Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-08-05

Interesting Chapter on Snakes. 4
paper was lately read before the Boston Society
=, Natural History, from Dr. w j. Burnett. on the
cnaracter and habits of the rattlesnake. The DR. /
n s ceen experimenting two or three specimens
u 'ls animal, and announces the discovery of nu-
merous embryo poisonous fangs in the laws of tho
snake, Immediately behind the outward fano. Ths
use OF these hidden weapons of destruction appears
W oe 70 supply the place of the biting fangs of the
serpent when they get broken off or worn out in
service; IL also appears that the long fangs 1.-TWO
:. humoer') which are used in infcting the deadly
Dite OF the rattle-snake are naturally shed every
&c" years. when they not injured bv accident or
wear, ana the reserve fangs are sufficiently nnme
rouS 70 meet the worst emergencies From minute
@ osIopcal examination of the structure of these
.eetn' Dr' b concludes that there are two canals
!" eacn lang only one of which CONVEYS the poison
10 'ne wound. Respecting the character of the poi
son ltseIt, the Doctor remarks as follows:
"ere is no reason to believe tina, it's action is the
same upon all living things vegetables as we'll az ami
IL is even Just as fatal TO the snake itself as TO
otner animals for Dr. bearing informed me that one
" MS specimens, after being irritaed and ANNOYED
III i's cage IN moving suddenly, accdenty struck one
us angS mo Its own body ii rolled over and
uie"' DIS any other animal would have done Here
them we hive the remarkable and pe,hans nn;one
physiological fact of liquid eceted directly from
the blood, which proves deadly when introduced into
'he very source Qhe BLOODY from which it was deri
in order 10 scrutinze, by the aid of a mcroscope
me operation OF this deadly agent on the blood, Dr.
burnett supehed one of the ferces of his snakes hv
dropping choroform upon his head
twenty tive or thirty drops being allowed TO fall on
MS head one slowly after the other the sound of his
rattle gradually died away, and in few minutes ho
was Wnoy under the agent He was then adroitly
selZed oenlnd the jaws with the thumb and Snger
ana Dragged from the cage and allowed to partly re-
suscla'e IN this state second person held his tail 10
IIInP Il 4Ao
a third opened his mouth and with pair of forcens
pressed The fang upward, causing a flow of poison
winch was received on the end of the scaIpel The
snake was then returned into the cage.
Blood was then extracted from finger for close
mIcroscopIcal examination. The smallest quantity of
the poison being presented 10 the blood between the
glasses, change was Immediately perceived the
corpuscles ceased 10 run and pile together, and re-
NAMED stagnan without any special alteration of
structure. he whole appearance though the
vitality OF the blood had been suddenly DESTROYED ex
actly as in death from lightning. This agrees also
with another experiment performed on fowl where
the whole mass of blood appeared quite liq ud, and
having little coagulable power.
DR.. Burnett is of opinion that the physiological
aclIon OF the poison OF raesnake in animals that
OF most powerful sedatve, acting through the
blood on the nervous centres. He supports this DO
sltlon by the remarkab Bile fact that its full and complete
anlldoes are the most active stmuants and of these
alcohol Commonly in the form of rum or whskey\ is
the hrst. This remedy is well known at the South,
and there are some twenty authentic cases on re-
cord, proving that person suffering from the bite of
rattesnake MAJ drink from one to two quarts of clear
brandy and eventually recover.-Hdrtford Times.
5 THE SUBLIME AND RIDICULOUS" Now said Mr.
Abernethy, in lecture upon the muscles of the
scalp I" will tell you perfectly ridiculous story
about this, with view to impress this part of the
subject on y ur minds. 1t happened in the early
part of my time to become quite the fashion to put
half pound of grease and another half pound of
Hour on mans head-what they call hair dressing.
1t was the fashion. too to bind this rouni with a
piece OF tape ribband and make tail of it, and
it was the mode to those tails very thick and
rather short. Now gentleman who possesses great
power in the motion of his irons occpatas, used to
go to the boxes of the theatre when Mrs Siddons
first appeared, and don't believe there ever will be
such an actress again as she was, do l believe
. there her equal before. However, when
the people affected beyond all description, and
when they all drowned in tears at her per-
formance, this chap warged his tail enormously, and
all the people burst out into roar of lac ghter-
In vain did they cry "Turn him out :" In vain did
they cry Throw him over!" When he had pro.
y duced this effect upon the audience, then he kept
his tail quiet but again no sooner was their atten
ton engaged than wag went his TAIL and again
. were the bursts of laughter re-echoedn
n BUILDING OPERATIONS IN New YoRK-The Elk.
. press of the 25th uItimo says:
= Throughout the entire city building operations have
j. been engaged in TO extent quite unprecedented, Blu
in that portion of the city in the vicinity of Church
g street, Park Place, Murray and Warren streets, in
e particular, dozen of large stores have beer
commenced, and several of them though not much
more than the foundations have as yet been laid, were
, leased at eXorbtant rates some time ago. From SIC,
OOO to $4,000 per readily ofered (tbe lat
Ter running through the block from street to street
in Park Place fine marble store leased for five
years for 81 900 per annum, and the lease again so
T. for bonus of ST 1000. Another store near by, II
e Broadway, leased for $28, 600. For the dstanc
II of three blocks in Church street there is not hous
! standing, with single exception. and the occupan
=, in this instance has been offered $4,000 $1,000
!, surrender his ioase''
a " Sister. are you happy!"
e, eyes, Deacon, feel as though was in Beelze
If bulbs bosom"
4. mot Beelzebub's"
y Well, some of the patriarchs don't care which.
:" "Elere, you little rascal, walk up and give
- count Of yourself Where have you been %
d" After the girls, father"
g Did you ever know me to do so when | was
boy o.
10 mo- sir, but mother did,
"A From the T. S. Fireman's Journal.
~ BosToN June 9Th, 1852
OF HAMPToN's VEGETABLE TINCTURE.-Messrs Mortimer
ed Now Bray Baltimore have conferred great blessing
humanity in their purchase from the dscoverer of this eff
cacious medicneDr. Hamptonhe privilege of manufa
quantances Baltimore who years pas
been afflicted with kheum.