The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1853-07-09
Interesting Chapter on snakes.

A paper was lateiy READ before the Boston
Society of Natural History, from DR.. w. J.
Burnett, on the character of the raitlesnake.
The doctor IA I'D been experimenting on two
or three specimens OF this animal, and an.
nounces tho discovery of numerous embryo
poison fangs in the jaws OF the snake, immc.
diately behind the outward fangs. The use
of these hidden weapons of destruction ap-
pears to be to supply the place OF the biting
fangs of the serpant when they get broken off
or worn out in service. II also appears that
the long langs, 1.-TWO in numbcr,) which are
used in lnficting the deadly bite Of the rat
tlesnake, are naturally shed every lew years,
when they are not injured by accident or
wear, and the reserve fdngs are sufficiently
numerous TO meet the worst emergencies.
From minute microscopic examination OF the
structure of tn, sc teeth. Or. b. couclu les
that there are two canals in each fuus, only
one of which conveys the poison to the
wIunj. Respecting the character of the
poison itself, the doctor remarks as follows:
..There is good reason for the belief that its
action is the same upon all living things,
vegetables as we'll as animals; Il is even
inst IA Iatal. toAAPs ess..:s~ me mat one
Sss ss.snens' after being irritated and an
"oyesin its cage in moving suddenly, acct.
dentally struck one OF its fangs into its own
body; it soon rolled over and died, US any 9th.
er animal would have done. Here, then, we
have the remarkable, and perhaps unioue
philosophical TACT. of liquid secreted direct.
-ly from the blood, which proves deadly when
introduced into the very source (the b:ood)
from which it was deri ed"
In order to scrutinize by the aid of the mi.
croscope the operation of this deadly agent
on the blood, I)r. Burnett stupefed one of
the flercest OF lis snakes by dropping chloro.
form on his fead:
Twenty-Five or thirty drops being allowed
to fall on his head, one slowly after the other.
the sound Of his ratt'e gradually died away,
anc In few minutes he was wholly under
this agent. He was then adroitly seized be.
hind the jaws with the thumb and fore-finger,
and dragged from the cage, and allowed to
partially resuscitate; in this state second
person held his tail to prevent his coiling
around the arm Of the first, while third
opened his mouth, and with pair of forceps
pressed the fang upward, causing a flow of
poison which was received q the end of the
'calpel. The snake was then returned into
he cage.
"Blood was then extracted from a finger,
or close microscopical examination. The
maiiest quantity OF the poison being presen.
ed to the blood between the glasses a change
vas Immediately perceived-the corpuscles
leased to run and pile together, and remained
tagnant without any special alienation of
tructure. The whole appearance was as
hough the vitality of the blood had been sud- :
enly destroyed, exactly as in death from
ghtnng. This agrees also with another ex.
eriment performed on fowl, where the
'hoie mass of the blood appeared quite liquid,
nd having but little coagusble power" :
Or. Burnett is of the opinion that the ply \
biological action OF the poison Of the rattle
make in animals is that OF the most powerful
edative, acting through the blood on the ner.
Gus centres. He supports his position by
lie remarkable fact that It's full and compile in
ID antidotes are the most active stmulants; tn
I'D OF these, alcohol Commonly in the form
rum or whisky is the first. This remedy /
well known in the South, and there are
me twenty-five authentic cases on record
owing that person suffering from the bite
ratt .esnake may drink from one to two
iarts OF clear brandy without feeling the :
ghtest tendancy to intoxcation, and even q
ally recover.-Hartford Times. y