Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-08-26
ON TIE VENOM OF sERPENTs.

There IS much in the history aud habits Of the
reptile tribes, however r~epulsiye they may be in
appearance, that is very interesting. During n
sojourn of two NJ three months in the interior of
Arkansas, which appears TO me to be the paradise
Of reptiles, | paid some attention to that branch Of
natural history called ophiUlogy. | found four
distinct varieties of ratJlesnakes i~crotaiuS.) Of
which the Crotalus lIorridus and Crotalus kirt-
landii are by far the most numerous. the former
is the largest serpent in North America. The
numerous; there being not less than ten varieties,
most of which are quite as yenemous as the rattle
snake. BY dissecting great numbers of different
species, | learned that the anatomical structure of
the poisoning apparatus is similar, in all the diff
fercnt varieties Of ycncmous serpents. 1t consists
of q strong framework Of bone, with its a~rpropri-
ate muscles, in the upper part of the head, rescm-
bling, and being in fact, Il pair of jaws, hut extcr-
nally to jaws proper, and much stronger. To
these is attached, by a ginglymoid articulation,
one or more movable fangs, on each side, just at
the verge Of the mouth, capable Of being erected
at pleasure. These fangs are very hard, sharp, and
crooked, like the claws of a cat, and hooked back
ward, with a hollow from the base to near the
point. | have occasionally seen a thin slit of bone
divide this hollow, making two. AT their base is
found Il small sack, containg two or three drops of
venom, which resembles thin honey. The sack is
so connected with the cavity Of the fang, during
its erection, that a slight upward pressure forces
the venom into the fang, at its base, and it makes
its exit at a small slit or opening near the point,
with considerable force thus it is carried to the
bottom of any wound made by the fang. Unless
the fangs arc erected for battle, they lie concealed
in the upper part Of the mouth, sunk between the
external and internal jaw bones, somewhat like n
p~en-knife blade shut up in its handle, where they
are covered by a fold Of membrane, which cncloscs
them like Il sheath this is the cdgina dentis.-
There can be no doubt that these fangs are fire.
%quently broken off or shed, as the head grows
. brooIpr to make room for now amos pnornr tho
verge of the mouth for, within the regina deRiis
of Il very large crotalus horridus, | found no less
than five fangs on each side--in all stages of for
mation-the smallest in II half pulpy or cartilagin-
Gus state, the next something harder, third still
more perfect, and so on to the main, well set, per-
feet fang. Each of these teeth had a well defined
cavity, like the main one. The fangs on each side
were frequently found in copperheads, vipers, and
others,
The process of robbing serpents of their venom
is easily accomplished by the aid Of cllloroform, a
few drops of which Supplies them. If, while they
are under its influences, they are carefully seized
by the neck, and the rdgina DENTS held out of the
way by an assistant, with a pair of forceps, and
the fang be erected and gently pressed upward,
the venom will be seen issuing from the fang, and
dropping from its point. 1t may then be absorbed
by q bit of sponge, or caught III q vial, or on the
point of a lancet. After robbing several serpents
in this manner, they were found, after two days,
to be as highly charged as ever, with venom Of
equal intensity with that first taken.
During the process of robbing several species Of
serpents, ! innoculated several small but vigorous
and perfectly healthy vegetables, with the point
of a lancet well charged with venom. The next
day they were withered and dead, looking as
though they had been scathed with lightning. In
attempting to preserve Il few drops of venom fol
future experiments, in Il small vial, with two OF
three parts of alcohol, it was found, in a short
time, to have lost its yenemous properties. Blu
. - 20, 80, - tia ,4n1., al
spirits of turpentine, or oil Of PEPPERMINT, or OF
cinnamon, or of cloves, or with nitric or sulphur,
acid, it still seemed to act with undiminished en-
ergy. 1t is best preserved, however, for futur,
use, by trituration with refined sugar, or sugar O
milk.
A very fine, large, c0tton-niouth snake, beinl
captured, by putting a shoe-string around him
became exceedingly terocious, striking at even tn
crack of a small riding-whip. Finding himself
prisoner without hope of escape, he turned hi
deadly weapons on his own body, striking repeat
edly his well charged fanss deeply into his flesh
Notwithstanding this, he was put in a small bas
ket, and carried forward. In one hour after, h.
was found dead, and no amount Of irritation coul,
= excite the least indication of life. Four hour
after, while removing the skin for preservation
the blood OOzed slowly from the yessels in a dis
solved state No violence was done 10 his snake
ship, except what ne did himself.
Another nioccasin, shot by q pistol about tw,
inches back of the head, and skinned immediately
gave decided evidence of vitality four bours afte
being fayed, by writhing the body whenever
was ifritatcd by a ~scaipei.
A large rsttlesnake, behcaded instantly with
t hoe, would, ia an hour and a half after, strike a
anything that pinehed its tail. OF several person
who were testing their frmness Of nerve by tryinl
to hold the hand steady while tho serpent struc
AZ II, not ono could be found whose hand woul
nee recoii, in spite OF his resolution and enc MAJ
Ia great bully, by-the-by) was struck on tho mako
throat with considerable force, by ths headles
trunk af the serpent, aud staggered back, tainted
and fell, from terror, Nj. Stewart, Of Ni,si,sippi