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XVII. Letter to Dr. Ramsay^ in conaeqitence of li'ta Oi- 

 servatlons on the Bite of a Snake cured hy I'uluiile Al- 

 kalL By Benjamin Bauxok, M. D.* 



Cear sik, 



X HAVE seen your Obscrv^atiops on '' the Bite of a Snake 

 cured by Volatile Alkali." I rejoice to find that you have 

 undertaken the investigation of a subject so important as is 

 tiic one on which you have favoured the public with the 

 result of vour experience. I hope you will pursue the in- 

 quiry, as I ani well persuaded that we are in want of some- 

 thing much more efficacious as a cure of the evil eflects in- 

 duced bv the venom of the rattlesnake, and other serpents, 

 than any of the manv vegetables which have been recom- 

 mended to the public in such extravagant and unqualified 

 terms. 



Ever since the spring of ISOl I have paid a great deal 

 of attention to the effects of the venom of the rattlesnake^ 

 I have had a number of these reptiles, both old and youngs 

 under mv immediate care, and have caused them to bite 

 many and various species of animals, with the view to col- 

 lect materials for a history of the poison. My experiments 

 have satisfied me, that the venom of the rattlesnake is one 

 of the most deleterious substances with which we are ac- 

 quainted. In many instances, the effects of the poison 

 were observed almost instantaneously ; and so rapid is the 

 progress of effects, that several of the bitten animals, such 

 as rabbits, dogs, &c., died in about thirty minutes- I may 

 add, that a few weeks ago a man died in Jersey in twenty- 

 seven minutes after he had been bitten by a rattlesnake. 



The infirm state of my health, which compelled me to 

 leave the city last summer, prevented me from pursuing my 

 experiments as I had wished to have done ; and the death 

 of the only remaining two of my snakes, by the cold of the 

 succeeding winter, has put it out of my power to do any 

 thing on the subject this summer. But I shall not neglect 

 to resume the inquiry next spring, as I have the promise of 

 a number of living snakes; and 1 shall take great pleasure in 

 making you early acquainted with the result of my experi- 

 ments. 



One of the objects of i-'iy inquiry is the discovery of the 

 best means of preventing or of curing the disease occasioned 

 by the bite of the rattlesnake, and others of our venomous 



* Com:minicated by the Author. 



sei-pents. 



