Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-10-27
On the Venom of Serpents.

The following, by S, Gilman, L. l..
D., published in the St. Louis Medical
Journal" is the most interesting article
we ever read on the subject
There is much in the history and hab-
its of the reptile tribes, however repulsive
they may be in appearance, that is very
interesting. During a sojourn of two or
three months in the interior of Arkansas,
which appears to me to be the par
adise of reptiles, Ipaid some attention to
that branch of history called ophiology.
I found four distinct varieties of rattle
snakes, (crotalus, of which the Crotalus
Horridus and Crotalus Kirtlandii are by
far the most numerous. The former is the
largest serpent in North America. The
family of moccasin snakes (Colluber) is
also quite numerous, there being not less
than ten varieties, most Of which being
quite as venomous as the rattlesnake. By
dissecting great numbers of different spe-
ces I learned that the anatomical struc-
ture of the poisoning apparatus is similar
in all the different varieties of venomous
serpents. 1t consists of strong frame
work of bone, with its appropriate mus
cles in the upper part of the head, re-
sembling, and being in fact, pair of
Jaws, but externally to the jaws proper.
and much stronger. To these is attached
by ginglymoid articulation, one or more
movable fangs on each side, just at the
verge of the mounth, capable of being
erected at pleasure. These fangs are very
hard, sharp and crooked, like the claws O.
cat, and hooked, backward with hol
low from the base to near the point.
have occasionally seen thin slit bone di
vide this hollow, making two. At theil
base is found small sack containing
two or three drops of venom, which re-
sembles thin honey. The sack is 50 con
nectcd with the of the fang during its
erection, that slight upward pressure
forces the venomi into the fangs at its base
and it makes its exit at small slit Of
opening near the point, with considerable
force; thus it is carried to the bottom O.
auv wound made by the fang. Unless
the fancs are erected for battle, they lii
concealed in the upper part OF the mouth
sunk between the external and lntelna
law bones, somewhat like ,pcn-knif'
blade shut UP in its handle, where the,
are covered by a fold of membranes whicI
encloses them like a sheath-this is tn
vagina DENTS. There can be no doub
that these fangs are frequently broken Of
or shed, as the head grows broader, t.
make room for new ones nearer the verg
of the mouth, for within the vaginl den
tbs of very large crotalus horridus,
found no less than five fangs on each sid
in all stages of formation-the smalles
in a half-pulpy or cartilaginous state, tn
S next something harder, the third still MOI
: perfect, and so on to the main, well-se
e perfect fang. Each Of these teeth had
r we'll defined cavity, like the main ON
t Three fangs on each side were found
0 copper heads; vipers, and others.
It The process of robbing serpents OF the
venom is easily accomplished by the al
of chloroform, a few drops of which ST.
h pi6es them. If, while they are under
e influence, they are carefully seized by Il
F. neck, and the vagina DENTS held out
tho way by an assistant, with pair