The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-01-11

Iony and narrow strils, called lohcs,
extending from the main bag; or be.
ginning Of the duct, which runs
along the lower border Of the gland;
| and each lobe gives off lobulcs. which
are again subdivided into little cells.
where the poison is first elahnated OF
attracted from the blood that circu-
Ia;es over the cells in lnyria1s OF lit
tie cal illary channels. The whole
gland is surrounded by kind of
canvass hay, or aponcnroS's, as the
ana,omiSts call such firm membrane
aud this membrane is in connection
viii! the muscles, by whose contrac,
ton the several cells aud lobes Of the
.land are compressed and cmrtird Of
their secretion. The pois"n ID con.
ycrcd b. the duet to the basal aper.
tnre Of the canal in the fang; aud, az
The salivary ylan'ls III other animals
are u.st active during particular
"mn,i. rs as, whcn they ase haugry.
b., the sight Of favo,ite iopd-so, the
rage which stimulates tho snake to
use it's envcnoncd deadly weapon,
doubtless cXritcs al active secretion
and yreat histensi'n of the poison
glands. The wound is Inflicted by a
blow rather than bv bite : the loi
snrl tianys when erected arc struck
like da1gcrs into the Part aimed al ::
and, az the action Of the COMPRISING
muscles If the has is contcn'p'ranc.
eus with tic blow by Which the
woAnl is inflicted, the ois"n is at
,hc same moment injected with force
into the wound from the APPEAL or
terminal outlet o! the perforated fang.
The poison acts with more or l,as
srccd aud eject according to the SIC
cics Of serpent, the ,iycur Of the III
'livi';nal serpent. the season of the
vcar, anil, aIsr, the Iart wonndcl.
The subtle fluid mixes with the
,l."l, and is conveyed with the ra-
pi'ity Of the circulation to the brain,
upon which lis specific rnprrtirs oI
cra!e. 1t is direct l'alsi' / of ner
vous action. NJ sooner does it be-
III, To o. crate than the inlcts It the
sns"s b. LIN tc close u!"l the World;
the eyes mc dimncd. the GERS stnpp-
ed. the tongue la!.crs; the tori id
brain then reacts upon the heart.
ahrsc firm pulsatinns arc reduced To
;hc feeble fluttcrln:s: the breath gets
scanticr, The lilnbs grow cold, and
'lcaih surervcncs. it may be Ill ten
inmates, in half an honr, in ali hour
as III the case Of the recent acci
'lrn'-or a! later cli"d; the Chan.
c"s Of recovery being i'll the ratio
1t the slown ss Of the ol Grafton cf
the poison.
What is this strange anil subtle
tl"ia, one drop or less than a drop
"t which can qucll the force Of the
active brain and nervous system Of
a man? To sight, smell, and taste,
it seems mere harmless saliva.
Chemical anal sis detects il, it q lit.
'lc mucas, much water. and some Of
the salts Of saliva; trnm which ii
differs, mainly, III tie Slight rrcdom.
NANCE Of an animal aci,. There is
nothing in all this t|,at could suggest,
beforehand. the specific properties Of
the secretion. 1t is not poisonous
when taken into the stomach. The
rcadicst and PERHAPS the NEST eff.
cient remedy, that Of sacl,ing the
wound, may be crformcl with
scarcely any risk. This has been
known Of old "Whucver," writes
CELSIUS, Twill suck the wound, will
be both safe himseif and save the
Sufferer" The only danger III sAal
lowing the venom Of the vil,er. CO.
ira, or rattle snake, arises from
the possibility Of some blister or scar.
OF any lcsi"n of the scarf.skin Of the
mouth. throat, or guilt, Which hi Git
allow The poison to enter the clrcula
tiuS blood.
The nervous system Of poison.
snake is proof against the specific &C.
ton Of its own r"ison, but not a.
gailst that Of another snccics. Di.
Patrick Russell, in his History of In
dian Serpcnts, ailirms that cohras
bite each other without ialal cOnsc-
qucnccs, bnt Kill other snakes. The
larger anl more formidable hamad
ryas Of India prey u,on other ser
pe,'ts killing them by their enven
olncl bite, and then swallowing
them. The nnja, Of Africa, in like
manner kills and gorscs the pulfad.
der; and the rattle snake will strike
and clay the moccasln snake, and al.
tcrwards seize and swallow it.
4As to remedies ;; when our own
species has been the subject of az
tack, the first Indication is to remove
tie mlbculated venum, either by sue
ton or cxcision !, but this, to be efirc,