The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-08
THE BUSINESS END OF THE VIPER.
Dealers Afraid to Keep the Deadly
Snakes Used by Physicians.

Dealers Afraid to Keep the Deadly
Snakes Used by Physicians.
New YORK, Oct. 6.-"Young Burns is
going to get well," said Mr.. Reiche, the
famous wild beast man of Park Row. 81
would not have thought it possible, for the
copperhead is the most deadly of North
American snakes, and bite from him is
about as near sure death as man can get
However, everything depends on the
promptness and coolness with which man
treats himself after he is bitten"
'Is he worse than the rattlesnakep'
asked.
"Far worse" said Mr.. Reiche. at is b v
no means uncommon for man to be bitten
by rattlesnake and get well. In fact
there is one old fellow near Charleston, s.
c., who catches snakes for living, who
has been bitten a great many times.
don't know how many, but enough to have
gotten used TO it, He has some kind of
medicine that he takes for an antidote, but
he doesn't rely on that alone He trusts
largely to the conventional remedy OF
whisky, and takes that in large doSes-very
large. In fact" continued Mr.. Reiche,
smiling quietly, II rather think he likes to
be bitten"
am not an expert in snakes, so would
neither deny nor affirm that Mr.. Burns
men are right when they declare that the
reptile which bit their employers son is a
specimen, for the trade in ophidians Of this
variety is very limited. The best use
that most people find for them is
to kill them as quickly as possible.
There is no risk, however, that men
will not run for money, and 50 it is not sur
prising that there is constant traffic,
though n small one, even in these venom
Gus creatures There are only two places
in New York where one is likely TO find one
for sale, and those are Burns shop in Roose-
velt street, where snakes of all kinds are
the stap.e goods, and Reiche's place, where
they are only u small fraction Of the stock.
The demaud for poisonous snakes, except
ing for use in humorous paragraphs, Is very
limited. OF course, no menagerle, dime
museum, circus or geological garden can be
considered fully equipped without few boa
constructors and fancy snakes of different
kinds, but the most poisonous kinds are too
risky, even for the average Snowman, and
they are generally oIly to be seen in the
large geological gardens.
So it comes about that there is constant
demand for even such things as rattlesnakes,
copperheads and moccasins The excessive
care with which they are handled makes
accidents rare, and the dealers say that
Burns case is the only one they remember
in which a dealer or his employe has been
bitten by a copperhead after he was once
captured aud boxed up
Aside from the demand for exhibition,
there Is certain limited demand from ply
sicians who want these snakes for purposes
of scientific experiment. The lot Of an un-
fortunate snake which is handed over TO the
tender mercies of a physician is not likely
10 be a happy one, for, although he Will be
allowed to crafty himself by biting various
rabbits, pigeons, dogs, and the like, in order
that the doctor may study the symp-
toms, he will be teased beyond
endurance to make him as
angry as possible and will meet speedy
and miserable death when he shall have
served his purpose. Moreover, he will be
cheated by having soft rubber poked at
him 10 bite at, which is a thing no self
respecting snake can be expected TO like.
This Is done in order that the venom from
his fangs may be collected and analyzed.
There are, however, few physicians who
carry their devotion 10 science to such
lengths as to monkey with copperhaads.
DAVID A. CURTIS.