Progress and Achievements of the Colored People / Containing the Story of the Wonderful Advancement of the Colored Americans—the Most Marvelous in the History of Nations—Their Past Accomplishments, Together With Their Present-day Opportunities and a Glimpse Into the Future for Further Developments—the Dawn of a Triumphant Era. A Handbook for Self-improvement Which Leads to Greater Success

by Kelly Miller; Joseph R. Gay

RATTLESNAKE BITES CURED BY SWEET OIL

Few people know that sweet oil, the common olive oil of commerce, the salad oil used on our tables, is a specific for rattlesnake bites. Use both internally and externally. Give the patient a teaspoonful of oil every hour while nausea lasts. Dip pieces of cotton two inches square in the oil and lay the saturated cloth over the wound. In twenty minutes or less bubbles and froth will begin to appear on the surface of the cloth. Remove the square, burn it, and replace it with a fresh square until all the swelling has subsided. Where rattlesnakes abound every household should keep a six or eight ounce vial of the best oil ready for emergencies. Avoid rancid or adulterated oil. No whiskey or other stimulant is needed, and in a majority of cases the patient is much better off without any other so-called relief than that afforded by the oil.

Relief is accelerated if some one with mouth and lips free from sores and cracks will suck the poison from the bite before applying the patches of oil-saturated cloth. A few drops of oil taken in the mouth before beginning will insure exemption from any disagreeable results.