REMEDIES: Remedies for Poisons, Bites & Stings

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Poisons

Part 1: Bites, Stings

 

 

URTICARIA (Nettle Rash)

 

SYMPTOMS: Small, pale swellings on the skin, with severe itching and

burning which come and go, to be replaced by others. Each lesion lasts a

few hours, and is succeeded by new ones in other places.

 

CAUSES: One cause is contact with the nettle plant, which pricks a

poison into the skin. Other causes include wheat, milk, eggs, chocolate,

and other food allergens.

 

HYDRO:The following formula is from the author's book, Water Therapy Manual.

Sponging with very hot water, Hot salt or alkaline Sponge, Prolonged

Neutral Bath (p. 239).

 

 

 

INSECT STING

 

SYMPTOMS: Redness, slight swelling, and possibly some itching.

 

Reaction to the sting can sometimes be more pronounced: hoarseness,

labored breathing, confusion, difficult swallowing, and severe swelling.

 

Sometimes the reaction can be severe: possible closing of the airway and

perhaps shock (cyanosis and a drop in blood pressure).

 

CAUSES: Certain stinging insects in North America can cause reactions

(honeybees, bumble bees, African bees, hornets, scorpions, fire ants,

yellow jackets, wasps, spiders, centipedes, and ants). Of these, the

honeybee, yellow jacket, and African bee are the most dangerous.

 

Bee venom contains formaldehyde.

 

Note: Each year, bee stings cause more deaths in America than snake bites.

 

TREATMENT:

 

- Pull out the stinger, if any remains. (Honeybees leave their stinger

in the wound. It must be pulled out immediately, for it keeps pulsating

venom into the skin.) Avoid removing the stinger with your fingers; use

a knife blade to scrape it out, to avoid squeezing in more poison.

 

- Apply a paste of baking soda and water on the area or a compress that

is wet with ammonia water (more useful for scorpion stings).

 

- Wet a little calcium gluconate and put it on the area.

 

- Crush a charcoal tablet and place in the area, and cover with cloth.

This will reduce pain and swelling. Put some wet powdered charcoal in an

cloth and tie it on for 3-4 hours.

 

- Charcoal has an amazing adsorptive (not absorptive) ability to pull

into itself toxins and poisons, thus neutralizing them. This is due to

its large chemical surface and the fact that charcoal is pure carbon.

The carbon molecules are eager to unite with other substances.

 

- Clay or mud can also be used, especially if you are out in the woods.

Put some mud on it as soon as possible and leave it on for a half hour.

Try to select the mud from a clean place, not from a mud hole, where

animals may have polluted it. If pain persists, apply charcoal.

 

- An enzyme-based meat tenderizer breaks down the proteins that make up

insect venom, but you have to use it right away for it to be effective.

 

- To avoid infection, do not scratch the area.

 

- Also helpful are calcium chloride, hydrochloric acid, or ammonium

chloride on the area.

 

- Apply poultice of white oak bark and leaves, comfrey, and slippery elm.

 

- Pain gels, DMSO, or Caladryl lotions can be applied.

 

- Calamine lotion often reduces the itching.

 

- Drink as much yellow dock tea as you can or take echinacea (tea or in

capsule form).

 

- Ironically, either hot or cold will lessen the pain.

 

- A lengthy hot tub bath will help relieve abdominal pain that often

develops after a bite.

 

- A cold pack or ice pack on the area will help relieve pain.

 

- Those sensitive to stings should avoid situations in which they might

get stung. If they have to be in such localities, they are wise to carry

adrenalin (epinephrine) with them and be accompanied by a friend who can

go for help. Reactions can occur within minutes or hours. Contact a

physician. Death can result if treatment is not sought.

 

- If you have a known allergy to a certain venom, you can have a

physician prescribe an emergency treatment kit which you can keep with you.

 

- Purchase a small venom extractor and keep it with you.

