252 miner's AMERICAN 



that I have ever heard of, that may be depended on in 

 all cases, is tobacco. This remedy was recommended 

 to me as an infallible cure ; yet I had but little faith in 

 it, still I tried it, and as I supposed, properly, and found 

 little or no benefit from its use. I reported its failure 

 to cure in my ov^^n case, to my informant, and he stated 

 that I had not applied it thoroughly, as 1 ought to have 

 done ; — that he was certain that it would be an effectual 

 cure, never having known it to fail in a single instance, 

 when correctly applied. The next time I got stung, I 

 applied the tobacco as directed, and found it to cure like 

 a charm ! The manner of applying it, is as follows : — 

 Take ordinary fine-cut smoking or chewing tobacco, 

 and lay a pinch of it in the hollow of your hand and 

 moisten it, and work it over until the juice appears quite 

 dark colored; then apply it to the part stung, rubbing 

 in the juice, with the tobacco between your thumb and 

 fingers, as with a sponge. As fast as the tobacco be- 

 comes dry, add a little moisture and continue to rub, 

 and press out the juice upon the inflamed spot, during 

 five or ten minutes, and if applied soon after being stung, 

 it will cure in every case. Before I tried it, I was fre- 

 quently laid up with swollen eyes and limbs for days ; 

 now it is amusement to get stung. 



There are various other reputed remedies, such as 

 ammonia, (spirits of hartshorn,) saloeratus diluted in 

 water, cold water alone, and earth mixed with water, 

 and applied to the puncture, and various other alleged 

 cures, all of which I have tried, and found partially in. 

 effectual. 



