Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine [453]
cause. The boots were again sold, and the next unfortunate owner died in an equally short time. It was then thought wise to examine the boots, and in one of them was found, firmly embedded, the fang of the serpent. It was supposed that in pulling on the boots each of the subsequent owners had scratched himself and became fatally inoculated with the venom, which was unsuspected and not combated. The case is so strange as to appear hypothetic, but the authority seems reliable.
The following are three cases of snake-bite reported by surgeons of the United States Army, two followed by recovery, and the other by death: Middleton mentions a private in the Fourth Cavalry, aged twenty-nine, who was bitten by a rattlesnake at Fort Concho, Texas, June 27, 1866. The bite opened the phalangeal joint of the left thumb, causing violent inflammation, and resulted in the destruction of the joint. Three years afterward the joint swelled and became extremely painful, and it was necessary to amputate the thumb. Campbell reports the case of a private of the Thirteenth Infantry who was bitten in the throat by a large rattlesnake. The wound was immediately sucked by a comrade, and the man reported at the Post Hospital, at Camp Cooke, Montana, three hours after the accident. The only noticeable appearance was a slightly wild look about the eyes, although the man did not seem to be the least alarmed. The region of the wound was hard and somewhat painful, probably from having been bruised by the teeth of the man who sucked the wound; it remained so for about three hours. The throat was bound up in rancid olive oil (the only kind at hand) and no internal remedy was administered. There were no other bad consequences, and the patient soon returned to duty.
Le Carpentier sends the report of a fatal case of rattlesnake-bite: A private, aged thirty-seven, remarkable for the singularity of his conduct, was known in his Company as a snake-charmer, as he had many times, without injury, handled poisonous snakes. On the morning of July 13, 1869, he was detailed as guard with the herd at Fort Cummings, New Mexico, when, in the presence of the herders, he succeeded in catching a rattlesnake and proving his power as a sorcerer. The performance being over and the snake killed, he caught sight of another of the same class, and tried to duplicate his previous feat; but his dexterity failed, and he was bitten in the middle finger of the right hand. He was immediately admitted to the Post Hospital, complaining only of a little pain, such as might follow the sting of a bee or wasp. A ligature was applied above the wound; the two injuries made by the fangs were enlarged by a bistoury; ammonia and the actual cautery were applied; large doses of whiskey were repeated frequently, the constitution of the patient being broken and poor. Vomiting soon came on but was stopped without trouble, and there were doubts from the beginning as to his recovery. The swelling of the hand and arm gradually increased, showing the particular livid and yellowish tint following the bites of poisonous snakes. A blister was applied to the bitten finger, tincture of iodin used, and two ounces of whiskey given every two hours until inebriety was induced. The pulse, which was very much reduced at first, gained gradually under the influence of stimulants; two grains of opium were given at night, the patient slept well, and on the next day complained only of numbness in the arm. The swelling had extended as far as the shoulder-joint, and the blood, which was very fluid, was incessantly running from the wound. Carbolic acid and cerate were applied to the arm, with stimulants internally. On the 15th his condition was good, the swelling had somewhat augmented, there was not so much lividity, but the yellowish hue had increased. On the 16th the man complained of pain in the neck, on the side of the affected limb, but his general condition was good. Examining his genitals, an iron ring 3/4 inch in diameter was discovered, imbedded in the soft tissues of the penis, constricting it to such a degree
The following are three cases of snake-bite reported by surgeons of the United States Army, two followed by recovery, and the other by death: Middleton mentions a private in the Fourth Cavalry, aged twenty-nine, who was bitten by a rattlesnake at Fort Concho, Texas, June 27, 1866. The bite opened the phalangeal joint of the left thumb, causing violent inflammation, and resulted in the destruction of the joint. Three years afterward the joint swelled and became extremely painful, and it was necessary to amputate the thumb. Campbell reports the case of a private of the Thirteenth Infantry who was bitten in the throat by a large rattlesnake. The wound was immediately sucked by a comrade, and the man reported at the Post Hospital, at Camp Cooke, Montana, three hours after the accident. The only noticeable appearance was a slightly wild look about the eyes, although the man did not seem to be the least alarmed. The region of the wound was hard and somewhat painful, probably from having been bruised by the teeth of the man who sucked the wound; it remained so for about three hours. The throat was bound up in rancid olive oil (the only kind at hand) and no internal remedy was administered. There were no other bad consequences, and the patient soon returned to duty.
Le Carpentier sends the report of a fatal case of rattlesnake-bite: A private, aged thirty-seven, remarkable for the singularity of his conduct, was known in his Company as a snake-charmer, as he had many times, without injury, handled poisonous snakes. On the morning of July 13, 1869, he was detailed as guard with the herd at Fort Cummings, New Mexico, when, in the presence of the herders, he succeeded in catching a rattlesnake and proving his power as a sorcerer. The performance being over and the snake killed, he caught sight of another of the same class, and tried to duplicate his previous feat; but his dexterity failed, and he was bitten in the middle finger of the right hand. He was immediately admitted to the Post Hospital, complaining only of a little pain, such as might follow the sting of a bee or wasp. A ligature was applied above the wound; the two injuries made by the fangs were enlarged by a bistoury; ammonia and the actual cautery were applied; large doses of whiskey were repeated frequently, the constitution of the patient being broken and poor. Vomiting soon came on but was stopped without trouble, and there were doubts from the beginning as to his recovery. The swelling of the hand and arm gradually increased, showing the particular livid and yellowish tint following the bites of poisonous snakes. A blister was applied to the bitten finger, tincture of iodin used, and two ounces of whiskey given every two hours until inebriety was induced. The pulse, which was very much reduced at first, gained gradually under the influence of stimulants; two grains of opium were given at night, the patient slept well, and on the next day complained only of numbness in the arm. The swelling had extended as far as the shoulder-joint, and the blood, which was very fluid, was incessantly running from the wound. Carbolic acid and cerate were applied to the arm, with stimulants internally. On the 15th his condition was good, the swelling had somewhat augmented, there was not so much lividity, but the yellowish hue had increased. On the 16th the man complained of pain in the neck, on the side of the affected limb, but his general condition was good. Examining his genitals, an iron ring 3/4 inch in diameter was discovered, imbedded in the soft tissues of the penis, constricting it to such a degree