The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-08-13

There is no such person living as q
snake charmer. The ability to control
snakes by supernatural power is as
sumed by many travelling side-show
people, but they know very well that
they do not possess it. The only time d
man can ever handle a rattlesnake with
any degree of safety is after a long
course of training, The rattlesnake
possesses far more intelligence than is
ordinarily given credit to it. A snake
will learn to know its master just as a
cat or dog will, and the method en-
plOyed by all persons who desire to
handle a snake is TO confine it in small
glass case until it becomes perfectly
sensible of its inability to escape. II
will be very restless at first, but after a
few days it displays its intelligence by
remaining quiet and apparently perfect
ly contented with its unnatural home,
but the moment the door OF the cage is
opened it will grow restless and make
bold attempts to gain its freedom.
Well, after snake thus admits its
knowledge of mastery, the tanner will,
by feeding it constantly and spending
as much time as possible near The cage,
inspire confidence in the reptile that no
harm is intended it, and when that is
once accomplished, as the snake always
acts on the defensive, it is an easy mat
ter to handle it. The moods of the
snake, however, must be watched very
closely, for once in 4 while they become
savage for short time and then it is
dangerous for any one to handle them.
Very few physicians know how to
successfully treat snake bite. have
had hundreds of cases come under my
observation and have seen many won
derful cures. In countries where the
venomouS rattlesnake abounds and bites
are frequent, incision as treatment is
almost unheard of The common anti
dote used is whisky in large quantities,
which acts to a good effect where the
patient is not addicted to drink, but
should he be partly saturated with al
cohol, then it is of no avail. A cure
not generally known, and which acts
| almost by magic, is to take live chicken
and cut it open and place it over the
wound In two or three minutes the
fowl becomes thoroughlysaturated witt
the poison and assumes dark greer
color. Then place a fresh one on thu
punctured parts and still a third one
which is usually sufficient in ordinary
cases, A never-failing remedy that Il
used to great extent in Florida, is {
| combination of lion root and rattlesnakt
violet The former is made into tea
and salye is made of the violet. Be
fore using this, however, a poultict
made of salt and indigo is applied t.
the wound to draw out the poisonous
matter A maidstone is also said to &C
with the same effect on snake bite tina
it does on that of mad dog. Ipur
chased one of these stones some tim
ago, but have never had occasion to us
it, and am awaiting anxiously to testi
efficacy on either dog or reptile poison
ing Another remedy easily applied
and always at hand is|to dig hole il
the earth and bury the injured part il
it. There is something peculiar in osn
nection with a snake bite, and want t
tell YOU of it. If man should be bit
ten on the arm, say, to-day, Just on
year from now, within day or two O
the anniversary of the occurrence, tn
arm will begin to swell and yellow spot
resembling those of q snake appear
and this will recur each succeedin,
year "-PttShtrgh Gazette.