The evening came; the unfortunate man kept his appointment, and, in the presence of several witnesses, who tried to dissuade him from the trial, bared his arm and placed it in the cage of an enraged cobra and was quickly bitten.The nostrum was applied apparently in the same manner as it had been to the lower animals which had that evening been experimented upon, but whether it was that the poor fellow wilfully did something to prevent its taking effect--or whatever the reason--he soon became insensible, and in a couple of hours he was taken home to his wife and family--a corpse.The next morning the snake-charmer had flown, and left his snakes behind him.
The insurance company at first refused payment of the policy, asserting that the death was suicide; the case was tried and the company lost it, and the widow received the three thousand pounds.The snake-charmer was sought in vain; he had the good fortune and good sense to be seen no more in the Australian colonies.
As several methods of combating the effects of poisons have been mentioned in the foregoing pages, I feel in duty bound to carry the subject a little farther and present a list of antidotes.I shall not attempt to educate my readers in the art of medicine, but simply to give a list of such ordinary materials as are to be found in practically every household, materials cited as antidotes for the more common poisons.I have taken them from the best authorities obtainable and they are offered in the way of first aid, to keep the patient alive till the doctor arrives; and if they should do no good, they can hardly do harm.
The first great rule to be adopted is SEND FORTHE DOCTOR AT ONCE and give him all possible information about the case without delay.Use every possible means to keep the patient at a normal temperature.When artificial respiration is necessary, always get hold of the tongue and pull it well forward in order to keep the throat clear, then turn the patient over on his face and press the abdomen to force out the air, then turn him over on the back so that the lungs may fill again, repeating this again and again till the doctor arrives.The best stimulants are strong tea or coffee; but when these are not sufficient, a tablespoon of brandy, whisky, or wine may be added.
Vegetable and mineral poisons, with few exceptions, act as efficiently in the blood as in the stomach.Animal poisons act only through the blood, and are inert when introduced into the stomach.Therefore there is absolutely no danger in sucking the virus from a snake bite, except that the virus should not be allowed to touch any spot where the skin is broken.
The following list of antidotes is taken largely from Appleton's Medical Dictionary, and Sollmann's A Manual of Pharmacology, Philadelphia, 1917, pages 56 and 57, and has been verified by comparison with various other authorities at the library of the Medical Society of the County of New York:
Arsenic Induce vomiting with a dessert-spoonful of ground mustard in tepid water.Also put the finger in the throat to induce retching.When the stomach has been emptied, give the patient all the milk he can take.
Aconite Induce vomiting as above.Also give active purgative.Stimulate with strong tea or coffee.Keep the patient roused.
Alcohol Same as for aconite.
Belladonna Same as for aconite.
Bitter-sweetSame as for aconite.
