New Orleans Republican., 1873-02-09

Poisonous snakes.

The somewhat startling announcement
has Just been made in the English papers.
that the British government loses. in India.
10000 of its subjects annually by snake
bite. In this connection. attention has been
directed TO a worS entitled "Thanatoghia
Of fudia,'' from the pen Of DR.. FaYrer. the
learned professor of surgery in the Calcutta
Medical Hospital. just published.
The author has magnifcsntly Illustrated
an obscure and important: branch of med.
icai science. tie work embracing the whole
range of its subject. beginning with colored
Autographs and anatomical descriptions Of
the various snakes, and ending with an
elaborate. experimental inquiry into the
reuuted and possible cures for their bite.
DR.. Fayrer. after long series of danger
ous experiments. comes to the conclusion
that for thoroughly inflicted bite of a vig'
orous cobra there is but the slenderest
chance of cure Whatever, though if the
toe or finger, supposing the bite 10 have
been in one of those parts. were 70 be lop.
ped of in few seconds Of receiving the
wound. it is possible that lite might be
saved.
The resu1: arrived at by this scientific
and laborious experiruen:er puts to rout
the foolish belief entertained by not few
of the existence of antidUtes and !nfallibie
receipts for checking the lightning like
effects of snake poison; and IN this connec'
ton has advanced the state OF knowledge.
and accumulated til. most valuable facts
bearing upon this mos. interesting branch
OF u,.dica! inq"rT.
IL rctattins what has hitherto been re.
ga,,led as relia ble evidence in the matter OF
seemingly remarkable reeOveries from snake
bites. the doctor shows that sometimes, as
has been fully proven i'll the course OF his
experiments, that vigorous snake may in
fljct a deep wound without poisoning it at
all. In many cases men have been partially
bitten by snake nor very poisonous, or as
often happens, he may have teen bitten by
a snake not poisonous at all. and may be
nearly half dead from fear
The victims, says the Doctor, in nearly all
the eases given, are natives, hut the mOCtu-
arv Iist OF deaths from snake bite also III
cludes the European soldiers, sailors and
civil servants, nineteen-JweDtieths Of those
bitten falling victims to the subtle poison.
Among the painful incidents related in
this book is the following:
More remarkable and horrible is the story
of Gurra Dassee, sleeping in her hut with
her infant by her side, her husband and
other children little distance from her. In
the middle of the nj ght she WAS awakened
by a smarting sensation III the fOrehDger
Of her right hand, and thought that some
thing had bitten her. She called to her
husband, but receiving no answer, fell into
a slumber, sucking her child as she went
to sleep. Before long she was reused again
by pain along her right arm and general
res tlessncss, noticing that the infant was
also very restless, and ioaming at the
mouth. She was now alarmed, and got up
and called her neghbors, who came to her
assistance, and, after the manner of coun-
trv people, cbanted charms over the poor
mother and child till they died-the mother
about four hours after being bitten, and the
child about two hours after taking the
breast.
The London Tines, in summing up an e1.
haustire reyieS of the work ia question,
says:
The conclusion. 20 Re derived from the
whole book arc that there is no known az.
tidote 20 the poison Of these deadly Indian
snakes; that the only Treatment likely 10
be successful is ampuratIeR or Gxcision, the
application Of lgatures. actual cautory or
bnrpius hy strong acids and the +dIuinis-
rra1ion Of stimulants; but that with respect
even to these We must remember that the
poison from the deeply struck fangs of
vigorous cobra passesi into circulation almost
in 8 moment of time, so that We may in
practice well nigh despair of bting before