Pages

December 20 1812: Devils Powder-Puff




Do not let me forget to say in case of another fall upon the scrapes, or any cut, – that the easiest & most efficacious of all styptics is the dust of that fungus which is called the Devils powder-puff, or his snuff-box. Gather the next you meet with for this purpose. John Wesley furnished me with the fact.  I have had one for some years at hand & the other day when Edith had pricked a vein,  [blood] was instantly staunched. – This same powder burnt under a hive will stupefy the bees.
—  Robert Southey writes to this brother Thomas Southey with advice on how to use Devil's powder-put or snuff to check bleeding or stupefy bees, if burnt under a hive, December  20,  1812.  

No comments:

Post a Comment