 

- Squashing a yellow jacket releases a chemical that causes other yellow

jackets to attack. When one stings, that also causes the others to

become excited. If bit, run. Go indoors or jump into water. Insects have

a hard time following a person through a thicket of woods.

 

- Insects are repelled by the odor of turpentine.

 

- Stinging insects prefer dark colors. So wear white or light-colored

clothing.

 

- Do not wear perfumes of any kind.

 

- Insects are attracted to people who are deficient in zinc. Take at

least 60 mg a day.

 

- Sometimes brewer's yeast or garlic rubbed on the skin deters insects.

 

- Drinking alcohol or eating an excess of sugar attracts biting, and

other, insects.

 

- Also see " Spider Bite, " which includes that of black widows. Also see

" Snake Bite. " Treatment for a black widow bite is the same as that for a

snake bite.

 

 

 

CHIGGERS

 

SYMPTOMS: A red spot that itches intensely for about 3 days.

 

CAUSES: Chiggers, also called red bugs, are extremely tiny insects in

the class (arthropoda, eight-legged creatures) which includes scorpions,

spiders, and mites. They prefer grassy, weedy, fields, but are also

found in wooded areas. They are active from May to September, and

especially during June and July.

 

Moving slowly, a chigger crawls along until he finds a tight spot in a

body crease or where the clothing is tight. Then, about 2 hours after

hitching a ride, he digs in by injecting fluid which dissolves tissue

and produces a welt. About 3-6 hours later the itching begins and

continues for about 3 days.

 

TREATMENT:

 

- Remove the chigger by scratching off with a fingernail, or apply

castor oil or Vaseline. Another method is to apply clear nail polish to

the spot; this smothers the creature.

 

- A charcoal poultice can be a help.

 

- Banana is reported to soothe chigger bites.

 

- Hot baths help control the itching.

 

 

 

ITCH MITE

 

SYMPTOMS: Itching occurs, but seems to travel from place to place on the

skin.

 

CAUSES: Beware of bird nests close to your house! Many birds are

infested with mites, and these can enter your home and get on you.

 

TREATMENT:

 

- Wash the affected part with tar soap. Wash clothing in boiling water

or press them with a hot iron.

 

- Steep a tablespoon each of burdock root, yarrow, and yellow dock root

in a pint of boiling water for half an hour. Strain, add a pound of

cocoa fat, and keep boiling and stirring until it is a salve. Use this

for an itch of any kind.

 

 

 

MOSQUITO BITE

 

SYMPTOMS: A mosquito bite with its attendant itching.

 

CAUSES: The culex, aedes, and anopheles mosquitoes are in North America.

Malaria can sometimes occur (which see). The treatment below is for

non-malarial bites.

 

TREATMENT:

 

- To relieve itching: Rub with raw garlic or fresh lemon juice; repeat

as often as possible. Rub with damp salt. Rub with vitamin C tablet or

powder.

 

- To prevent bites from occurring: Eat lots of raw garlic. Avoid sugar

and white flour in all forms. Include vitamin B complex and/or brewer's

yeast in the diet.

 

 

 

LICE (Pediculosis)

 

SYMPTOMS: Itching of the skin, often on the head, trunk, or pubic area.

Lice eggs can be seen on one's hair. The person will feel like he is

overheated or has a slight fever.

 

CAUSES: There are three types of lice which infect people: the head

louse (pediculosis capitis), the body louse (p. corporis), and the crab

louse (p. pubis). Crab lice (also called crabs) are spread by sexual

contact.

 

Lice can be spread by hanging coats, scarves, and caps together or using

someone else's comb, brush, etc. They live on the clothing (especially

in the seams), travel to the skin once a day for a meal, then back onto

the clothing.

 

Lice live about 30 days, and the female lays about ten eggs a day. The

tiny eggs (nits) are laid at the base of a hair shaft. As the hair

grows, the nits are carried upward and can be seen. They look like tiny

black or rust-colored spots at, or near, the base of the hair. They can

even be found on the chest, beard, and eyelashes.

