Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-10-27
VOLUME II. NO. L.

forceps, ana tne fang Oe erectcu ana gent
ly pressed upward, the venom viii be
seen issuing from the fang. and dropping
from its point. 1t may then be absorbed
by bit Of sponge, or caught in vial. or
on the point of 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 in-.
tensity with that first taken. -, .---- I,;s-
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 few drops Of ven;
ON, for future experiments, in a small vial
with two or three parts of alcohol, it was
found in short time to have lost its ven.
omous properties. But after mixing the
venom with aqua ammonia, or spirits of
turpentine, or oil of peppermint or of cin-
namon, or of cloves or with nitric or sui;
phuric acid, it still seemed to act with
undiminished energy. 1t is best preserved
however, for future use by trituration with
refined sugar or sugar of milk. f,E al
A very fine, large cotton-mouth snake,
being captured by putting shoe-string
around him, became excessively ferocious,
striking at even the crack Of small riding
whip. Finding himself prisoner, with
out hope of escape, he turned his deadly
weapons on his own body, striking repeat
edly his we'll charged fangs deeply into
his flesh. Notwithstanding this he was
put into a small basket, and was carried
forward. In one hour after, he was found
dead, and no amount of irritation could
excite the least indication of life. ISL
A large rattlesnake, beheaded instantly
with a hoe, would an hour and a half al.
ter strike at anything that pinched its tail
OF several persons who were testing their
frmncss of nerve by trying to hold the
hand steady while the serpent struck at i,
not one could be found whose hand would
not recoil in spite of his resolution /; and
one man, great bully, by-the-by, was
struck on the naked throat with considera-
ble force by the headless trunk of the SER
pent, and staggered back, tainted and fell,
from terror. ... aa,u laaH
Seven venomous serpents belonging L
five different species, were made to frater
t, Mise and dwell amicably in one den. A
beautiful pair of long bodied specklet
snakes, known as king snakes, known t
}! be fangless, and consequently withou
venom, were duly installed as members o
:, the family. Some uneasiness were per
u ceivable among the older of the members
but no attempt was made to destroy tn
intruders-though they might have beel
killed instanter The next morning fou
of the venomous serpents were found t.
!. have been destroyed by the king-snakes
), and one was still within their coil, On,
the two remaining ones would make nj
d effort at self defence A large rattle-snak
seemed stupid and indifferent to his fate
J., He could not be made to threaten or Civ
,e warning with his rattles. The smalles
v king snake was afterwards innoculate
u with the poison of one of the serpents b
S, had destroyed, and died Immediately q
T. tcr-thus evincing that they must has
to exercised some power besides physics
V. force to overcome their fellow creatures.
e. In short, the result of ola great numb'
us of experiments performed with the veno,
~ on great variety ofserpents, seem to lea
le to the following conclusions:
he l. That the venom of all serpents, acts
is poison in a similar manner. ..-
IS 2. That the venom of some varieties
r far more active than that of others.
v 8. That variety Of the colluber, know
e. as the cotton mouth, is the most venomou
G. serpent in Arkansas. a a
II 4. That the venom of serpents destf6y
is all forms of organized life, vegetable. o
= well as ANIMAL # aYF
s. 5. That alcohol, if brought in. conta'
e. with the venom, is, to a certain extent, a
of antidote. .t.s..a ts.I +. ta sa!
II, 6. That serpents do possess the pow
ed of fascinating small animals, and that tn
re power is identical with mesmerism:
he 7. That the blood of small animals, d
ne stroycd by the venom of serpents, bears
nv close resemblance to that of animals
of stroyed by lightning or hydro-cyanicaci
ol- it loses its power of coagulation and ca
/ not be long kept from putrefaction! Il