In Norway, and on a great Moss near Warrington, are many Serpents; and their Wounds are cured by Venice-Treacle.
In Africa, they have an odd Way of curing Persons hurt by Poison; they rub the Venom of Snakes with their own Spittle, between two Stones and having mixed them well, they scratch upon the Wings of the Stomach, and to the Part so scratch’d, which is bloody, they apply a small Part of the Mixture; the rest they take inwardly.——This never fails to expel the Poison in the Wound, or in any other Part affected with it: In about a Month’s time a perfect Cure is made; in order to which, when they judge the Poison is expell’d, they cleanse the Wound, and apply to it the leaves of Buchu, Dacha, and other salutiferous Herbs: But they say, the least Neglect of such a Wound, (be it by a poisonous Arrow, or any other way) is dangerous[[55]].
[55]. Peter Kolben’s present State of the Cape of Good Hope, and of the Hottentots, writ in High-German, and translated by Mr. Guido Medley, p. 304-5.
Snake-wood is very common in the Island of Ceylon, (suppos’d to be the Taprobane of Ptolemy) which is much esteem’d by the East-Indians, who, with the Powder of it taken in Water or Wine, cure many Distempers, and among others, the Stings of Serpents, which abound in that Country.
Their Naturalists say, the Virtue of it was first discovered by a small Creature, like our Ferrets, which when stung by Serpents, runs and eats of the Snake-wood, and is cur’d.
Father Regnault, speaking of Poisons, mentions several Methods of Cure, as Incisions, Ligatures, Caustics, Vomits, Oil of Olive, Baths, Treacle, Juice of Citron.
By a Ligature, which hinders the Poison from spreading.
By Caustics, or red-hot Iron brought within a certain Distance of the Wound; because Heat attenuates the Poison by its action, and dissipates it.
This Effect of Poison has some Analogy with that which happens upon syringing (thro’ Curiosity) some acid Liquor into the Veins of a living Dog, or other Creature; for in a short time he falls into Convulsions, and dies. A Decoction of white Hellebore injected into the jugular Vein of a Dog, as soon as it enter’d the Heart, kill’d as suddenly as if shot thro’ the Heart with a Bullet. On January 4, 1679, a Drachm and a half of Spirit of Salt, diluted in an Ounce and half of Water, and injected into the jugular Vein of a Dog, kill’d him immediately. We kill’d a Dog almost in a Moment by injecting into his jugular Vein an Ounce of Spirit of Wine, in which was dissolved a Drachm of Camphire: The same Day we injected warm into the crural Vein of a Cat, 50 Grains of Opium, dissolved in an Ounce of Water, which was soon seized with convulsive Motions, and died within a Quarter of an Hour. We injected an Ounce of Oil of Olives into the jugular Vein of a Dog, which suffocated him the same Moment.
N. B. In all that were suffocated by Oil, we found their