The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-12-18
Curious Poison Stories.


to the effect that man once spit into
rattlesnake's mouth, and the snake died
he did the same thing to an adder, and it
died also. Another adder would not open
its mouth, so he spit on stick, rubbed
the spittlc on the adder's nose, and it died.
A non poisonous black snake was treated
in the same way, but it did not die and
the conclusion is drawn that human saliva
is as poisonous for poisonous snakes as the
poison Of snakes is for man.
We have seen snakes killed by tobacco
juice, and have heard men say who have
tried it, that human saliva swould kill
them as quick as tobacco juice.-Editor
Democratic Aduocate.
In order to realize tho improbability of
this story, we will state that the poison of
snakes is not their saliva, but special
fluid secreted in a bag situated near the
root Of the poisonous fang, which is pro-
vided with channel to conduct the poison
from the bag to near the point, so that it
may be injected into the wound.
Many poison, dangerous if given by
injection, are harmless in the stomach,
where, by the digestive powers of the gas.
trio and other juices, they are decomposed
and made harmless. SO the vaccine virus,
which by incubation produces the well
known ulcer, is perfectly harmless when
swallowed; and several other organic poi
sons, especially of the septic kind, of ami
NAL origin, are only dangerous when en-
teriug the system by wound, and may
with impunity be taken into the mouth
and stomach. An excoriation or scratch
on the lips or tongue, by which they may
enter the circulation, is dangerous, as has
been proved by many examples. Hence
the danger of wounds during dissection by
medical students, by which the decomposed
animal matter of the subject enters the
circulation, and kills the poor victim rap
idly; while students with an unimpaired
skin on their hands may dissect any sub
ject with impunity. A case is on record
Of young lady who kissed the dead body
of her father. She had litto excoriation
on her lip, which was touched by the mois-
ture on the lips of the corpse; it soon in
famed with all the characteristic Of yir-
ulent dissection wound, and in few days
she was a corpse also. The poison had
entered into the circulation Of her blood
Experiments in this line are of course
highly Objectionable ; but as far as expert
ence has shown, most poisons of this kind
may with impunity be taken in the stomach
If the saliva Of man or animals has any
dangerous qualities, it is mostly only mani
fest when entering the circulation of the
bitten individual, aud especially when the
saliva has been changed in its nature by
the excitement Of passions, such as great
fear, anger, etc. Hence arises the often
malignant appearance of bites by infuriated
men or animals while the introduction Of
such saliva into the stomach would un-
doubtedly, in most cases, not be attended
with serious consequences. This shows
the absurdity of the idea that the normal
human saliva should be a poison in the
mouth of any animal, whether possessing
poison bags connected with its teeth or not.
The story reminds US of one which went
round the papers some years ago, about a
man who was bitten by rattlesnake
through his boot. Long after his death,
every one who tried on that boot died of
the consequence of scratch in the foot,
produced by serpents tooth projecting
inside the boot and the cause Of the
mischief was only discovered when many
persons had been killed. The inventor Of
this story did not know that the rattlesnake
poison is only active when freshly injected
from the poison bag.-IScientifc American,
-