Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-17
Mathematics and Their Habits.

| Ordinarily, the rattlesnake is ex-
tremely sluggish, and unless molested
there is little to fear from it during the
greater portion Of the year. Just before
and just after its winter sleep, however,
| it it more active, and often assumes the
| offensive. In order to strike, it must lie
| in close coil, with its head and neck
erect. In this position it throws itself
| forward about threcfourths its length,
supporting its weight entirely upon the
remaining fourth. When molested or
alarmed, or when about to attack, the
rattle is violently shaken; but practically
this serves little purpose as a warning,
since when excited the creature strikes at
the intruder with the quickness of light
ming, and almost simultaneously with the
sound of the rattle. The statement that
the sound of the rattle is peculiar, and
once heard will never afterward be mis-
taken, is emphaticallY denied, the writer
averring that he has known the opinions
of those who had frequently heard the
sound divided as to whether a certain
ominous clicking arose from the grass
| hoppers, which were there in great num-
bers, Or a rattlesnake." Contrary to the
common belief, the reptile often leaves its
! hole and moves about after shutdown, not
seldom crawling into tents, and even into
beds, during the night. The notion that
venomoas snakes do not bite twice in
immediate succession is also pronounced
| erroneous, the writer mentioning case
where he saw the rattlesnake strike three
| times with electric quickness, each time
| leaving the marks Of its fangs on the
| trousers of the person attacked.
| But with all its quickness and irritable
ity, the snake frequently refuses to bite,
even when crowded to the closest quarters.
1t is related that often when trod on it
| fails to retaliate; and one remarkable in
stance is given where a gentleman on
coming out of the river Platte after a
bath, and entirely naked, sat down upon
rattlesnake, and, discovering his mis-
take, suddenly resumed his legs, without
suffering any harm beyond severe
fright The peculiar odor of the rattle
snake is vouched for, and we are told
that when one is irritated and made to
bite the rake or hoe with which it is in
tended to kill him, the implement will re-
tain the same unpleasant smell for
months. Once known, the odor is always
recognizable.
The bite of the rattlesnake, according
to this observers experience, is neither
so rapidly fatal nor so incurable as most
people suppose. Of thirty persons bitten
by the rattesnake. he states that all re-
| covered but one. and he lived twelve days
after the accident. OF the whole thirty
this was the Only case which received sur
gical advice; but whether it was the bite
or the advice which killed the patient we
are not informed.
Whisky the writer regards as specific
for the bite of the rattlesnake, and re-
| lates numerous incidents which illustrate
the wonderful power of this agent when
administered in sufficient quantity. 1t is
well known to physicians that persons
suffering from diseases attended with
severe pain will often tolerate much
larger doses of opium or other narcotic
than could otherwise be borne. Persons
poisoned by the bite Of q rattlesnake
manifest similar tolerance for immense
doses Of whisky, quantities sufficient to
make well person stupidity drunk, or
even to destroy life, often producing no
visible effect upon the sufferer from snake
bite. Yet, to be of any service to the
| patient, it is asserted that he must be
made thoroughly drunk before it is safe
to suspend the administration of the
remedy. A quart or more of raw whisky
is frequently required to bring about this
condition, but, when once it is attained,
no further danger need be apprehended.
While the rattlesnake is found spread
over large portion of North America, it
| is much more abundant in some locail-
ties than in others. Texas probably
holds an indefinitely larger number of
these reptiles than any other State in the
Union. The district lying between the
Rio Grande and the Nueces, two streams
which flow in the same direction and
some sixty or seventy miles apart, is a
desert region, literally swarming with
poisonous serpents. I'm SUMNER" says
our writer, zone can not go fifty yards
in this locality without seeing a rattle
snake. In other parts of the State the
moccasin is the prevalent snake; while
centipedes, scorpions, tarantulas and ALI
gators infest various localities and are
each terrible scourge."
All writer's have hitherto concurred in
saying that rattlssnakes are never met
with at an elevation of more than 5000
feet above the sea level. The surveying
party of Mr.. Morley killed numbers of
them last year at an elevation of about
5000 feet; it is added, however, that they
were never found SO high before. The
mountain snakes possess more vivid COL
ors than their brethren Of the prairies,
and of the two are more dreaded on
account of their supposed ferocity.-
Scientific Miscellany In Apra Galary.
|