SNAKE BITE CURED BY CHAMPAGNE.

Evening Star, Issue 3151, 26 March 1873, Page 2

SNAKE BITE CURED BY CHAMPAGNE.

The latest snake doctor is Dr Wylie, of Hamilton, Victoria. Against Professor Halford’s ammoniacal injection, or the ter rible operation of the knife and ligature, he backs his “corpse reviver” of champagne. In the Hamilton Spectator of March 3 he tells how ho treated a recent case Richard Forest, aged eight years, was bitten by a black snake on Saturday last, Ist March, about 12 o’clock noon, at Panyaber, near Karabeal. He was brought to Dr _ Wylie about 6 o’c’ock the same evening (being six hours from the time the bite was inflicted), in a very exhausted state. The following is the doctor’s report of the case “ six o’clock, Saturday evening, Ist March.— Boy brought into my consulting room, and laid on the sofa, in a very exhausted state, and his body twitching all over, the pulse very weak. He was very drowsy, and s emed only half conscious. The wound was at the back of the riflit leg, 4 in. above the heel. The leg, between the wound and the knee, was very lightly bga’ured. lat once 100 jened the ligatures and lancet the wound The blood flowed freely for a little time. I the * smeared the wound with a strong solution of carbolic acid, and bandaged it. 6.20 p.m. : Gave ten drops of ammonia in some water, and he immediately vomited. 0.30 p.m, : Gave him some champagne with five drops of ammonia. 7-30 p.m. :As he vomited the ammonia again, gave him champagne alone. Pulse 84, and regular ; the body, at first very co'd, is now nice and warm ; a g( od deal of twitching still. 8 p.m. : Gave more champagne. Pulse 84, but stronger than before ; inclined to sleep, but easily roused up, 8.40 p.m. : Had a little more champagne, and was then allowed to go to sleep ; twitching all gone. 10.15 p.m. : He woke up and had more champagne. Up to the present (four hours since he came in) he has consumed nearly a pint of champagne, 4.30 a.m., Sunday, 2nd March : 1 watched him all night, and now found him warm ; pulse good. He asked for a drink of tea. He drank a cupful of cold water. 6 a.m, :He had two cups of tea, and bread and butter, and went to sleep again. 10 a.m. He woke up again and walked across the room ; had his wound dressed again with carbolic acid ; and took a cup of tea and two biscuits. ISoon : I have now discharged the hoy cured (eighteen hours after his arrival), after giving the father precautionary instructions. This case was literally treated by champagne alone, —Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday.