Connecticut western news., 1880-10-27
| RATTLEsNAKE,s BITE CURED.
The Hazardous Experiment and Extraordinary Recovery of an
 English Surgeon.

The following is an abstract of an &C., count by Dr. Arthur Stradling, dated R. M. steamer Elbe, Santos, Aug. 1, of his extraordinary recovery from snake bite, received while experimenting to discover 8 prophylactic against the venom of snakes:
 The snake, Crotazets horri0ats, { which he received at Pernam buco from a friend, was a small one, not eighteen inches long, with only two joints on his rattle. About 1 o'clock in the morning, when all was quiet, he opened the box containing the snake and introduced his hand, but felt 8 horror and disgust of the reptile such as he had never expe- rienced of any snake before, and with drew his hand without touching it. He supposed his "nerves" were out of order, for it was some time Before he could make up his mind to proceed when he did so he put thick leather glove on bis left hand, and grasped the snake by the neck, intending to let it bite his right arm just above the wrist.
 The snake managed to wriggle through his fingers, and struck him with back handed slash like a whip below the gauntlet on the front of the left forearm, breaking off one of it's fangs in doingso, and the piece was left sticking in the wound. Putting it back in the box, he picked out the bit of fang with pair of forceps, and sat down quietly to await results. He had ligatures, ammonia, brandy and nitric acid at hand in readi- ness. There were two punctures, little more than half an inch apart, 8 trace of blood in one of them, no common teeth marks at all.
 Nothing came of it, and he went on writing until 5 a. m. Then he noticed that the lymphatics higher up the arm were swollen and infamed, and that there was lump painful to the touch underneath, and almost at the same moment he became aware of ight-head- edness and of burning sensation trav- ersing his whole frame. There seemed to be great vascular and mental excite ment, yet his temperature was down to 96 deg. 4 min. He applied nitric acid to the wound. and while considering what to take in the way of internal remedies the excitement was suddenly succeeded by depression and drowsi- ness so irresistible that he had only time to reach his bunk, when he became in- sensible. Dr. Wyman, passenger on the Elbe, was called at II 8. m. to see Dr. Stradling, and found him lying on his back on 8 bunk, legs stretched out, face and lips pale, expression dull eyes fixed and glassy, the lids remaining open or shut as they were placed i; 1 pupils contracted. General surface of body warm and moist, but the feet and legs cold to above the knee. Tempera- ture in axilia 99 deg. min. Respira- ton about thirteen per minute; shallow. l At that time, and for about four hours afterward, thare was very little move ment of the ribs; there being paralysis of the intercostal muscles, the respira- tion was almost, if not entirely, abdom- inal. The breathing, during the whole period, was very irregular, both in ire quency and in depth occasionally ster- torous. Heart sounds at apex and base normal and distinct at first; pulse vary ing from 88 to 94, moderately full but easily compressiple, sometimes irregular in force, this irregularity being coinci- dent with irregularity of breathing.
 | at Ix1cI nf lower extremities. On the left forearm
 were two black punctures, surrounded
 by dusky margin of inflammation; the
 arm swollen, but very slightly. These
 punctures Dr. Wyman sucked, drawing
 little blood from one of them, and ap-
 piled strong nitric acid freely. He also
 put on igature tightly above the
 elbow, which gave rise to great swelling
 of the forearm and hand later on. He ]. administered drachm of sulphurie ether twice in about twenty minutes,
 and then half drachm with the same quantity of compound spirit of ammonia every twenty minutes or half an hour, until three o'clock in the afternoon
 about six drachms of ether and an ounce 1 of ammonia altogether being taken
 There was no movement of the body whatever until 3 o'clock, when we'll , defined tetanic spasm arched the body ] backward; hiccough, lasting some min utes, occurred several times and there : was twitch ing about the muscles of the upper part of the chest and shoulders
 There was no vomiting. The sufferer 7 spoke occasionally, complaining of {
 painful sensation at the heart, and ofter !. repeating again and again words whicI , had no meaning in them, several times expressing his belief that he should not | recover. At o'clock he was given bee
 tea, with egg and brandy alternately E with the ether and ammonia. After o'clock the spasmodic movements ceased
 to recur, and with the right hand ht 5 could grasp feebly; he gradually recov cred power in the right arm, right leg 5 left leg and left arm, in the order given ] The ligature was then removed, and a } o'clock he was conscious, and all gen 3 eral symptoms had disappeared, excep great exhaustion and want of power il ? the back, which was apparent when h. was raised up. He became rather hys 2 terical. An hour later he fell asleep a and slept well for twelve hours, excep @ that he was reused every two hours t.
 take nourishment. Dr. Stradling say
 that when he awoke he was in no pain
 but as weak as baby, and became l. mere lay figure for the exhibition c t chicken broth, jelly, smelling salts ,z strong drink. misplaced sympathy. al