Autobiography Volume 3 circa 1865-1866
I became satisfied on Monday that I had this enemy poison
and mortification to meet and that to in the worse form. There is but
a small chance for a man to live who is innoculated with poison and
mortification by dissecting the body of either man or beast. It is much
worse than drinking poison or being bit by poisonous serpants for
it is in a much more deadly form. Several have died this Spring
by skining cattle which have died. All should be more cautious
than what I have been in this matter, and not run the risk of loosing
their lives to save the skins of animals who die of disease. The
following account will show the opperation of this disease with
me from day to day and how near I came loosing my life: in
fact I was only saved through the power and mercy of God
This morning the affected spot upon my
wrist had grown to about the size of a dime and had risen above
the arm and main ^flesh^ about half an inch and turned black
as ink. My arm began to swell and pain me and
I felt the poison and mortification working through my system
I called upon President Young and showed him my arm and asked
his advice and he counselled me to go to immediately and clense
my stomach and bowels and poultice my arm with onions
earth or anything that would draw it from my system
He also advised me to show it to Dr Sprague. I did so
and he in addition to what President Young had recommended
dug me up some dock ^elecampane^ blazing star roots, and advised
me to make a tea of it also to make a poultice of it and
put in on my arm. I went immediately home and put these
things into execution for I saw that I had a strong warefare in
order to save my life
