Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-03-12
The Secret of fsnake-Charming.

Ia India the favorite snake for exhi-
bitiOn is the cobra, partly because OF its
more striking appearance, and partly
because its. deadly character being so
well known, any trifiing with it ap-
pears to the uninitated public the more
wonderful. Nor, indeed, - do the per-
formances of the Hindoo snake-charmer
lose, on better acquaintance, all their
marvelOusness, tor courage of a high
order, arising partly from the conf
dence acquire 1 by long practice. Is ma
infested in seizing and bagging the
dreadful ophidian. In most cases the
charmer renders the reptiles harmless
by drawing out their poison fangs, and
the exhibition becomes then merely one
which exhibits the snakes highly
trained condition. On the other hand,
it often happens that the basket con-
tains the veritable deathdealer, and a
cobra with his fangs undrawn is nearly
always forthcoming if the temptation
in money be sufficiently strong. But
in the handling of the creature when
once exposed there is no hesitation, for
hesitation means death, and in the
swift seizure and sudden release there
is daring of an exceptional kind. The
cobra strikes, when il has really made
up its mind to strike, with lightning
rapidity, and TO dodge successfully re-
quires considerable agility. The snake
charmers, however. when put on their
mettle will grasp the erect cobra with
impunity, owing solely to the superior
speed of the movements, for by feint
they provoke the reptile to strike, and
before it can recover its attitude seize it
below the jaw. In the same way the
ichneumon or mongoose secures in con-
tests with venomOus snakes a compara-
tive immunity. 1t was for long time
an article of faith with writers Of pOpu-
lar works on natural history that this
animal enjoyed a complete immunity,
but scientific experiment has corrected
this fallacy. \ mongoose and cobra
confined together fought freely. and
though the latter seemed TO the eve TO
strike his antagonist repeatedly, the
mOngOose, on being examined after it
had killed the snake, was found to be
untouched. Another cobra was then
brought on to the scene. and, being
made TO close its fangs on the mon
goose's leg, the animal confessed its
susceptibility TO the poison by dying in
about four minutes. Ii was, therefore.
by its superior activity alone that in a
fair fight with the reptile it had es-
capped unhurt, and to the same cause
the snake-charmer ows the immunity
that attends his exhibition. But, as in
the case of the mOngoOSe, the snake
charmer, when actually bitten, dies as
rapidly as any other creature, in spite
of all the powers of his charms, roots
and snake-stone. The IIindOO spectator
refuses to believe this, aud enjoys,
therefore, by his crejulity, pleasure
denied to more intelligent audiences,
for if we could only accept as truth the
charmer's statement that he has really
been bitten and the red drops on the
bitten spot were actually blood exuding
from the fatal puncture, and could then
believe that the root he smelt. the stone
nc applied to the wound and the charms
he Uttered were veritably counteract-
ing the magic of the cobra's poison,
the spectacle would be of surprising
interest, since IL would be a miracle.