in the Cafe of the Bite of Serpents. 377 



c4me to mv camp, and moft urgently begged to know if I 

 could affift a nian who had juft been bitten by a very large 

 rattle-fnake. Although I lamented the misfortune, I re- 

 joiced at the opportunity it oflered to afcertain fully the pro- 

 perty of olive oil as an antidote to this deadly poifon ; ac- 

 cordingly I put a phial of oil in my pocket, and mounted 

 the meflenger's horfc. 



When I arrived at the unfortunate man's cabin, he 

 ftruck me as the mo [I frightful objeft I had ever beheld. 

 His head and face were prodigioufly fwelled, the latter black; 

 his tongue proportionably enlarged, and out of his mouth j 

 his eyes as if fliooting from their fockets ; his fenfes gone, 

 and every appearance of immediate fuffocation. He had 

 been ftruck on the fide of the foot, about the middle, in the 

 hollow. 



Immediately, but with great difficulty, I got down two 

 table-fpoons full of oil. Its effeft was alnioft inftantaneous, 

 and aftonidiingly powerful in counteraAing the poifon, as 

 appeared by the ftrong though quick convulfions that fol- 

 lowed. In about thirty minutes it operated itrongly, both 

 cmetically and cathartically ; after which the fwelling of the 

 head, face, &c. gradually abated, and the tong\ie began to 

 afl'ume its place. In about two hours he was fo far reco- 

 vered as to be able to articulate, and from that time reco- 

 vered faft. The oil, inwardly taken, and applied to the foot 

 and leg, both exceedingly fwelled, did not exceed feven or 

 eight fpoons full. 



The number of cafes, of a like nature, in the courfe of 

 twelve years, has been confiderable; in all which, olive oil 

 has proved itfelf to be peculiarly adapted and fully adequate 

 to the word of cafes, if timely applied. It is a remedy which 

 every pcrfon may command (niay have at hand when others 

 cannot be procured), and ought not to be without; indeed, 

 many cautious people here carry a fmall phial of oil con- 

 Jiantlv about them. It has alfo been uled with equal fuc- 

 fcf$ when hories, cattle, and dogs have been bjtien. Thug 



