 
tem in man, In a fhort time, however, if the ligature 
has not been very.early. and. very carefully applied,’ the 
glands of the groin are obferved to fwell, and inflame. In 
this ftate of the complaint, I would advife an extenfive 
{carification of thefe glands, and the application of fome 
powerful blifter, the effects of which, at the fame time, 
are very fuddenly exerted. «I know-of no article of the 
materia medica {o likely to anfwer both thefe intentions as 
the Ecorce de Garou of the French, the bark of the Daphne: 
Guidium, whichI have already mentioned. 
Jt often happens that the poifonof the RATTLE-SNAKE, 
like that of the mad-dog, being merely thrown into muf- 
cular, tendinous,. ligamentous or cellular parts, is depo- 
fited there fome time without being abforbed intothe mafs 
of blood. Inthefe-cafes the fuccefs of the plan which I 
have defcribed will, probably, be very great. Whatever 
preference may be given to the ufe of the knife, or of the 
cauftick over that of {carification, the application of the blift- 
er, Gc, I think, there:can be very little doubt of the pro- 
priety of employing the ligature. Iam convinced, indeed, . 
that on the ufe of this fimple application, the fuccefs of 
our cure, or to {peak more properly of our prevention 
will, ima great meafure, depend, 7 
Hitherto, I have proceeded on the fuppofition, that 
the poifon of. the RaTrLe-SNAKeE is conveyed into the 
blood-vellels through the medium of the abforbent-lym- 
phaticks. But, unfortunately, cafes fometimes occur in 
which this active matter is thrown immediately into a 
vein or artery. When this happens, the effects of the 
poifon will be the more readily propagated to the remoteft 
parts of the fyftem; and the powers of medicine will then 
be found to be lefs confiderable. I have received an ac- 
count of the cafe of a perfon who, whilft he was repofing 
himfelf under a tree in a wood, was bitin the neck by a Rar- 
Or2 TLE- 
