How did they treat rattlesnake bites in the 1840s?

Answer 1

They really didnt have anything to help you back then so your chances of surviving a snake bite were slim. You would probably die. Although some larger people who were snakebit back then did survive. They had a thought that slicing between the punctures and sucking out the poison would help your chances but you can see that didnt help much back then

Answer 2

If you didn't get to the hospital quickly, you would die
Venom, a complex mixture of proteins and enzymes enters your body either subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

Depending on species, any of the following may occur:

Neurotoxins may travel through the lymphatic system and begin to work on your nervous system, causing muscle paralysis.

Hemotoxins begin to break down your blood and tissue.

Nephrotoxins may travel to your kidneys and cause acute tubular necrosis, breaking down the tubes that carry waste from your blood to your bladder.

Cardiotoxins may affect your heart muscles.

Muscle fibers from necrosing flesh may enter your bloodstream and affect your kidneys in a condition called Rhabdomyolysis.

CK (Creatine Kinase) levels in the bloodstream rise because of muscle damage. This is the same thing that happens when one has a heart attack.

The area around the bite fills with excess fluid in a condition called edema. A bruising or discoloration from damaged capillaries occurs called Ecchymoses.

Large blood blisters called hemorraghic blebs, from bleeding under the skin, may form around the bite site.

As your blood cells are destroyed, a condition called thrombocytopenia, the ability of the body to transfer oxygen to the kidneys is reduced, also causing acute tubular necrosis in the kidneys. Blood pressure drops to dangerous levels.

The venom causes fibrinogen in the blood stream to form clots, depleting the blood's supply of fibrinogen. Once these initial clots form, the rest of the blood is without clotting ability and the danger of free-bleeding increases. This is called Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, or DIC.

"Third Spacing" may occur. This is when intercellular fluids are used by the body to replace water lost through vomiting and diarrhea. The body is essentially re-hydrating itself by using water from inside cells.

In VERY FEW bites, compartmental pressures rise in the affected area causing "compartment syndrome" In these rare cases surgical cuts may be necessary to releive compartmental pressure and allow blood flow through the affected limb, and to decrease the chance of random tearing of tissue. This is EXTREMELY rare, and compartment syndrome is very difficult to distinguish from the normal symptoms of snakebite. Again, this is NOT medical advice, but I can say that IF I were bitten by a rattlesnake and my physician were considering a fasciotomy, I would ask my doctor to measure the compartmental pressures with a tonometer (this is very painful, by the way) and I would only consider giving my permission for a fasciotomy if MY compartmental pressures were greater than 30 mm/hg for two or more hours.

In some cases a severe allergic reaction may occur. Anaphylaxis occurs when the body's immune system begins to over-compensate the production of antibodies in reaction to the presence of a foreign protein. In cases of anaphylactic reactions the person may exhibit hives, cyanosis (a bluish discoloration to the face) swelling of the throat causing an inability to breath, and the possibility of death within minutes.

Involuntary muscle twitching, known as fasciculations may occur
Venom, a complex mixture of proteins and enzymes enters your body either subcutaneously or intramuscularly.

Depending on species, any of the following may occur:

Neurotoxins may travel through the lymphatic system and begin to work on your nervous system, causing muscle paralysis.

Hemotoxins begin to break down your blood and tissue.

Nephrotoxins may travel to your kidneys and cause acute tubular necrosis, breaking down the tubes that carry waste from your blood to your bladder.

Cardiotoxins may affect your heart muscles.

Muscle fibers from necrosing flesh may enter your bloodstream and affect your kidneys in a condition called Rhabdomyolysis.

CK (Creatine Kinase) levels in the bloodstream rise because of muscle damage. This is the same thing that happens when one has a heart attack.

The area around the bite fills with excess fluid in a condition called edema. A bruising or discoloration from damaged capillaries occurs called Ecchymoses.

Large blood blisters called hemorraghic blebs, from bleeding under the skin, may form around the bite site.

As your blood cells are destroyed, a condition called thrombocytopenia, the ability of the body to transfer oxygen to the kidneys is reduced, also causing acute tubular necrosis in the kidneys. Blood pressure drops to dangerous levels.

The venom causes fibrinogen in the blood stream to form clots, depleting the blood's supply of fibrinogen. Once these initial clots form, the rest of the blood is without clotting ability and the danger of free-bleeding increases. This is called Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, or DIC.

"Third Spacing" may occur. This is when intercellular fluids are used by the body to replace water lost through vomiting and diarrhea. The body is essentially re-hydrating itself by using water from inside cells.

In VERY FEW bites, compartmental pressures rise in the affected area causing "compartment syndrome" In these rare cases surgical cuts may be necessary to releive compartmental pressure and allow blood flow through the affected limb, and to decrease the chance of random tearing of tissue. This is EXTREMELY rare, and compartment syndrome is very difficult to distinguish from the normal symptoms of snakebite. Again, this is NOT medical advice, but I can say that IF I were bitten by a rattlesnake and my physician were considering a fasciotomy, I would ask my doctor to measure the compartmental pressures with a tonometer (this is very painful, by the way) and I would only consider giving my permission for a fasciotomy if MY compartmental pressures were greater than 30 mm/hg for two or more hours.

In some cases a severe allergic reaction may occur. Anaphylaxis occurs when the body's immune system begins to over-compensate the production of antibodies in reaction to the presence of a foreign protein. In cases of anaphylactic reactions the person may exhibit hives, cyanosis (a bluish discoloration to the face) swelling of the throat causing an inability to breath, and the possibility of death within minutes.

Involuntary muscle twitching, known as fasciculations may occur

Answer 3

In the 1840's you could have expected "Snake-bite medicine" (whiskey) to be used to dull the pain as the bite was cut and the venom was sucked out, usually by mouth.

Since rattlesnakes can control the amount of venom they inject during a bite, and since it is in their best interest to not waste venom on an animal they aren't likely to eat, there are a lot of bite survivors who would have probably survived without the whiskey and the cutting and the sucking. Just about anything that you did to such a bite victim with a minor envenomation, that resulted in their survival became a recommended treatment.

Answer 4

If someone got bitten by a venomous snake, another pioneer would take a knife and cut an "x" at the bite location. They would then suck out the blood and hopefully the poison. Sometimes this worked and sometimes this didn't. If it didn't work the victim would most likely die. If they happen to be lucky enough to survive, the body part that was bitten would normally have to be amputated. If they were bitten on their core, death was almost certain.

Answer 5

If someone got bitten by a venomous snake, another pioneer would take a knife and cut an "x" at the bite location. They would then suck out the blood and hopefully the poison. Sometimes this worked and sometimes this didn't. If it didn't work the victim would most likely die. If they happen to be lucky enough to survive, the body part that was bitten would normally have to be amputated. If they were bitten on their body core, death was almost certain.

Answer 6

If someone got bitten by a venomous snake, another pioneer would take a

knife and cut an "x" at the bite location. They would then suck out the

blood and hopefully the poison. Sometimes this worked and sometimes this

didn't.

If it didn't work the victim would most likely die. If they happen to be

lucky enough to survive, the body part that was bitten would normally have

to be amputated. If they were bitten on their core, death was almost

certain.

Answer 7

make an shallow cut between the fangs and pump the venom out