June 7, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



387 



writer's experiments with the kaolin snake stone willjpro- 

 bably be read with some interest, although they were so 

 few in number as to prove little besides the fact that the 

 stone actually did adhere and became charged with blood. 



The first experiment was tried 

 Jan. 4, 1555—11:55 A. M.— Injected 10 minims of glycer- 

 ine venom mixed with ten minims of water into 

 right leg of chicken, a ligature having been pre- 

 viously applied above point of puncture. A num- 

 ber of superficial incisions were then made in the 

 vicinity of the wound, and the so-called mad stone 

 applied with firm pressure. It held on for a num- 

 ber of minutes and then fell off, and there was a 

 copious flow of blood following its detachment. 

 The stone appeared saturated with blood and was 

 placed in water and cleansed. The ligature was 

 removed from the limb and the fowl liberated. 

 Jan. 5—12 M. — The chicken is apparently very sick, with 

 quickened respiration, is sluggish, crouches down 

 and ia averse to movement. In the vicinity oi the 

 injection there is much engorgement of the tissues. 

 There is a copious flow of bloody serum from the 

 wound. From this time up to Jan. 9 the chicken 

 gradually improved, and at this date appears en- 

 tirely well. It walks around, eats well, and the 

 wound is cicatrized. It must be confessed that the 

 result of this experiment was entirely unexpected, 

 as it was supposed that the dose of venom given 

 (10 minims) would produce death in about thirty 

 minutes. 



To verify the former test a second was tried. 



Jan. 15—12:15 P. M.— Injected 10 minims of venom and 

 10 minims of water into left leg of chicken, no lig- 

 ature being applied. Multiple superficial incisions 

 were made in the vicinity of the puncture and a 

 new piece of the stone was at once applied. It held 

 on firmly for nearly fifteen minutes and absorbed 

 considerable blood, falling off finally by its own 

 weight. The chicken seemed to suffer little or no 

 inconvenience from the operation, and walked 

 • about picking up corn. 



Jan. 16. — Is still doing well and the wound healing rapidly. 



Jan. 30.— Chicken in perfect health, wound cicatrized 

 entirely. 



It should be mentioned that both these experiments 

 were tried upon the same fowl, and it may be that the 

 former inoculation with venom protected it from the 

 second. Another experiment tried upon a fowl failed, 

 the bird dying in about four hours. 



In this connection attention is invited to a very inter- 

 esting paper by Prof. Henry Seweil, of the University of 

 Michigan, published in the Journal of Physiology, Gam- 

 bridge, 1887, VIII., S03, entitled "Experiments on the 

 Preventive Inoculation of Rattlesnake Venom." 



Prof. Seweil assumes in this article that an analogy 

 exists between the venom of serpents and the ptomaines 

 produced under the influence of bacterial organisms, he 

 therefore thought that if "immunity from the fatal effects 

 of snake bite could be secured in an animal by means of 

 repeated inoculations with doses of the poison too small 

 to produce ill effects, we may suspect that the same sort 

 of resistance against germ disease might follow the in- 

 oculation of the appropriate ptomaines, provided that it 

 is through the products of their metabolism that bacteria 

 produce their fatal effects." To settle this point his ex- 

 periments were tried with the following results: First, 

 that rattlesnake venom, kept for some time in glycerine, 

 underwent a gradual deterioration of power, this view 

 being in opposition to the experience of other observers. 

 Second, that "repeated inoculation of pigeons with sub- 

 lethal doses of rattlesnake venom produces a continually 

 increasing resistance toward the injurious effects of the 

 poison without apparent influence on the general health 

 of the animals." These results are abundantly proved by 

 the tables which accompany the report. 



It may be of interest at this point to give a brief ac- 

 count of the different remedies and plans of treatment 

 that have been suggested from time to time for snake 

 bite. Some years since the attention of scientific men 

 was called to a reputed remedy known as Bibron's anti- 

 dote, of which Dr. W. A. Hammond, U. S. A., in the Am. 

