Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-07-25
SNAKE POISON.
y,.uIf of some Recent Rcscarches-
SutidOtc for the Venom.

The study Of snake poison has become
.... scientific reality. Scientific be.
..--c +. requires scientific men, and a re-
r.. brcau-c men in England, and re-
..rtIg men at the University of Pennsyl-
..r.. have commenced researches into
,,ar is the active principle OF snake
....4n. venom or vipcrinc. 1t has been
.- Years the wish Of medical men to get
=. sam .thiug with regard to what is snake
...-on and why the injection of few
irons into the human system would soon
rdcath. 1t seems that the matter has
..e been taken up. Large rattlcsnakes
"a. clufured and are confined in cages or
+, double boxes, with proper pcrforations
ro- the admission Of air, and by means Of
.ar-c double boxes, air holes and wire
,luIc their -nakc-hips are properly pro-
.dcd with a free circulation of air. and
b. attendants arc properly protected
rom "a complimentary prick from the
ang- Of their majcstics. the snakes.
The snakes, even with commodious
ua-ters do not appear TO be happy.
4 rattIcsuakc does not take kind
rs 20 confinement, but refuses to
at They we're fed at first with
aaus and milk. against which, howev-
p they rcbcl,cd Fresh, raw meat
aas then substituted to which their
.aakc-hlp- took kindly, and on this par
ocular diet they thrive and get fat, and
.rrtc;c large amount Of venom. STUFF
fur IS eomewhat rcsortcd TO when their
uakc.hius do not take kindly, and, as
urIous as it NAV seem, while they rather
Iyc ON live game in their native haunts,
they DO not take pleasantly to all live
ame when they are captive. The dispo-
,iIIpu Of the raltlcsnake in captivity is TO
-nrvc himself to death, and this holds
rood with ycnomOus snakes in general.
uarmc-- snakes, however. turn into
aboatcd aristocrats, - if not 0ondholders,
whenever they are confined. and cat with
alldity everything before them that they
can possibly hold. The rattIesnakc. when
IN captivity, delights in fresh water. 1t
seems to be exceedingly happy, walIows
u it, drinks 10 repIction, bathes in it and
-ometimcs forpcriods of forty eight hours
sggks himself coiled up in pail lying
motionIc>s with nothing except his head
above water This is the way the snakes
are treated in the University Of Pcnnsyl-
Nauja
Now TO get at the poison from the
snake peculiar lasso and stick Joined
enters the cage. Over the end of the
stick strong strap of leather is made
into the moose. This is put over his
IoIiship's head and the strap is then
drawn tight Mr. Snake is pulled up
through the grated cover 50 that his
head i, ON the top Of the box. 4 saucer
j, placed under the fangs and the poison
glands are MIXED of their contents with
a finger and thumb on each side of the
jaw Difficulty is sometimes experienced
IN this operation or account of the con
gtncror muscle which surrounds the
mouth Of the glands and Is entirely
under control of the will of the snake.
The quantity of venom obtained in this
way varies from a few drops to a tea
spoonful, depending upon the size and
physical condition of the snake as well
as uUon how recently the fangs have
been MIXED. Chemically, snake poison
has not been a very much cultivated
substance. Investigations which have
been undertaken for the purpose of
asccrtaining, if possible, what was
the autidotc of the snake bite, have,
TO great extent, been limited.
1t has been known FOR some
time that chemical decomposition of
the vipcrinc or snake poison was possible
by either hydrobromic acid, caustic soda
or caustic potash. When mixed with the
venom it completely destroys the phys
illogical properties. or if injected into
me human system a few minutes after
the poisoning has occurred, and before
the poison becomes absorbed. it Will an
udotc the poison
But there is an unfortunate point about
Tins. Absorption of the snake poison is
So rapid that either of the remedies
named are of exceedingly small value;
practically, itamounts to nothing. Tine
lure OF chloride of iron possesses a SINH
lar power of destroying the poison; but
40 lar as Is known up TO to-day the solu-
non OF nermanganate of potash. or po-
'"NSlam properly, is affected in a much
smaller dose than any other agent yet
known, 1t has been stated that instances
nave occurred where seven minutes have
elapsed after bite was given, and life
was saved by the injection of q few
grams of permanganate of potassium in
<0.ouon at the site of the wound. So
iSi as we know, then, this rapidly OBJ
~inaole salt Is the most effective anti
"o'e Tor any venomous snake bite or
any chemical substance which is known.
l"e real composition of rattlesnake poi
"9 is not known To any great extent
p ur MITCHELL now of the University of
pennsylvania, in his elaborate MONOGRAPH
oG 'he subject of venoms, published