Cures for the Bite of Snakes

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In some parts of our country, persons who are bitten with snakes are cured with whiskey, by making them intoxicated. We have read of and been informed of a number of cures by this method of alcoholic application. We have also been informed that tobacco in a moist state applied to the bite is also an effectual cure. Recent English papers give an account of a young man who was bitten a short time ago in the Zoological Gardens of London, by a cobra snake, and from the effects of which he died in a short time. A correspondent has written to the"'London Expositor" ' on the subject, and cites a great number of cases in which a volatile caustic alkali named Esu dt Luce w applied inside and. out with complete success. The receipt for making this is not given in the "Ex ritoi," but we have found it in another place, and as the cases cited were persons bitten by the hooded snake, the most 'venomous in the world, and as the said liquid is now used in the East Indies with perfect success, the receipt for making it is somewhat valuable. "Take 4 ounces of the rectified spirit of wine, and dissolve it in 10 or 12 grains of white soap; filter this solution and dissolve it in a drachm ofrectified oil of amber and filter again. Mix as much of this solution with a strong solution of the carbonate. of ammonia in a glass bottle, which, v.-- ![; sufficiently shook, will produce a beautiful milky liquid. If any cream is formed- on the surface, more of the spirit of wine must be added." This is applied to the bite, and about 40 drops given as a drink at the same time, this is done as soon as possible and repeated in about ten minutes, when no more will be required for a half hour, and after that the cure is expected to be complete.

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 13This article was published with the title “Cures for the Bite of Snakes” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 13 (), p. 97
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican12111852-97

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