Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1868-04-16

q greater power Ovcrc0mee the resistance.
The anterior bone of the serpent's upper
] Nv is double-one for each side. This ex-
quislte instrument is merely hollow tooth,
curved back wards like the bend of a sa-
bre, with little forward turn as the tin,
which rs itself solid, for strengths sake, as
sharp as the finest needle. About line
below this point, on the front aspect, there
is minute opening. If we run into this
brlstle, 1t will appear at the base of the
tooth, Just where the tube leading from
the gland lies against the fang, and is held
to II by the folds of tissue which lie in
the gums. When unused, the two fsngs,
with their supporting bone, in which they
are rigidly fixed, are drawn backwards,
and lie, covered by. cloak of mucous It's
sue, one on each side upon the roof of the
snakes mouth. A second muscle is so at
tached to the maxillary bone as to be able
to erect 1t, together with the fang, which,
when thus ready for use, projects down.
wards into the open mouth, its convexity
forward.
II will be easy to understand now this
wonderful machinery moves in sequence
to its deadly result You have come a
little too near this coiled death. Instantly
the curves of the projecting neck are
Strengthened, half a riog of the coil flashes
out with il, and the head is thrust at the
opposing flesh, the bulk of the body serv-
ing as an anchor. AS it moves, the neck
bends back, the mouth opens wide, the
fangs are unsbesthed and held stiffly, and
you have a sharp pang as the points enter
the skin. Quick as thought the lower jaw
shuts on the part, deeper 90 the fangs, and,
the same muscle which closes the jaw
comprising the glands, the venom is in
jected among the tissues which the fangs
have pierced.
1t sometimes chances that, despite all
this exquisite machinery, some little failure
occurs, which may be taken as desirable
piece of good luck for the person aimed at
For instance, the teeth may strike at 8
disadvantage and be suddenly doubled
backwards, whereupon the venom occa
sionally goes down the snakes throat, and,
as we shall see, does him no such harm as
drugs usually do the apothecary; or it
chances that, the sequence OF actions fail
ing as 10 their due order, the venom is
elected before the fang enters or escapes
at the base of the tooth on account of The
duct not being drawn neatly upon the
aperture of the tooth.
Let these incidents occur; and at the
same time let the sharp and hooked teeth
of the lower jaw wound the skin, and we
shall have all the material for case of
rattlesnake bite in which we may admin
lister an antidote with great surety of sue
cess A snake strikes you, the skin is
wounded, and the conclusion is naturally
drawn that you are also poisoned whereas
both in man and animals, as we have seen
many times, the victim may drag the snake
some distance, hung to the tissues by the
HARMLESS little hooked teeth of the lower
Jaw.
1t is also matter of moment whether,
being bitten, you have received two fang
wounds or only one, because the two glands
are as independent of one another as two
rival drug shops; and. if you get both
fangs in you, the dose of the venom is twice
whatit would be if only one of them en-
tered. Luckily, it often chances that, in
small members like the fingers, one tooth
goes as,de Of the mark, and 50 fails of its
purpose, thus lessening the risk exactly
one-half.
These keenly tempered fangs are liable
to be lost by accidents, and also to fall by
natural decay. When the former occurs,
the snake is uDarmed for the time; but in
a few days reserve fang always
lies behind or to one side of the active
tooth-becomGs firmly set in its socket,
and comes into opposition with the open
ing of the duct. IL is therefore not enough
to pull out the active fang, since numerous
others lie ready for use in the gum behind
it. A young friend once showed me
small rattlesnske, from which he had taken
the active fsngs three months before, sup
posing the reptile thus disarmed for life
He was accustomed to handle it freely, and
had never been bitten. On opening the
mouth, pointed out 10 him the new and
efficient teeth which had taken the place of
those he had removed How much danger
he thus ran IL were hard to say, since the
snake may be handled with impuniiy, if
care be taken not to hurt it or use abrupt
motions
A very startling incident illustrative of
this occurred some years ago in Philadel-
phia. A tavern-keeper had in box two
large rattlesnakes, perfectly wild and not
long captive. Coming into his Ear-room
early one morning, he found his little
daughter, about six years old, seated beside
the open snake-box, with both serpents
lying in her lap. He was wise enough,
seeing her unhurt, to ask how they got
out, and hearing in reply that she herself
had lifted them from TIE boz, ne ordered
her 10 replace them, which she did with.
out harm, finally closing upon them the lid
of their cage. Snakes long confined very
often becomes so tame that, as we have
found, they viii allow mice, reed birds, or
pigeons in their cage without attempting
to injure them. II any still doubt that the
Tattlesnake may be handled with impunity,
the experience of the naturalist WateTl0n
may end his doubt. his Diographer de-
ecribes him as seizing aud holding poison
Gus serpents with an indifference which is
only credible 20 those who have studied
their habits with care. We are persuaded,
however, that certain snakes are more
likely TO strike than others. some requir-
Ing The utmost proyOcatiOn. This is very
apt to be the case after the serpent has
bitten a few times vainly upon stick or
other hard body; 50 thatit seems probable,
not only that The snake has memory, but
that Individuality may exist IL forIas of
lie even as low IS this one. Where In the
descending scale does this cease? Are
there clever earth worms and stupid earth
worms-nc two things anywhere precisely
the same?
Let US now pursue our inquiry, see how
we may get tue venom Tor study, and what
ply s,cally and chemically, this marvellous
liqui1 may be. DIE IL = e -iioii
Many ways of handling the serpent
were tried before one was found simple
and safe enough. While the complicated
methods were used, some nsrrog escapes
were made, until at last we hit on plan
which answered every. purpsse. A stick
five ieet long, cut square at the end, was
fitted witha thin leather strip two inches
wide, tackled ON, to one side of the end, and
then carried over it and through staple
en- he otaer sioe, where 1t was attached
to a stout cord; Pulling this leatxer ou,
into loop, and leaning over the snake
cage, which is five feet deep and now
open ahoYe, we try 20 Moose one OF the
snakes This has been done so often as to
be difficult. At first, when it was slipped
over their heads, they cSawled forward
thvoaga 1T now they have learned to al.