\J THE SNAKE-STONE. TO THE EDITOR OP THE
'
"
INDIAN MEDICAL
GAZETTE."
Dear Sie,?I demur a little to your note at the foot of my paper in your issue of 1st December last, that Sir J. Fayrer's experiments had "proved the snake-stone to be quite useless. I hare read his Thanatophidiaand, it seems to me, that there are at least three objections which may be fairly urged against the conclusiveness of his enquiry. 1st.?It is unreasonable to suppose that a merely local antidote should provo effectual in the case of a cobra made to bite deeply into the breast of a fowl. " 2nd ?There is nothing to show that the stone" used waa " " It is stated that it had the reputation of having good saved the lives of several men ; but unless it had been properly eared for, as directed, this is rather against the probability of its good properties having been preserved; for its power of absorption would, by use, have becomod eteriorated. Faraday's analysis shows to what an extent an old stone is from former use. clogged with blood " stone" is described as whitish beneath ; and no 3rd?The change occurred in the milk when it was immersed in it. Both these conditions make me believe that the stone, when used by Sir J. Fayrer, was old and exhausted. The Editor of the Pioneer thinks that I have not taken much I can only trouble to investigate the subject thoroughly. repeat that, luckily or not, I have seen very few cases of snakeThere are several medical men in India who have a bite. collection of snakes and habitually experiment with them. If they will prepare a number of the snake-stones, select the good ones, and then use one of them in an experiment on a dog, and afterwards test the milk into which the poison ought to bo discharged, we shall know if the stone has the power to absorb poison or is inert. If it is found capable of doing so in any degree, I venture to think that the fact of a fowl or a dog dying under the experiment should not cause the stone to be described as absolutely useless. I suggest also that the inner surface of the pinna of a dog's ear would be the best situation for the cobra to bite. This most nearly resembles the human skin and is favourable for the fair application of the stone. I am, Dear Yours
Sir,
faithfully, A. Etescw,
Surgeon-Major. Rooeeee, 22nd December 1876.
'
"
INDIAN MEDICAL
GAZETTE."
Dear Sie,?I demur a little to your note at the foot of my paper in your issue of 1st December last, that Sir J. Fayrer's experiments had "proved the snake-stone to be quite useless. I hare read his Thanatophidiaand, it seems to me, that there are at least three objections which may be fairly urged against the conclusiveness of his enquiry. 1st.?It is unreasonable to suppose that a merely local antidote should provo effectual in the case of a cobra made to bite deeply into the breast of a fowl. " 2nd ?There is nothing to show that the stone" used waa " " It is stated that it had the reputation of having good saved the lives of several men ; but unless it had been properly eared for, as directed, this is rather against the probability of its good properties having been preserved; for its power of absorption would, by use, have becomod eteriorated. Faraday's analysis shows to what an extent an old stone is from former use. clogged with blood " stone" is described as whitish beneath ; and no 3rd?The change occurred in the milk when it was immersed in it. Both these conditions make me believe that the stone, when used by Sir J. Fayrer, was old and exhausted. The Editor of the Pioneer thinks that I have not taken much I can only trouble to investigate the subject thoroughly. repeat that, luckily or not, I have seen very few cases of snakeThere are several medical men in India who have a bite. collection of snakes and habitually experiment with them. If they will prepare a number of the snake-stones, select the good ones, and then use one of them in an experiment on a dog, and afterwards test the milk into which the poison ought to bo discharged, we shall know if the stone has the power to absorb poison or is inert. If it is found capable of doing so in any degree, I venture to think that the fact of a fowl or a dog dying under the experiment should not cause the stone to be described as absolutely useless. I suggest also that the inner surface of the pinna of a dog's ear would be the best situation for the cobra to bite. This most nearly resembles the human skin and is favourable for the fair application of the stone. I am, Dear Yours
Sir,
faithfully, A. Etescw,
Surgeon-Major. Rooeeee, 22nd December 1876.