 Jour. Med. Sci., Philadelphia, 1858, n. s.,XXXV, 94, 

 8-2, Estates that according to Prince Paul of Wiirtemberg, 

 Prof. Bibron allowed a rattlesnake to bite him on the 

 lips, cheeks, etc., and by taking the antidote suffered no 

 inconvenience whatever. Dr. Hammond reports one 

 case in which a man was bitten by large rattler, four 

 minutes after the bite was given a dose of the Bibron 

 antidote and unpleasant symptoms disappeared but re- 

 turned; in forty minutes another dose was given. In 

 five minutes all pain had vanished and he recovered per- 

 fectly. He had animals bitten, a wolf three months old, 

 thirty minutes after the bite when symptoms had become 

 marked, six drops of antidote were given, wolf became 

 well almost immediately and ate a piece of meat. Same 

 wolf bitten next day in three places, but there was some 

 delay in giving the antidote, wolf died comatose intwen- 

 ty-beven minutes. Snake made to bite a dog, which 

 died because antidote could not be given. Forty-five 

 minutes after, same snake was made to bite another do: 

 in three minutes after the injury the antidote was given 

 before symptoms developed, in fifteen minutes another 

 dose, and in two hours he appeared perfectly well. Dr. 

 Coolidge in same paper reported case of girl fifteen years 

 old bitten at Fort Riley; ten minutes after, the doctor 

 placed a ligature above the bite, made free incision and 

 gave the antidote, repeated twenty minutes after, inject- 

 ing into the finger Bramard's preparation of iodine, 

 Girl got well with extensive suppuration of back of 

 hand. . j. , , . 



The formula?, for the preparation of tins antidote is as 

 follows: 



BIBKON'S ANTIDOTE. 



B Potass, iod 



Hydravg. chl. eorros §£••"■ 



Bromine ...r.di -.v. 



M. Sig. Ten drops in table-spoonful of wine or brandy, to be re- 

 peated it necessary. Pat in glass-stoppered bottle. 



After Dr. Hammond's experiments so much faith was 

 placed in this preparation that it was furnished to all the 

 military posts in the West and South, and the writer re- 

 members to have seen a bottle of it occupying a promr 

 nent position in the serpent room of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, then in charge of Prof. E. 

 D. Cope. , ' 



Mr. Xantus de Vesey performed a number of experi- 

 ments with the Bibron antidote, and states that none of 

 his animals perished of snake bite when the remedy was 



used. Dr. S. Weir Mitchell experimented upon sixteen 

 dogs, with that singular care for which he is noted, with 

 the following results, which are simply negative. Of 

 eight dogs bitten and treated with the antidote two died, 

 while of eight bitten and not so treated three died. It is 

 intended to try the effect of the. Bibron antidote again if 

 a sufficient supply of venom can he obtained. 



In 1858 Dr. David Braincrd, of Chicago, in conjunction 

 with Dr. Green, proposed a plan of treatment for snake 

 bite, known popularly as the iodine treatment, which 

 attracted some attention at the time, the process being as 

 follows: "lOgrs. iodine and 30grs. iodide of potassium 

 are dissolved in loz. of water. The bitten part is cupped 

 or a ligature is placed on the limb until the tissues are so 

 swollen with serum as to allow of the injection passing 

 readily through the distended areolar space. A small 

 trocar and canula is then pushed laterally into the bitten 

 part, so as to reach the site of the wound, and the injec- 

 tion effected by screwing to the trocar a small syringe 

 charged with iodine, and so filling the part by pressing 

 down the piston of the syringe, while the cupping glass 

 remains over the wound and exhaustion is kept up with 

 its aid." 



Dr. Mitchell, commenting upon the procedure, very 

 justly says: "Apart from the antidotal value of this in- 

 genious means, it is clear that the necessary apparatus is 

 rarely at hand, and that cups of various curves to fit the 

 equally various surfaces of the body as advised by Dr. 

