Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-07-09
Interesting Chapter on Snakes.

Apaper was lately read before the Boston Soci-
l,ety of Natural History, from Dir. w j. Burnett,
l.onthe character and habits ola rattlesnaks. The
Doctor had been experimenting ON two or three
specimens fthis animal, md announces the dis
coyery of Numerous embryo poisonous fangs
laws the snake, Immediately behind the out
ward fangs. The use of these hidden " eapons of
destruction appears to be 10 supply the place
lsof the biting fangs of the serpent when they
get broken off WON outin service, III also ap-
pears that the long fangs 1.-TWO in number, which
tareused in inHicting the deadly bite ofthe rattle
ssnake, are naturally shed every few years, " hen
Hthey not injured by accident or wear, and the
reserve fangs are efficiently numerous meet the
worst emergencies. From ninul e cioscopicai ex
concludes that there are two canals in each fang.
and only one OF which conyeysthe poison TO the
wound. Respecting the nature of the poison
/ ltselt, the Dr.. remarks as follows:
There is good reason to believe That its action
is the same upon all living things vegetables as
well as animals, Ii is even just asfatal to the
snake itself asto other animals for DR.. airing in
formed me that one of his specimens, after being
irritated and annoyed its cage, in moving sud-
denly. accidentally struck one of It's fangs into its
own body it soon rolled over and died, as any
other annual would have done. Here then, we
have the remarkable, and perhaps unique, physi-
ologcal fact ola liquid secretel directly from blood
| which proves deadly when introduced into the
very. source sthes blood) from which at was de;
rived.
In orderto tinize, by the aid of microscope.
| DR.. Burnett Supplied onesof the fercest of his
snakes bydropping chloroform upon its head.
Twenty five OF thirty drops being allowed to
fall on his head, one slowly after the other, the
sound of his rattle gradually died away, and in a
4 few minutes he was wholly under the agent. He
was enadroitly. seized behind the jaws with the
thumb aud finger and allowed to partially
Itae in this state second person held his tall 10
/ prevent his scoiing around the arm of the first
while a third opened his mouth, end with pair
OF torceps pressed the fang upward, causing allow
A OF poison which was received on the end OF the
scalpel. The snake was then returned into the
| cage. G e
Blood was then extracted from a finger for cloge
microscopical examination. The smallest quanti-
ty of the poison being presented 10 tile blood be-
tween the glasses, u change was ediately per-
ceiyed; the corpnscless ceased 10 rue and pile
together, and remained stagnant without any spec
clal alteration of structure. The whole appear
ance was as though the vitality of the blood had
been suddenly destroyed, exactly In death from
lightni n.y. This agrees also with anothere expert
ment performed on fowl, where the whole mass
OF the blood appeared quite liquid, aud having
4 little coagulable power. + q ~
DR.. Burnett is of opinion that the physiological
action of the poison of ratelesnake in animals is
4 that of most powerful sedative, acting through
4 blood on the nervous centres. He supports this
position by the remarkable fact, that its full and
complete antidotes are the most active stimu lats
and of these alcohol commonly in the form Of rum
Iorsswhskey) is the FIRST This remedy is vel
known at the South, and there are some twenty
five authentic cases record, proving that per:
son Herring from the bite of a rattlesnake may
drink from one to two quarts of clear brandy aud
Eventually recover Hartford Times,
TH4 MARRIAGE cEREMoSY.-An anecdote is re-
lated by Mr.. Hale. OF New Hampshire. in one o
his Free Soil speeches, to this effect:
A couple came tome one night. and wished me IL
join them in wedlock. L consentedto perform the
ceremony, and said to the man
tDo take this woman lie Vour welded
5Iswifu2' 7ls Il
II Certainly he replied. II S
Do you take this man TO be your lawful hus.
.I,band?'
II Yes, i do.' ,,r 8ts
tThen you are man and wife that's ALL
Both looked at me with great establishment, and
the lady asked 8 - ~
is that ALL,
Eyes, that's ALL s
.'Weil.' she remarked, faint such mighty az
4 fair after ALL