Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-10-18
Wild BEASTS AVD
SNAKES ~ INDIA.
NO 46


"Returns have reached MS from
India," says an English coteinpo-
rary, "showing the number killed
in the year 1875 by wild beasts
and snake bites. 1t seems that be-
tween the 31st of December. 1874,
and the 1st of January, 1876, ia
our Indian Empire not fcwer tl.an
2l, ,391 persons and 49, head of
cattle perisl ed from til, Sc causes:--
Such was the war of savage nature
against man. On the other hand,
there were destroyed 22,357 wild
animals of all kinds, and 27O,1S5
snakes at a cost to the Government
ct l20,015 rupees, or, without TAX
ing into account the depreciation
in the valne of silver, something
like $4,000. We are further told
that the losses have been to IA great
extent tabulateG, and that, tIom
the returns that have been sent in,
it has been found that elephants
have killed 81 human beings and
six cattle; tigers respectively S2S
and IL ,423; leopards, 1S7 and 49,
l57; bears. 81 anI 529; wolves,
LOGO and 9,407; hyenas, 68 and
2, l6; while to 'other animals,' the
buffalo, the wild goat, the boar,
etc, are asrribeG the totals of ! ,4+6
and 4,401.
"But the most terrible life de-
stroyer in India, is the snake. 1T
is significant fact that the number
of deaths due to snake bite exceeds
! that from all other. causes. 1t
amounts to no fewer than 1000,
or i'll other words, something like
80 people perish every day in India
from snake bite alone. The great
majority OF the victims are of course
natives, who 90 about barcfooted.
The Hindoo woman is making her
way to the we'll or to the river with
her pitcher on her head; the groom
is cutting fresh grass the gardener
is plucking flowers with which to
decorate the rooms !; or the mosscn.
ger is running by a short cut across
the field with note. Any Of these
may at any moment tread upon
cobra and although the cobra is
not aggressive, it will turn when at
tackled, or imagincs that it is threat
ened, with the rapidity of lightning.
\ Sharp, short sting is felt, and the
sufferer sees the loathsone reptile
clinging to his foot or ankle, for the
/ fangS OF the cobra strike SO deeply
that it is often unable to disengage
itself. The brntc is shaken off; but
the nearest doctor is probably ten,
twelve, or even twenty miles away.
No remedies are at hand; there is
no knife tor excision, no caustic or
hot iron for cautery and before II
few hours have elapsed death has
set in.
''Thc only way TO prevent this
terrible mortality is by killing
the cobras wholesale, and this again
can only be done 10y offering snail
reward per head Tor their destruc
tom Unhappily the hcathcn Hin.
doc, from supcrstitious fear, and
even veneration, will not put even
the most venomous mag to death,
and others who have no sucL scru-
piles are clever ut defrauding the
Government. The customary re-
ward has consequently been with
drawn, and the result as we are told,
and can easily believe, is that the
mortality from snake bites has in
creased to very alarming extent.
1t is to be hoped that the reward
system, with necessary precautions
against imposition, will be adopted
again. The remedy may be ex.
pcnsive, bnt local rate would meet
it, and India might soor be clear
of snakes as England once was OF
wolves. =. ank Leslie's Sunday
Magazine.