 Bramerd, are not likely to come into general use in local- 

 ities where the rattlesnake is found." In Brainerd's ex- 

 >eriments one-half of the pigeons treated by Green and 

 limself died, and in Mitchell's experiments out of seven 

 pigeons six died, so that he states that he was unable to 

 confirm Brainerd's conclusions, although he admits that 

 the preparation has a retarding action upon the venom. 

 In cases in which the venom and iodine was mixed to- 

 gether before being thrown under the skin all the pigeons 

 died. It is a fact, however, that iodine docs prevent the 

 usual local manifestations to a certain degree. Tannic 

 acid was found to act similarly, and Dr. M. thinks it is 

 due to the action of these agents upon the tissues and not 

 upon the venom. 



Different preparations of arsenic have been recom- 

 mended from time to time by various authors, the famous 

 Tanjore pill having attained quite a celebrity in the East 

 Indies. It is composed of arsenious acid, three East 

 India roots, of which two are purgative, and one an active 

 acro-narcotic, mixed with pepper and the juice of the wild 

 cotton plant. In each pill is three-quarters of a grain of 

 arsenic, and two of the pills are given at a dose, a single 

 one an hour after. We might suppose from the large 

 dose of the mineral that in some cases if the venom did 

 not kill the pill certainly would. This preparation has 

 been experimented upon by several persons, who report 

 against its use. Per contra. Dr. J. P. Ireland in Med. 

 Chir. Tr., Lond., 1817, II., 396, treated soldiers bitten at 

 Santa Lucia by the fer de lance with arsenic in large 

 doses, as follows: 



B Liq. potass, arsenat f. dr. ii. 



Tiuct. opii gtt. x. 



Aquee mentti. pip oz. iss. 



to which was added half an ounce of lime juice; this was 

 repeated every half hour for four successive hours—this 

 would be lgr. of arsenic to each dose. In addition 

 a carthartie clyster was given, and the scarified parts 

 rubbed with a liniment containing oil terebinthina, liquor 

 ammonia and oil olivaj. He reports four cases cured, and 

 one at Martinique. 



Another modification of the arsenic treatment is recom- 

 mended by Dr. L. Lanszweert in the Pacif. M. & S. J., 

 San Fran. 1871-2, V., 108. Arseniate of strychnia, 30grs. 

 of pure strychnia in 4oz. of distilled water containing 

 75grs. of arsenic acid, and evaporating until crystalliza- 

 tion takes place, drying the crystals and reserving the 

 liquid, with the addition of 8oz. of alcohol, for external 

 application. For internal use, lgr. of this arseniate of 

 strychnia is mixed witb lOgrs. of sugar and 25grs. of 

 turmeric and divided into twelve powders. One powder 

 to be given at the time of the bite and every 15 or 20 

 minutes after until better. Upon recurrence of symptoms 

 give every hour. Reports cure but no details of cases. 



Alcohol in various forms is probably to-day the agent 

 in which the great portion of the people of the world 

 have the utmost confidence as an antidote, a faith unfor- 

 tunately not well founded if we may believe the many 

 experiments which have been tried. According to Mit- 

 chell it is merely a counter-active agent, a stimulus 

 simply, which may buoy the patient over the prostration 

 produced by the venom, but as a direct antidote it fails, 

 and this is proved by the fact that a mixture of alcohol 

 and venom is no less deadly than the venom itself . It 

 has been claimed that persons in an intoxicated condition 

 or those habitually indulging in alcoholic liquor cannot 

 be poisoned by venomous snakes, but abundant proof 

 to the contrary exists, notably in the case of Adam Lake 

 reported by Dr. Horner in the North Amer. Med. &Surg. 

 Jour. 1831, XL, 227. This man had been in the habit of 

 taking from half a pint to a pint of alcoholic liquor daily, 

 and was intoxicated when bitten by a rattlesnake. Not- 

 withstanding the services of excellent physicians, a num- 

 ber of reputed antidotes being used, he died in less than 

 twenty-four horns. The proper use of alcohol in snake 

 bite and conditions under which it should be employed 

 Avill be considered under the treatment of snake bite 

 further on. 



