How to Kill Snakes, 1688

engraving of man preparing to bludgeon attacking snake in house

  1. How to gather Snakes and Adders to one place. Take one handful of Onion, and ten River Crab-fish, pound them together, and lay it in the places where the Snakes and Adders are, and they will all gather together.
  2. To kill Snakes and Adders. Take a large Rhadish, and strike the Adder and Snake with it, and one blow will kill them.

R. W., A Necessary Family-Book

A simple and elegant technique: lure the snakes with a giant crabcake and then bludgeon them with a radish, Super-Mario-Bros.-style.