Helps for suddain accidents endangering life By which those that liue farre from physitions or chirurgions may happily preserue the life of a poore friend or neighbour, till such a man may be had to perfect the cure. Collected out of the best authours for the generall good, by Stephen Bradvvell. physition.

CHAPTER VII.

The Generall Method of Pre∣venting, and Curing all ve∣nemous Stingings and Bi∣tings.

PRevention is onely two wayes: By having an eye to all places where they are likely to be abroad: And by driving them from the place of a mans habitation.

All venomous Creatures are driven from the house by these fumes and washings following.

Fume your roomes with the smoake of Harts-horne shavings, burnt in a chasing-dish or fire∣panne: or the shavings of sheepes hoofes: or the parings of old shooes.

Wash the walls with the Gaule

of any beast boyled a little in water: or the decoction of Rue or Wormwood: or Assa faetida: or Co∣loquintida boyled in water.

But in the Cure; The first thing is to pluck out the Sting, if there be any: and presently after, an∣noynt the place with Honey: If with that it asswage not. Mixe Mithridate with your Honey, & annoyt it againe: or Honey and Treacle of Andromachus. If the prick or wound be large enough, wash it with urine, or salted wa∣ter, or sharp Vineger, or els with white wine: in any of which, dis∣solue Mithridate or old Treacle of Andromachus; which being mixed together, heate it good & hot, and so wash the place well, rubbing it as hard as the patient may endure it, to draw the ve∣nom from running inward.

Some doe presently burne the wound with a hot Needle or Bodkin: and it is the best way, both to consume the venomous matter before it goe further, and also to keepe the orifine open, which must be so kept, till there be no likelihood of venom left in the affected part.

Vpon this burning, there will grow a crustie scab, round about which the place must be scarrifi∣ed with the sharp poynt of a Pen∣knife, that the corrupted bloud may haue issue. And when the scab is growne dry, you must an∣noynt it with fresh Butter alone, or fresh Hogs grease mixed with it, & having so loosened it, take it off. All which time, the part must be often washed with such a mix∣ture as I praescribed before: And round about the wound, over all

the swelled part lay a Playster made of Turpentine, Wax, blacke Pitch, and Pitch of Burgundie: And into the wound put some Lint dipped in Vnguentum Basili∣con, mixed with a little burnt A∣lum, to keepe the wound open.

But if the hurt be in the face, the actuall Cauterie or hot yron must not be used, for feare of lea∣ving a scarre and blemish in the face for ever after. Therefore in stead of that way; let some body presently sucke the wound with his mouth: which also is very good; but it must be done with these Caveats.

First, the sucker must take heed he haue no sore, blister, nor raw∣nesse in any part of his mouth, tongue, gummes, throat, or lips; for then he endangereth him∣selfe, by sucking venomous mat∣ter

into places prepared to enter∣taine the infection of it.

Secondly, before he sucke, he must wash his mouth, first three or foure times with white wine wherein Mithridate or old An∣dromachus Treacle is dissolved; and after, with sallet-Oyle.

Thirdly, he must be carefull, that he presently spit out all that he sucketh into his mouth, and let none of it goe downe his throat: least while he physicke another, he poyson himselfe.

Lastly, when he hath sucked out all the venom; let him againe wash his mouth three or foure times with the like washing, as before he sucked. And to con∣clude, let him drinke a little draught of the same, to prevent all evill chances.

But if no man will venture thus

to sucke: Take a Pullet or Cocke∣rell, bare his rump, and rub the fundament well with Salt; then hold it close to the wound, hol∣ding his beake closed with your hand, and giving him breath but now and then, onely to keepe him aliue; and his fundament will draw out the venom. If one die, take another; and so conti∣nue till one of the creatures out∣liue the labour. Then may you bee sure the venom is cleane drawne out.

Some apply Horseleeches to the wound, if it be very small. But sometimes it is so big, (as when an Adder or Slow-worme hath entred many teeth; or when a mad dog hath made it) that the fundament of such a creature be∣fore named cannot compasse it. Then take a Pullet or a Pigeon,

and divide it aliue, and apply it (while it is full of lifes heat) up∣on the wounded and grieved place (which must be scarrified beforehand) that the vitall heate of that creature may draw the venom through the scarificati∣ons. Let it be therefore bound on, and kept there, till it be even cold; and then apply another, and so another; till (by asswaging of all paines, and swelling with∣out, as also by the quietnesse and quicknesse of the spirits within) the patient appeare freed from all poyson us offence. Then apply Garlicke fryed with sweet Butter or sallet Oyle: to make sure that no remainder of mis∣chiefe be behinde: for it is an ex∣cellent outward Medicine a∣gainst all both Stingings and Bi∣tings that are venomous.

When all this is done, and now it is sure that all the venom is per∣fectly drawn forth; If the wound be big, it must be healed up with some good Balsam as a greene wound. But if it be but a pricke, it will soone heale it selfe, so it be but kept from the ayre.

But besides these outward Helpes, the Patient must taken in∣ward Antidotes also. And of such I haue spoken in the first Chapter. This is sufficient for the generall course; Now wee must come to a more particular way of Cure.

Notes

• Preventi∣on.
• The first poynt of Cure.
• Actuall Cautery.
• Sucking of the wound.
• 1. Caution.
• 2
• 3
• 4
• Applicati∣on of Pul∣lets.
• How to heale the wound.