Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-15
CURING A SNAKE BITE.
How a RoVVery Snowman Was Saved
 From Horrible Death.

How BoNVery Snowman Was Saved From a Horrible Death.
 From the New York Tribune.l
 | The death of James Reilly, the snowman, from the bite of a rattlesnake has provoked much discussion as to the curative value of whiskey. The general impression is that he did not drink enough, because he did not be come intoxicated, and it is asserted that un- less the person bitten becomes intoxicated the alcohol does not have much effect on the Ifpoison This case of Edwin M Worth a snowman who had museum in the Bowery, where as fHthe Great Eastern Traveller" he exhibited various rare and curious objects, is one of peculiar interest. He had colony of live rattlesnakes in 8 glass case, and it was his habit to feed them at night after the close | of the exhibition. Although not protesting to be snake-charmer, he accustomed to enter this case freely and without fear On the evening of July 7, 1882, he entered the
 case, and observing the largest of the big
 serpents moving towards him rather closer
 than usual, he F'shoo-ed' at it as one does at hen, and waved his hand. But instead of
 being frightened, the reptile became angry, and darting at his hand fastened it's fangs in his thumb and hung to it, and it was only by
 knocking it's head against the top of the case
 
 hold.
 Worth was a man about ffty-one years of age, cool and self possessed, and he immedi- | ately sent out for bottle of whiskey and be- gan sucking the blood, which flowed freely | from the two punctures, but it did not occur | to him to bind the thumb tightly below the wound, so as to prevent the diffusion of the | poisonous venous blood through the sys- tenn The whiskey came and he drank off l the entire contents of the bottle-about a pint-and not becoming intoxicated at once, sent for another pint and drank that also. Then all at once he became blind drunk, and in an insensible condition was taken to the Chambers street hospital. Here his thumb was sacrificed, and the two punctured wounds were washed with pure carbolic acid, and a | small dose of atropia was poured into his 1 throat. But he was so prostrated by the alz ! cohol that the stomach pump was used and a pint of whiskey was taken out. He was then | sent in the ambulance to Bellevue hospital where, as he was still helplessly intoxicated, | he was placed in the padded cell used for l dipsomaniacs until the effect of the liquor sub sided The punctures in the thumb were | freely incised, and the hand and arm were | enveloped in poultice of daxseed and pow dered charcoal mixed in equal proportions,
 and applied as hot as possible. As soon as one began to cool, it was taken off and another hot one applied.
 In few hours he became sober, and gave
 a connected account of his accident, and of | his feelings. He was removed to a regular ward, and in the stronger light his face was
 seen to be of peculiar yellow pallor, while
 his eyes were set deeply in their orbits. He l complained of the excruciating pains in his l thumb and hand. They were like those pro duced by stinging nettles, only much more intense. He suffered from thirst, craving ice all the time, but could not retain any | liquid on his stomach. The thumb and the nail vua1o now h1aoly the hand fi0oerS and
 forearm greatly swollen, presenting peculiar 1 ly mottled appearance, green markings on yellowish ground. A little lime water con quered the nausea. and he was then able to re- tain moderate doses of morphine and whiskey. The temperature of his body was over 1O0 and he became delirious that night muttering constantly He was exceedingly weak, his pulse was rapid and feeble, and it seemed that he was sinking fast Morphine was in
 ieeted under the skin, and he was kept alive
 with whiskey and milk Under this treat
 ment he revived, and notwithstanding the horrible pain he endured he slept at inter
 vals. This was the night of July 9th.
 During the succeeding days the patient
 was kept alive by unremitting attention.
 The temperature of his body rose to 1O4',
 and his nostrils began to bleed and had to be
 plugged. On July 13 he was given an ounce of whiskey every hour, and ammoniacal hy-
 podermic injections. He then began to i'm
 prove the heat of his body lowered, and he
 became stronger. The stronger he grew the
 fiercer were the pains in his thumb and hand.
 These were relieved by sprinkling powdered
 opium on the poultices which had been ap-
 piled continuously since his iSadmission. The
 following day Worth much stronger:
 Small doses of digitalis were given him, and
 little morphine was added to his whiskey.
 The hypodernic injections ceased, as the
 normal temperature of the body yves restored
 and all the symptoms promised speedy re-
 covery The poultices were removed from
 the patients hand and arm, and the thumb
 was dressed with Peruvian balsam. It was now found that the thumb was in complete state of gangrene, and it was necessary to
 a1nputate it. He became stronger and strong CT, and on the 9th day of September was dis charged cured.