 

TREATMENT:

 

- No drugs are needed to eradicate lice. Instead use one or more of the

following methods:

 

- Heat combs and brushes to 151F. for 5-10 minutes; soak in Tea Tree

oil; or freeze for 30 minutes.

 

- Launder clothing and bedding in hot water. Non-washable items should

be sealed in a plastic sack for 10 days.

 

- Soak the place on the body for 30 minutes in very warm, soapy, water.

 

- Garlic compresses can be placed on the scalp for 2 hours. Hot vinegar

(or a 50-50 vinegar/water mixture) applied to the scalp will loosen

eggs, so they can be vigorously combed out of the hair with a

fine-toothed comb. Olive oil can be put on the scalp to smother the

nits. Tea Tree oil is also great for this purpose.

 

- Be careful what you place on the eyebrows; you do not want to damage

the eyes. Petroleum jelly has been recommended to suffocate the lice.

 

- Use, as a hair wash, either labrador tea or field larkspur.

 

- Vacuuming carpets is as effective as spraying them. Do it frequently.

 

- Scrub toilet seats regularly.

 

- Whatever method you use, keep in mind that there is a 14-day cycle;

you must work intensely for a little over 2 weeks on your body,

clothing, and home if you are to have success.

 

 

 

JELLYFISH STING

 

SYMPTOMS: A strong stinging feeling on the legs or arms while swimming

at an ocean beach.

 

This may afterward be followed by headache, muscle cramps, coughing,

shortness of breath, nausea, and vomiting.

 

CAUSES: Jellyfish and Portuguese men-of-war are found in warmer marine

waters. The eastern beaches of Florida are one example.

 

Their long tentacles contain stinging cells which, touching you, pierce

the skin and release poison. Even severed tentacles can poison just as

intensively.

 

TREATMENT:

 

- Immediately rinse the wound with salt water. Do not use fresh water,

because it activates any stinging cells which have not already burst.

For the same reason, do not rub the skin.

 

- Neutralize the area as soon as possible by splashing on one of the

following, and do it again as needed: Use rubbing or ethyl (liquor)

alcohol, vinegar, ammonia, or meat tenderizer. Travel tip: Take a bottle

of vinegar with you to the ocean beach.

 

- If any tentacles remain on your skin, apply a paste of sand and

seawater; then wrap your hand in a towel and wipe them off or scrape

them off with a knife or credit card.

 

 

 

SPIDER BITE

 

SYMPTOMS: Pain, swelling, nervous reactions.

 

Black widow bite: Within a short time the victim feels agonizing pain

throughout the body, especially in the abdomen, which may be rigid as a

board. Cold sweats, difficulty in breathing, nausea, vomiting, and

sometimes delirium and convulsions occur.

 

CAUSES: Spider, scorpion, and centipede bites: These can sometimes be

dangerous; most are very painful. (Also see " Insect Bite. " ) In case of

spider bite, see a physician; it might be a black widow.

 

Black widow bites: Black widow venom is more potent, drop for drop, than

the poison of a pit viper (rattlesnake, copperhead, or cotton mouth);

but an extremely small amount is injected in each spider bite.

 

TREATMENT:

 

- The bite of a black widow should be treated like a snake bite (which

see), except that it is not necessary to give antivenin.

 

- If there is swelling or pain after a spider bite, keep calm and apply

a constricting band 2-4 inches above (above) the bite. Loosen the band

for 15 seconds every 10 minutes. Do not let the extremity turn blue! Do

not move the affected area, and keep it below the heart level, if

possible. The victim should lie down. Pack ice around the wound.

 

- The objective, throughout the above paragraph, is to slow the blood

and reduce spread of the poison.

 

- Drink as much yellow dock as possible or take 2 capsules every hour

till symptoms recede. Swallow echinacea. Apply white oak bark poultices.

Slippery elm, plantain, or comfrey are also good.

 

- Massive doses of vitamin C may save a life.

