AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2146, 23 March 1870, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

The correspondent of the Wagga Wagga Advertiser sends the following strange account of a cure of "snake-bite in that neighborhood by Dr Halford’s process. A Mrs Allen, who is stated to be blessed with a bed-ridden husband, was bitten in the ancle by a brown snake. The bite was a very severe one, the “ serpent’s tooth” being left in the wound and extracted by Mrs Allen herself. Unwilling to disturb her sick husband, she said nothing about it to him, but sent off for assistance to town, and in the meantime tied a ligature tightly below the knee, scarified the wound herself, applied leeches, and took internally a large dose of caster oil and brandy. By the time assistance reached her, however, she was nearly insensible. The first step taken by those who came to her aid was to administer ammonia, both internally and by injection a little above the bite. This was done in the first instance (the proper apparatus not being at hand), through a piece of grass inserted in the nose of a common syringe, which seemed to answer the purpose perfectly. This was about one o’clock, and three hours after the bite. She immediately revived, but shortly relapsed, when another injection was given, with little apparent effect. At 6 o’clock she seemed to be sinking fast, retching violently, and strongly convulsed, her teeth set, and tongue protruding. Another injection (this time with a proper snake-syringe) was given in the right arm, and then another, after which she appeared to get better, but re. lapsed again about midnight, when a fifth injection was given in the same place. The patient, who by this time, it may be imagined, was terribly exhausted, rallied immediately, and improved so rapidly that by two o’clock she was able to take some tea and be put to bed. Thus a hard struggle ■with, grim death for some 18 hours was rewarded with success ; and a valuable life, for the woman is the mother of a largo young family entirely dependent on her, was saved to society. Mrs Allen is now quite well, suffering only from a little stiffness in the arms, the effect of the ammonia, which will doubtless soon pass away. A brown trout, fourteen inches in length and nine in girth, was caught by the Commissioners in a not at the Derwent Falls, seven miles distant from the spot whore the first trout were liberated. An estimate of the probable results of the late wheat crop of South Australia, founded upon the reports of intelligent correspondents in SO different districts, has been arrived at by the Register. The conclusion arrived at by the Register, after a careful analysis of the returns, is “ that the general average for the Colony will be quite six bushels per acre. Taking it that there was no increase in land under cultivation last year, as compared with 1868, this average will be spread over fully 530,000 acres. In other words, the aggregate wheat produce of last year was equal to 3,180,000 bushels. This is just about 2,000,000 bushels less than last year, when the exportable surplus of flour was close upon 80,000 tons. Allowing 45 bushels to the ton, the surplus for the year will be nearly 45,000 tons less than for its predecessor. The deduction to be made for seed and for consumption will no be far different from the deduction last year, so that the quantity of flour available for export during 1870 will be, as nearly as can be ascertained at present, 30,000 to 35,000 tons. All things considered, the result of the wheat harvest is not so unsatisfactory as it was at one time feared it would be. The average last year It is true, was nine and two-thirds bushels’ but the year before it was only four and two’ thirds bushels.” It is reported that Chief Justice Hansen of South Australia is going to resign, and that Mr Strangways mil probably be his successor. |