The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-05-31
@ur 0lio.
The serpeut's Fang.


Science has Of late been endeavoring in
vain to find an antidote to the poison of the
serpents fang, but 50 far has been un-
successful. 1t concerns the English tropi-
cal colonists very nearly. Few Of those
who have only seen reptiles coiled up in a
state Of semi-torpidity in glass case,
where they are kept alive by artificial
heat, can form any idea how quick and
sudden in its movements Is the snake in a
natural state In tuft of grass beneath
an African sun is what seems to be a
withered branch. Suddenly, and without
the slightest warning, the branch becomes
inflated, and the deadly puff adder filings
itself, almost with the rapidity Of lightning,
through the air, and woe betide the man
or animal that happens to be in its track.
So in the Indian jungle the long, little,
thin, green whip snake hangs from tree,
swinging idly in the breeze, apparently
without the slightest animation. Let man
or animal pass within reach, and far
quicker than the eye can follow, the thing
has made its fatal dart, dropped from its
perch, and disappeared, leaving its victim
writhing in the agony Of death. Again,
the traveller in the sandy parts Of the Aus
tralian Bush suddenly places his foot in a
hole-perhaps the footprint of horse /;
there is sharp pinch in the leg, and on
looking down he is horrifed to find that he
has been struck by the hidecus death
adder. In the extensive category of Aus
tralian reptiles this is perhaps the most
deadly. Its maximum length is about two
and half feet In color it is Of silver
grey, and is found only in sandy places,
where it coils up in the hollows, and SO is
very apt to be trodden upon. Its bite has
been known to prove fatal in the course Of
half an hour.
So rapid is the action of snake poison ON
the system that when a person has been
punctured with the fang there is little or
no time for thought. Within few
minutes Of the bite its effects are felt.
The patient grows giddy, the pulse be-
comes intermittent, the pupils Of the eyes
dilate, numbness and sigidity follow, and
then, when the poison has been carried BY
the circulation through the heart---death.
And yet, strange to say, rapid as is its ac-
ton when absorbed in the blood, the
venom may be swallowed with impunity,
thereby suggesting the idea that its effects
are neutralized by the acids Of the stom-
ach.
1t has been recommended to those who
should have the misfortune to be bitten by
deadly snake to Immediately cut out the
punctured part, but il is not one person
out Of score who possesses sufficient
nerve to perform such an operation, and in
many cases where it has been done -onis
important vein or artery has been severed
50 that death has ensued through loss o.
blood.
Not knowing the nature Of the poison
injected by the snake, It is difficult to tel
what prophylactics are to be used. 0ns
thing is certain, that out OF the many
medicines tried nothing taken into thu
stomach has ever proved effective. There
fore, on the homeopathic principle tha
"like cures like" injection into the vein
would seem to be the most rational treat
ment And wherever this latter cours
has been adopted, surprising results ha
followed. Many curious experiments hav'
been lately made by Professor Halford 70
the cure Of snake bite. To this gentleman
is due the credit Of having been the dis
coverer Of the liquid ammonia remedy
Professor Halford has spent many years i
his endeavors To discover an antidots
| And no man knows better than he th
deadly nature Of the enemy he has b
combat with, He says that snake poison
whether dried up into powder By the sur
or converted into hard gum, thick or thir
| fresh or stale, will, is once introduced int
the blood, show it, vitality as surely
even more surely--than the dried see
placed in the ground and watered.
tII Vi I