﻿$i4 ON THE CURE OF 



CASE I. 



In the month of August 1780, a servant of mine 

 -was bitten in the heel, as he supposed, by a snake ; and 

 in a few minutes was in great agony, with convulsions 

 about the throat and jaws, and continual grinding of 

 the teeth. Having a wish to try the eff.-cts of volatile 

 alkali in such cases, I gave him about forty drops of 

 Eau de Luce in water, and applied some of it to the 

 part bitten. The dose was repeated every eight or ten 

 minutes, till a small phialful was expended": it was 

 near two hours before it could be said he was out of 

 danger. A numbness and pricking sensation was per- 

 ceived extending itself up to the knee, where a ligature 

 was applied so tight, as to stop the returning venous 

 b^ood, which seemingly checked the progress of the 

 deleterious poison. The foot and leg, up to where 

 the ligature was made, were stiffand painful for several 

 fiaysj and, which appeared very singular, were co- 

 vered with a branny scale. 



The above was the first case in which I tried the 

 effects of the volatile alkali, and, apprehending that 

 the essential oils in the composition of Eau de Luce, 

 though made of the strong caustic volatile spirit, would 

 considerably diminish its powers, I was induced, the 

 next opportunity that offered, to try the effects of pure 

 volatile caustic alkali spirit, and accordingly pre- 

 pared some from quicklime and the sal ammoniac of 

 this country. 



CASE II. 



In July 1782, a woman of the Brahmen cast, who 

 lived in my neighbourhood at ('hiniur, was bitten by 

 a Cobra de Cape/Io between the thumb and fore-finger 

 of her right hand. Prayers and superstitious incanta- 



rts were practised by the Brahner.s abo-.'t her, till 

 became speechless and convulsed, with locked 



