CROFT'S TINCTURE. 323 



Croft's Tincture. 



A full-grown Cape Jackal [Canis mesomelas) was bitten by a 

 Cape Cobra on a portion of the thigh previously shaved. A 

 rubber tube was thrust into the gullet of the animal and a dose 

 of Croft's Tincture, properly diluted, was injected into its stomach 

 by means of a syringe. The site of the bite was at once scarified 

 and the undiluted tincture was well rubbed in several times. 

 The Jackal was dead in twenty-two minutes. 



Another Jackal was taken. A dose of Croft's Tincture was 

 pumped into the creature's stomach. After five minutes' interval, 

 a Puff Adder was made to bite the animal on the bared thigh. 

 The wounds were promptly scarified, and the undiluted tincture 

 rubbed in three times. The Jackal died in seventy minutes. 



In February, 191 1, Mr. Robert Parkin of Thornhill, near 

 Port Elizabeth, was bitten on the hand by a Night Adder {Causus 

 rhombeatus). He immediately sucked the wound, scarified it 

 and applied pipe oil. Shortly afterwards Mr. Newton appeared, 

 and administered Croft's Tincture. Mr. Parkin was bitten in 

 the morning. He slowly sank and died at 7.30 p.m., notwith- 

 standing the administration of Croft's Tincture. 



The following is the account of the incident, as related in the 

 Eastern Province Herald. 



" On Tuesday morning, after breakfast, Mr. Robert Parkin 

 was working in his garden, when a Night Adder bit him on the 

 finger. He immediately sucked the wound, scarifying same, 

 and applied nicotine. Shortly afterwards Mr. Newton arrived 

 and administered Croft's Tincture ; Mr. Parkin appeared to get 

 better, but later in the afternoon his face and throat began to 

 swell, and despite all efforts, he got worse, and expired at 7.30." 



Taking half a spoonful of undiluted Croft's Tincture I added 

 three drops of snake venom, and put it aside for several hours. 

 The tincture to which the venom had been added was then diluted 

 with water, and a small amount of it injected into the thigh of a 

 fowl which died of the usual symptoms of snake venom poisoning. 

 Other tests of a similar nature resulted in the death of the 

 creature every time. It is therefore apparent that the tincture 

 in no way destroys the poisonous properties of the venom even 

 when mixed with it in full strength. If Croft's Tincture is 

 incapable of destroying venom when mixed with it in this 



