Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-22


should have been included in the all embracing
net of what is called practical science, and sud-
denly found to possess a certain useful property
According to the Lancet, NJ Lacerda a member
OF the Societe de Bielogie, has just discovered
that the venom of the Lachesis Rhambeata pos
sesses the power of digesting albuminous sub
stances and of emulsifying fats. for all the world
as though 1T were pancreatic juice. 1t certainly
mas no effect upon starch, but piece OF beer
cut into small pieces and placed in capsule,
with distilled water and few drops OF the
poison. changed with great rapfdty, became
softened. and finally "broken up into greefish
liquid of peculiar odor." As for coagulatcd
egg aiburnen, it was completely dissolved
in tWenty-fOur hours; while oil shaken
up with diluted poison became emulsfed very
shortly. and was. in fact, quite dgested.
A number of learned conclusions have in con-
sequence, been drawn from these experiments
The venom of serpentS is not. it is said, now
simple poison but a pathogenic agent capable
of selecting the organs and tissues upon which
it can operate. Certain parts of the body APP
pear proof against its ravages, while other parts
succUInb without loss of time. Another pecu-
iarity about it is that in most instances it is but
slightly affected by boiling; while on the other
hand if kept, it will give off bacteria after a
certain interval That it is not. however an Or
ganZed virus is shown i'm the fact that the ''cul-
ture liquid" as well as the fluids which proceed
from an inflammation due to the poison, cause
different symptoms altogether from the poison
could not be conducted on the principal of vac
cination from the virus of cOwpOx. But the
most remarkable discovery Of all is that it is
capable of dissOlving albumen. and that event
uafly it may prove an excellent digestive, if
there be no internal LESSONS, and an agent of
good rather than of evil.
1t will be, however. a long while. we take it,
before the poison of the cobra will be used instead
of pancreatic emulsion for dyspeptic patients;
for notwithstanding that Dr. Stradling, of
is rpnOrfa1 tO IaSf
without any ill effects, five or six drops Of the
venom of that deadly snake after they had been
placed on a lump of sugar, society for the mo st
part would hesitate before they put an enemy
into their mouth which might possibly steal
away life But an accurate knowledge of what
the various pOisOns of serpents really are and
what they can effect cannot but bring about good
results. NJ. Gautier, the celebrated French Sa-
want, has just shown, indeed, that there is not
much difference after all between human saliva
and the secretiOns from snake fangs. Taking
some twenty grammes Of the salivary fluid and
purifying it the other day, he obtained sub
stance which. after being injected in the form of
solution under the skin of bird threw it into
state of coma and complete stupOr, and finally
killed it in half an hour Impressed with so
strange an experiment, NJ. Gautier went further
and found that the poisonous character of saliva
was not affected even when heated to very
considerable degree, and after much careful re-
search he came to the conclusion that. inasmuch
as in its effects it greatly resembled the bite of
the cobra, both as respects the periods of coma,
exctatiOn. commissions and tetantic contraction
is after all only modified form of the venom
from which we fly when the hooded Indian ter
ror shows its teeth. Further experiments reveal
the fact that the poisonous matter of saliva,
when mixed with the ferrOcyanide of potassium,
produces, like cobra poison, a Prussian blue;
and there Is now reason to believe that the active
principle of it is an alkalOid similar to the cada-
veric poisons called ptOmaTnes, which NM Broar-
10
at all unreasonable in all this. Possibly enough
the poison which serpents conceal in the glands
at the back of their fangs do aid them in the
digestion of food. just in the same way as the
human saliva is utilized by men; and if it is some
what degrading to think that Rabelais was right
after all when he claimed a poisonous property
for the human bite, it is just as well that we
should know precisely what it is the cobra injects
into its victim, so as to be able eventually to
counterfeit the effects.-Lon1on Daily Telegraph.
Lime-Kiln Club Deliberations.
"DOan' seek to make angels of yerselves' -
quietly began Brother Gardner, as the meeting
opened. I'm de fust place dis am no sort O.
kentry fur angels, an in de next place YOU
would be mighty lonesome. De man or wO-
man who becomes so sweet an soft an good dat
dey expect cherry mint to rise up an fly dOan'
take as much comfort as folks who feel dat it
will be clus shave to git inter heaven.
leetle wickedness pickles man an makes him
keep all de better. When 1 trade mules wild
man prefer dat he should suspect me wild an
intenshun to make an chen S25 by de opera
shun. When deal wild a butcher like to feel
dat he will work in TO ounces of bone fur cherry
eight ounces of meat If / dOan' watch him. I
like to have de boOtmaker tell me dat American
cowskin am French calf. an l am pleased when
de sto' clerk warrants TO cent calker to wash
like sheet-irOn. De man who am not leetle
wicked has no chance to feel sorry no use for
prayer; no need of churches He cannot say to
fpllOW-man 5
shake
DE man who neber sins makes a poor mex
doah Neighbour De woman who keep feeiin' of
her shoulders to see if wings have started makes
poor mother an WusS housewife. If YOU
have neber injured man an gone to him an
aXed his pardon an made up you doan' know
what real happiness am. If your conscience has
neber driven you to prayer you can't feel de
goodness of de Lawd. My advice to you am to
be little wicked-nOt huff to make men fear
or hate you, but just huff to keep you con-
WINGED dat you must helptO support churches an
pay clus attenshun to what de preachers say or
you'll be left benin when de purchesun starts"
Further reports were submitted regarding the
torpedo chicken, lately invented in Mobile.
specimen chicken had been procured by the
committee, and its workings exhibited. The
invention is not as deadly as at first supposed
1t is loaded with four ounces Of bird shot and
two of powder, and placed on the rOOst. When
IT is reached for a catch is thrown out of place,
d powerful spring set Ill motion, and a hammer
strikes and explOdes percussion cap. The shot
are thrown out in every direction, and within
ten seconds after the explosion a dark figure is
seen gallOping down the alley and husky voice
heard inquiring: $50 de Lawd but what has
de white folks got hold of nOw?" The commit
tee closed its report as follows: ''Havin' pushed
de investigation an kivered all de groun', we
beg leave to be discharged from furder cOnsid-
erashun of de subject, an to respectfully inquar'
of our respected president: Kin dis torpedo
chicken be suppressed If not what shall we
do? An we will cher pray"
LAS to suppressin de inwenshun see no way
to accomplish il, )" replied Brother Gardner. "As
to what shall we do. hev bin ser usly refectin'
fur de las ten minits, an it am my solemn be-
lief dat de bes thing de Guild race kin do am to
cultivate taste fur some oder sort o meat"
The secretary announced communication
from the president of the Colored Board of Trade
of Macon, Ca, asking what the Lime-Kiln Club
thought OF the general outlook for six months
ahead, and Brother Gardner carefully placed
paper stopper in his ink bottle and replied:
Look out fur de outlook De man who has
sot out to ride three or TO HOSES from now to
mex harvest will find hisself on foot befo' New
Vars. say to de Guild folkses in dis kentry
to pull up on der fshlines an git ready tor hard
times. De man who can't see high prices fur
NJ hon Ea hI;yI