192 REMEDIES FOR PEOPLE BITTEN. 



and the strongest the most so. The remedies 

 used by the snake catchers, may be as good as 

 any, but since leaving the Calcutta hospital, I 

 have never had an opportunity of trying them; 

 unfortunately, whenever I have known a person 

 bitten, I have not had an iron instrument at hand, 

 and it will not admit of delay ; perhaps sucking 

 the part, and applying nitric or sulphuric acid to 

 the bite, would be as good as any application, 

 particularly if accompanied with incision, at the 

 same time taking carbonate of ammonia, or any 

 volatile spirit. Such things, as also the hot iron, 

 are seldom ready when wanted. 



With the natives I have always used a whip or 

 stick to oblige them to continue in action, and 

 when I could get them to move no longer, I used 

 friction, by rubbing their bodies with flannel, and 

 I think often with good effect. It is strange to 

 say that there is scarcely a person in India that 

 has not some particular nostrum for the bites of 

 snakes. I once witnessed such a medley of 

 remedies administered, that they were sufficient 

 of themselves to kill any person of a delicate 

 constitution, and it was doubtful with me whether 

 the person died of the supposed remedies or the 

 bite. 