 

--See " Snake Bite " and " Insect bite " for much more information.

 

 

 

SNAKE BITE

 

SYMPTOMS: One or two tiny bite holes which cause intense pain;

frequently there is nausea, vomiting, and unconsciousness.

 

CAUSES: There are two types of poisonous serpents in North America:

 

The pit viper (which includes rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cotton

mouths [also called water moccasins]) has a deep, heat-sensitive, pit on

each side of the head. Pit vipers lunge forward, bite, and immediately

pull back. Their venom contains a blood poison.

 

The coral snake does not jump and, when it catches hold of the flesh,

must hold on and chew awhile for the poison to sink in. Its venom is a

nerve poison.

 

More on identifying coral snakes: They are found only in the

southernmost areas of the United States, as well as south of the border,

and have brightly colored rings. There is a non-poisonous snake which

looks similar, but the colored rings are arranged differently. Remember

it this way: " Red by black, friend of Jack; but black by yellow, kill a

fellow. "

 

The danger from snake bite occurs when the poison reaches the heart,

and, secondarily, the effect of that poison on the blood and nervous system.

 

The action of the venom is rapid, regardless of the type of poisonous

snake. There is rapid swelling and inflammation.

 

If treatment is not immediately given, the poison may cause death. If

not death, then, after the initial effects of pain and shock begin to

wear off, extensive tissue damage begins. There is suppuration,

gangrene, sloughing, and hemorrhage. If this happens, recovery time is

greatly slowed.

 

TREATMENT:

 

- The best single remedy you can keep on hand is a small hand-suction

extractor for immediately pulling the poison out of the wound. Continue

this for half an hour. (This suction is less useful for coral snake

venom, but use it on all snake bites anyway!) If there is no other way

to extract the poison, another person should suck it out, continually

spitting out the blood, for half an hour.

 

- The person doing the sucking should not have any sores in his mouth.

 

- Suction can also be done with a pop bottle heated and applied. As it

cools a vacuum is formed.

 

- Another alternative is to cut off the end of a plastic injection

syringe at the bottom of the large end, apply to the bitten area, and

pull back on the plunger.

 

- Have the patient lie down, keep him calm and warm, apply a tourniquet

above the limb where the wound is. This constricting band should be

tight enough to shut off the venous blood, but not so tight that it

stops the arterial circulation. Loosen the band 15 seconds every 10 minutes.

 

- The instruction formerly was to cut across between the two bite holes,

so you could suck out more blood and poison. The current theory is that

no cuts should be made, but only sucking. It might be the best to suck

and spit for a couple minutes; this will clean the surface as well. Then

cut across, so you can suck even better. But, when you are in the

crisis, do what seems best.

 

- Do not give liquor to the person, thinking that this will help him. It

does not!

 

- Specific antivenin serums are in stock for various species of snakes.

Learn to identify the various snakes in your locality. (Coral snakes are

primarily found only in the southeastern states.)

 

- Massive doses of vitamin C may save a life.

 

- Keep calm and work carefully. Excitement speeds up the blood flow to

the heart.

 

- In most cases, the person does not die. But pray and get yourself

prepared for whatever may happen.

 

- After the suction process is over, take charcoal from the campfire,

mix it with water and drink it, as follows: a half glassful of water

with 1 teaspoon of charcoal, and drink another one every 15 minutes

until the danger is past.

 

- If able to do so, a couple hours later, take a steam bath or something

similar, to sweat out the poison.

 

- Throughout all this time, you should eat no food.

 

- If, after several hours, the bite area is still swollen and painful,

put kerosene on a cloth and apply it, keeping it wet for several hours.

This will help neutralize the poison. An alternative is to grind up raw

onions and apply to the area. Leave them there until an offensive odor,

not of onions, is noticed. Remove; bathe the area; and apply more raw,

crushed, onions until the pain is gone.

 

 

adapted from info found at:

http://www.pathlights.com/nr_encyclopedia/frames16.htm

 

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