Dr. R. Harlan, in Tr. Am. Phil. Soc, Philadelphia, 

 1828, n. s., III., 300, gives an interesting account of vari- 

 ous antidotes used in rattlesnake bites. The Prenanthis 

 serpentaria of Porsh, called lion's foot, is said to have 

 cured moccasin bites seen by Pursh himself; but these 

 may have been harmless water moccasins. The Assem- 

 bly of South Carolina purchased from a negro a secret 

 remedy, the man allowing himself to be bitten by a num- 

 ber of snakes, jumping naked into a tub of snakes. He 

 cured himself by swallowing tablespoonf ul doses of the 

 Alisma plantago expressed juice, repeating it until the 

 effects of the poison were counteracted. A number of 

 experiments were tried with a decoction of Hieraceum 

 venosum, a secret remedy purchased from itinerant show- 

 men, one of whom allowed snakes to bite him several 

 times. He swallowed a few ounces of a decoction of the 

 root and held the raw neck of the snake over the bite, 

 the head having been cut off. The Hieraceum venosum 

 is vulgarly known as hawk's weed, adder's tongue, poor 

 robin's plantain, rattlesnake weed, etc. Man entirely 



stating: "Had I occasion to treat a wound inflicted by a 

 poisonous reptile my faith in the Hieraceum venosum as 

 a cure is not such as to induce me to resort to its employ- 

 ment to the exclusion of the less equivocal means of 

 suction, pressure or ligature." He supposed the animals 

 had been so long in captivity as not to ha\ r e much venom. 



With regard to the Alisma plantago, it was used in 

 Dr. Horner's case and failed to have the slightest anti- 

 dotal effect. 



In 1873 appeared a curious little book by S. B. Higgins, 

 S. A., honorary member of the Homeopathic Institute 

 of the United States of Colombia, entitled "Ophidians; 

 zoological arrangement of the different genera, including 

 varieties known in North and South America, the East 

 Indies, South Africa and Australia. Their poisons and 

 all that is known of their nature. Their galls as antidotes 

 to the snake venom. Pathological, toxicological and 

 microscopical facts, together with much interesting 

 matter hitherto not published." The entire raison d'etre 

 for the work seems to be a desire to prove the correctness 

 of the following corollary of the author: "Every ani- 

 mal poison has its perfect and specific antidote in the gall 

 of the animal or reptile in which that iioison is secreted." 

 After mentioning a number of different methods of cure 

 in vogue in South America, he states the following, 

 which may be taken as evidence of the charlatanry of 

 the so-called curers: "For the bite of the sierpe (python) 

 [a harmless snake] open a hen alive and put half of it 

 upon the wounded part, binding it fast with a bandage. 

 Diet — the first day of the cure give the patient fowl; 

 when better beef and salt fish may be permitted. Abso- 

 lutely prohibited — fish, eggs, bananas, aquacates (alli- 

 gator pear), cheese, anything acid or flatulent. Great 

 care must be taken not to go barefooted, and on no ac- 

 count to step in fowls' excrement (this is mortal), total 

 abstinence from any carnal act; and he must not allow 

 any woman, pregnant or menstruating, to come nea him 

 while being cured." 



Of his own method of cure he states as follows: "It 

 must always be borne in mind that the gall of a snake 

 has its virtues most fully developed shortly after the 

 skin has been cast and when its poison is most venomous, 

 provided, however, that the reptile has not eaten any food 

 in the meantime, in which case the gall-bladder will be 

 found nearly or quite empty. Many experiments with 

 this substance combined with alcohol in widely different 

 proportions of each ingredient have led me to adopt the 

 following as the method of preparation which has 

 proven itself most efficacious in a great number of cases. 

 Proportion, one drop of pure gall to ten drops of a3 pure 

 alcohol, or high wines, or spirits of wine, as can be pro- 

 cured. The mixture must be thoroughly shaken and 

 allowed to stand for a couple of days, when a lead-colored 

 sediment will have deposited itself, the supernatant 

 liquid can be poured off carefully into a perfectly clean 

 new vial, using a bit of sponge in the neck of a small 

 funnel to filter it, when it is ready for use. Never mix 

 galls of different species." 



