Herb man cures Brown Recluse spider bite
By Dwight Otwell Editor

DWIGHT OTWELL/Sentinel photo Ralph Kisselburg stands beside the plant, which he calls Seven Bark. He uses the bark from the plant in a poultice to cure the dangerous and painful bites from the Brown Recluse spider.

The bite of the small Brown Recluse spider can cause big problems.

While not usually deadly, the bite can cause sickness and pain that can last for weeks or months.

Cherokee County resident Ralph Kisselburg has cured dozens of Brown Recluse Spider bites over the years using a poultice from a plant common to the area,

"Doctors can't do anything with these spider bites. I cure them all the time," Kisselburg said. "Doctors cut the rotten flesh out. They don't know how to pull the venom out."

The Windmill Lane resident said the bite of the Brown Recluse is worse than a snake bite. The herb he uses, the wild hydrarania or Seven Bark, is made into a poultice and placed on the bitten area. It pulls the venom out, he said.

Kisselburg learned about all kinds of native herbs that are good for healing as he was growing up.

When the 81-year-old man was a youth, he cut himself with a hatchet and it became infected. He was on the porch crying. An old, Cherokee Indian came by and used Seven Bark as a poultice on his knee and it cured the infection.

DWIGHT OTWELL/Sentinel photo Ralph Kisselburg first scrapes the brown bark from the stalk of the plant. Then, he slices the green part of the bark into a bowl. He will moisten the resulting green substance to put on bites from the Brown Recluse spider.

"I use it on sores or any kind of infection," Kisselburg said. "The poultice causes the (bad place) to erupt and the venom comes out."

In a short period of time, the venom in a Brown Recluse spider bite has the ability to cause major tissue necrosis, or death of living cells. The result is a very painful and gruesome "flesh-rotting" open wound.

"If people only knew about this, it would save them a little misery," Kisselburg said. "I don't charge anything."

Kisselburg said he has heard that Brown Recluse spiders have made their way to this area in old furniture. The spider gets in people's clothes, including their socks.

The Brown Recluse bite can be recognized by two little puncture wounds and little blisters around it.

If the sore becomes big, it may take about 10 days and three applications of the poultice to cure it, Kisselburg said. Then, glycerin and iodine can be used as an antiseptic.

Often, the bite is not noticed when it occurs. However, as soon as two hours after the bite, the area may become painful, itchy, hot, swollen., red and tender. An irregular ulcerous sore, caused by necrosis, will often appear.

Buddy Burch, a retired chiropractor, was bitten by a Brown Recluse spider several years ago. The doctor could do nothing to help. Kisselburg used the poultice on him and he began to get better immediately, Burch said.

"People have come to me in terrible shape and pain," Kisselburg said. "Sometimes they have fever and chills."

The wild hydrarania can be found any time of year but spring is best, Kisselburg said. The plant can be found around old roads and particularly cleared areas. In the woods, it can be found high on a mountain and grows by the acre, he said.

Kisselburg scrapes off the brown bark to reveal the green underneath. The green is then sliced and moistened to put on a spider bite. It is held onto the bad place by a bandage.

"I put it in bags with a little water and put it in the freezer and it will keep for years," Kisselburg said.

"Our health professionals are making a mockery of home treatments," Kisselburg said. "Doctors don't recognize anything that isn't patented. You can't patent herbs.

The herb can also be used for bee stings. Kisselburg said if put on a bee sting, in five minutes "you won't know that you were stung".

"I'd like to teach the young generation about these healing herbs so that they can take care of themselves," Kisselburg said. "I'm 81 and my wife is 80. She hadn't been to the doctor since she had her last child until a recent hip replacement. Kisselburg's phone number is (828) 6445170.

"I knew some of the old, Cherokee Indians and they taught me (about herbs) and how to fish. The Indians were survivalists. I love to be in nature. I'm at home there."