SNAKE-POISON LITERATURE. 43 



Tlow luxuriates in the garden of every gentle- 

 man in the Island.' I believe it has again 

 become extinct ! " Note in the above extract 

 that the " panseurs " assist their antidotes with 

 " passes" and " words" : the jharro and mantras. 

 Also that they have many remedies, notwith- 

 standing that guaco, (the great remedyj has '"^^g^"*'*'*' 

 become extinct. The medical officer winds up pa^seuia. 

 his letter with the following paragraph : — 



" The treatment adopted by some of these 

 serpent-doctors, can only be described as ' lynch 

 law,' and I believe often gives rise to mortification 

 of the bitten part. Others practise by more gentle 

 means, inflicting no injury. A powder named 

 Theriaque -f is in great repute. This consists of 

 a forago of seventy-two different ingredients, 

 the flesh of the viper being one * ; each drachm 

 of the powder contains a little more than a grain 

 of opium, and to the soothing effect of this drug 

 is to be ascribed such influence for good as the 

 powder may have. Rum and ammonia are largely 

 used in all the nostrums, and are probably the 

 only efficacious constituents." The marvel is that 



t Advocated by Arotseus in 1772. 

 * A very ancient remedy. 



