Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-12-10


On yesterday, a Times reporter met
Prof. r. U. Piper, and the conversation
naturally drifting around to microscopy,
the professor mentioned the fact that he
was about to begin microscepical in!
vestigation into the effect of rattlesnake
poison in the blood of various animals.
He was asked to give some information
regarding the serpent, and at once COM
piled.
DIR. Piper's first remark was the rath-
er appalling one that thirty thousand
people die in India annually from snake
bites, not including the victims of the
reptile that stiDgeth like an adder and
lurketh in mems boots In this coun-
try, so far as regards remedies and the
operation of the poison on the system,
so far as it can be done without the mi
croscope, the subject has already been
carefully investigated. Recently, it is
said that this instrument has been
brought in to aid such investigations, and
important discoveries have been made.
The results of poisoning are not mani
fest until the posion has reached the oste-
rial capillary system. Strychnine and
prn4sic acid applied directly to the brain,
spinal marrow or nerves, produce little
if any effect. Hence, il follows that if
the poison be retarded from entering in
to the circnlatory system the result viii
be retarded in exactly the same ratio
This is claimed as having been demon
strated, but if it was true how were we
to account for the production of death
instantaneously by the application of
concen trated prussic acid to the tongue.
In DR.. Farrer's experiments with the
cobra dicapelIo, he found the fowls bit
ten by the serpeut in the leg or wing
were cured by the immediate removal Of
the bitten part. A dog, bitten in the
fold of the skin raised for the purpose,
escaped by having the part Immediately
eXcised by a clean sweep Of the scaipeI.
But it was found that however tightly
ligature might be drawn, it only retarded
the action of the subtle agent. In the
case of fowl bitten by the cobra, when
the ligature was drawn around the limb
with the full strength Of man, the bird
died in forty-four minutes.
The poison of the cobra does not APP
pear to operate more rapidly than that
of the rattlesnake. In DR.. Macbeth's
experiments on fowls he found that the
interval between the bite and the symp
toms was from nine to fifteen minutes
in dogs. from sixty eight to one hundred
and thirty minutes. In the experiments
made by Drs. Taylor and Pavy on rab
bit, symptoms OF poisoning came on
in fifteen minutes.
The extreme rapidly of the action of
poison when injected into the blood YES
sells has been shown by Sir r. Christi
son, who states that upon injecting poi
son into the femoral vein of dog, with
his watch in his hand. he was unable to
notice any appreciate interval between
the moment at which it was injected and
that in which the animal died Dr.
farrer found that when the cobra poison
was injected into the jugular vein of an
animal the action of the heart was at
once arrested. The heart was not para
lyzed, but was thrown into state of tie
tahic spasm. 1t would seem that the
poison could not have had time to reach
was produced by transmitted action.
Prof. Piper thinks the action of poison
in such cases is probably somewhat ana
Joyous to an electric shock.
Prof Piper was in Indianapolis week
before last, and by the courtesy of DIR. I.
IL. Haynes he was invited to witness
series of experiments made by the doc
tor with view to studying the effect of
snake poison upon the blood and tissues
OF the animal system. Of course this in
wolves long and patient use of the mi
croscope. DR.. Haynes had fine rattle.
snake, about II years old and three and
half or four feet long, confined in a |
cage of woven wire. One object of his |
experiments was to note the effects of |
the poison with reference to its use as a
remedial agent in certain cases of disease |
Ii IS known that the physiological eff |
fects of curave, the poison used by some
sayages in poisoning their arrows and |
spear points, are directly autsgon site to
those of strychine, though to chemical |
analysis, they appear identical. From
THIS 1t Is Inferred that the snake poison
might be used to the same end in treat.
ing certain kinds of disease.
Some thirty animals were used by DR.. |:
HAYNES in his experiments The ami.
inais were rats, hens, pigeons and rab-
nits- siheY lived varying periods after
beiag htten, death not following in any
Fegai9r sequence of time "a is generally
believed. one rat died in eight minutes.
one n twelve, and the next rat lived
twenty seven hours. the next ore sur
viving tWenty hours. \ n;raon died in
sevenfy-five minutes A hen which,
was struck three times live fer thr.e
days 70 STUPID condition. and fiuaIlv
recovered. This was brave hen she
showed fight and drew blood from the
snake.
The symptoms were labored breath
lng, paralysis Of the hind extremities in
the qnadrupeds. and absence of blood
IN the extremities. After death thef
hearts. were found gorged with blood in
. 1intd state. This non-coagulation oil
blood ~ these c sses might not be due to
-he poison. Professor Piper has often
net With the same fact in cases of death
rom II :
,ofh N human beings and animals.
The authorities mention similar cases.
Prof Piper was inclined to attribute the /,