The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-10-03


little blood escapes. Inflammation sets
in ct once. The animal strack seems 70
suffer very little pain, but to be rather in
stupefied condition. Human beinga
are ssid 20 suffer acute pain from the
wound. M m -
It is not known whether or not the
rattlesnake poisons the animals that II
desires for food, but it is known that it
can swallow its own. poison with impu-
nifty. It is said also that human being
pay Owallow rattlesr AXE poison with per.
feet safety if there be no wound about
the mouth.
There is one animal that appears to be
inyulnerable 30 far as the rattlesnake is
concerned, and that is the hog. The hog
not only appears proof against the rat
tlesnakes bite, but it cherishes feelings
of the bitterest hostility against all
snakes, innocent and poisonous, and de-
stroys them with eagerness. This fact
suggests course OF theological questions.
Was it st. Patrick or she numerous hogs
of the peasantry shat cleared Ireland of
snakes? The scriptures relate that on
one occasion several minicns of the devil,
that old serpent, as he is sometimes called,
induced lot of hogs to run violently
down q steep place into the lake and
drown themselves, and the question arises
whether this is not the origin of the
eomity to serpents.
These matters, however, were not sug.
gested by Prof. Piper; they are interpo.
lations.
Prof Piper knew of.a cow that was
struck in the neck by rattlesnake, and
was living a year afterward. Her Jaw
was diseased, her head and neck swollen,
and on the latter was a running sore.
During the Indianapolis experiments
Prof. Piper tried to get an idea Of the
method in which the snake struck, but it
was impossible. The snakes motion was
so rapid that no eye could follow it.
Lightning was not more sudden in its
mOvementa.
DR.. Haynes cut off the points of the
teeth of large rat that he put into the
cage lest the snake should be rendered
incapable of performing any moro expsr-
iments. The rat tried 90 keep away from
! the snake, but the latter felt that his
premises were invaded, and struck at the
rat. The latter, partially disarmed as he
was, at once turned round and made q
sturdy fignC for few seconds. He bit
the snake and the snake struck him three
or four times. AT last he felt the effects
of the poison, and walked off as far from
the snake as he could get. He lived for
:wenty-seven hours after tiis. ~
The snake seemed to strike only in
selfdefense, or when he might naturally
suppose he was to be attacked.
The dove showed no aigns of fear of
the snake, end showed no signs OF suffer
ing after being struck. Nor, in fact, did
fh a ayv0uud c6ap1 70 hova 49, 1n...
the bird for time. About an hour after
the wonnd was made the birds breathing
was short and hard. This was the first
symptom of poisoning, and in fifteen
minutes more the bird was dead.
In the case of all these animals no
blood flowed after death, and vet the
blood at the hoart was not coagulated.
The authorities offer as to the liability
Of the blood to coagui9ted after snake
bite, but in all these cases she blood was
uncoegulated.
The snake became SO irritated that he
would try to strike objects outside of his
cage, and succeeded in breaking his fang
once on the wires.
Although many cases Of snake bites
have been cured, an eminent physician
in New York was struck in the hand by
rattlesnake he was experimenting with,
and he died in spite of all the efforts that
were made for his salvation.
The time within which the rattle
snakes bite proves fatal in tie cesa of q
human, being varies from two hours to
several days, and there have been cases
of recovery even without tt e use of rem.
edies. Although whiskey taken after
the bite is good, taken before the bite it
is bad. Drinking men stand a much
smaller chance of surviving q snake bite
than do temperate men.
So far as known the cobra bite has al
ways proved fatal. ~
In regard TO the effect of the snake bite
on the blood, q curious fact is recorded
An Englishman named Drake, who ex-
hibited a case of rattlesnakes in England
and France, was one day struck BY one OF
his pests, and died in nine hours. The
blood on the veinous side was found CO.
agulated, and on the arterial side il was
not.
Five species of rattlesnakes are recog-
nized by naturalists in the United States,
and besides them there are seven other
kinds of poisonous snakes in this coun-
try.
Prof. Piper took hundred specimens
of blood from the animals experimental
on in Indianapolis, and will make micro
scopical examinations of them.