Their make being thus, some Part at least of the Poisonous Juice may easily be drawn out of the Wound by such an Application, and yet so much of it may sometimes happen to remain in the Flesh, as may make the Bite however to prove Mortal. And thus it fared with a Pigeon, to the Thigh of which, first bitten by a Viper, I applied one of the Stones; for tho’ it stuck fast to the Wound, and thus saved the Life for about four Hours; (whereas others usually died in about half an Hour) yet after this the Mortification of the Part prevailed to that Degree as to become fatal to the tender Creature.
But our Viper-Catchers have a Remedy far beyond all these, in which They do place so great Confidence, as to be no more afraid of a Bite than of a common Puncture, immediately curing themselves by the Application of their Specifick.
This, tho’ they keep as a great Secret, I have however upon strict Enquiry found out to be no other than the Axungia Viperina presently rubbed into the Wound. And to convince my self of its good Effects, I inraged a Viper to bite a young Dog in the Nose; both the Teeth were struck deep in; he howled bitterly, and the Part began to swell; I diligently applied some of the Axungia I had ready at Hand, and he was very well the next Day.
But because some Gentlemen who saw this Experiment were apt to impute the Cure rather to the Dog’s Spittle, (he licking the Wound) than to the Virtue of the Fat, we made him to be bit again in the Tongue, forbearing the Use of our Remedy, and he died within four or five Hours.
At another time I made the like Trial with the same Success.
As this Axungia consists of Clammy and Viscid Parts, which are withal more Penetrating and Active than most other Oily Substances, so these, without all doubt, do involve, and as it were sheath the Volatile Salts of the Venemous Liquor, and thus prevent their Shooting out into those Crystalline Spicula, which we have observ’d to be the main Instruments of that deadly Mischief which attends the Bite.
By this means it comes to pass, that this Cure, if rightly manag’d, is so easie and certain, as not to need the help of any Internal Medicines to forward it; but These however must take place, where, thro’ Want of the other, the Poison is spread farther, and has tainted the whole Mass of Blood.
Nor yet is it necessary even in this Case to fatigue the Patient with a Farrago of Theriacas, Antidotes, &c. for the Volatile Salt of Vipers is alone sufficient to do the Work, if given in just Quantities, and duly repeated; provided moderate Sweats be incouraged in Bed; thus it succeeded with Monsieur Charas in the before cited Case, and in some others I could relate; in one of which the Mischief had gone so far as to induce an universal Icterus.
This leads me last of all to hint something concerning the Use of the Viper in Physick; because Authors are very large in enumerating its Virtues against many, and those too some of ’em very obstinate, Distempers.
One of the first whom we find in Antiquity to have made use of the Flesh of this Creature to Medicinal Purposes, was, I think, Antonius Musa, the Famons Physician to Octavius Cæsar; of whom Pliny [(31)] tells us, That when he met with incurable Ulcers, he ordered the eating of Vipers, and by this means they were quickly Healed.