Method of Administration. — "For all ordinary cases of 

 bite, 5 or 10 drops of prepared gall (selecting if possible 

 that of the kind causing the bite) in half a tumbler of 

 water well mixed, to administer a tablespoonf ul of the 

 mixture every five, ten, fifteen or twenty minutes, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the symptoms, and varying the 

 dose from three to ten drops of gall, according to the age, 

 sex, condition and susceptibility of the patient, will af- 

 ford entire relief. In fifty cases treated, I have given 

 ten -drop doses of gall in four ounces of water in two 

 cases only, all the others have been cured by five drop 

 doses, continuing the remedy at more prolonged intervals, 

 as the symptoms of the action of the poison disappear, 

 and in the ten cases cited, where a five-drop dose was 

 given in tablespoonfuls every five minutes without pro- 

 ducing relief, the dose was immediately repeated and en- 

 tire relief ultimately ensued. 



"I invariably make a deep cruciform incision in the 

 wound with a lancet and bathe the Jimb in w-ater as hot 

 as can be borne, into which I pour a few drops of pre- 

 pared gall. When the blood flows a bright red (and not 

 before) a small pellet of cotton or sponge, saturated w T ith 

 the gall (prepared) applied to the wound and secured 

 with a bandage will stop the flow of blood, unless a large 

 vein or artery is punctured by the fang; in this case 

 cauterization is necessary." 



As a comment upon the method of cure proposed by 

 Higgins the reader is referred to Rep. No. 27 in Rep. 

 Sanit. Meas. in India, foi., London, 1875, VII., 274, en- 

 titled, "Experiments at St. Bartholomew's Hospital to 

 test the effect of Mr. Higgins's antidote to snake poison." 

 Present, Dr. Forbes Watson, Dr. Fayrer, Dr. Brunton 

 and Mr. S. B. Higgins. Several experiments were tried, 

 the antidote being administered by Mr. Higgins himself, 

 but in each case it failed to have any antidotal effect. 

 The committee state that the cobra poison used in these 

 experiments was supplied by Dr. Fayrer and that the 

 antidote was prepared by Mr. Higgins himself from the 

 gall of the Lomo di machete snake, ten drops of gall 

 being diluted with 100 drops of alcohol of 95 per cent., 

 and ten drops of this solution being diluted with four 

 fluid ounces of water. 



It is intended to conduct a series of experiments 

 with snake gall to verify or disprove those of the per- 

 sons named. 



A few years since, in some parts of the South, great 

 reliance was placed in a certain weed or plant called 

 Jestis weed or Justise weed, so named from a person 

 celebrated as a curer of snake bites. This person, called 

 Isham Justise, resided in 1800 in Sumter District, South 

 Carolina, and was so convinced himself of the efficacy 

 of his remedy that he frequently made the offer to allow 

 snakes to bite him for the sum of one dollar. The plant 

 he used is known to botanists as Eupatorium Ivnearifo- 

 lium of Linnasus and Elliott, although the Eupatorium 

 hyssopifoliu m is also known as J ustise's weed and possesses 

 similar' medical properties. The common name of the 

 plant is boneset or wild hoarhound. Upon what was 

 considered undoubted evidence from respectable citizens, 

 Justise was granted a sum of money by the State Legis- 

 lature upon his making known the secret of his remedy. 

 A number of cases are reported of the cure of snake bite, 

 using this plant as an antidote, and Mr. Haynesworth in 

 the Phila. Med. and Phys. Journ., 1808, III., pt. I., 57, 

 gives a detailed account of nine cases of recovery from 

 rattlesnake bite, in which the weed was employed. It is 

 prepared by boiling a handful of the plant m a quart of 



recovered*"lVurvenl)m'fi^m same 'snake killed a pup. new milk down to a pint, and of this a tablespoonf ul is 

 Localsviptots SSSd iSwKase. He winds up by I given every few minutes until the dangerous symptoms 



Local symptoms 



