Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-10-19
THE SOLE USE OF DEADLY
vIPERS.
THEY ARE VALUABLE TO PHYSI-
CLANS. MR.. RRICHE GIVES HIS
EXPERIENCE WITH THE
REPTILES.

REPTILES.
"Young Burns is going to get
we'll" said MIR. Reiche, the Wild
beast man Of Park row. 81 would
not haze thought 1t possible, for
the cOnpsrhead is the most deadly
of North American snakes, and
bite from him is about as near sure
death az a man can get. However,
every thing depends on the prompt
ness and GOODNESS with which
man treats himself after he is bit
ten"
"ls the coppernead worse than
the rattlesnakei' asked a Nal
and Express reporter
"Far worse,' said Mr.. Reiche.
sit is by no means uncommon for
a man to be often by rattlesnake
and get well. In fact there is one
old fellow near Charleston, s. g.,
who catches snakes tor living, who
has been bitten a great many
times-I don't know how many,
but enough TO have gotten used to
it. lie has some kind OF medicine
that he takes for an antidOte, but
he doesn't rely on that alone. lie
trusts largely to the conventional
remedy of wblskey, and takes that
in large doses-yery large. In
fact" continued Mr.. Relche,
smiling quietly, 81 rather think he
likes to be bitten
The reporter was not All expert
in snakes, 80 he would neither deny
nor affirm that Mr.. Burnss men
are IIght wheu they declare that
the reptile which bit their employ
ers son is a yeritable copperhead.
If it is, it is a rare specimen, for
the trade 10 ophidians of this
variety is very limited. The best
use that most people find for them
is to kill them as quickly as posi-
ble. There is no risk whatever
that men will not run for money,
and 80 it is not Surprising that
there is a constant traffic, though
small one, even in these venomons
creatures. There are only two
places in New York where one Is
likely to find one for sale, and those
are Burns's shop in Roosevelt
street, where snakes of all kinds
are the staple goods, and Relches
place, where they are only small
traction of the stock.
The demand for poisonous
snakes, excepting for use in humor'
GUS paragraphs, is very limited.
OF COZ %, no menagerie, dime mu-
scum, circus or geological garden
can be considered fully equipped
without a few Demonstrators and
fancy snakes of different kinds, but
the most poisonous kinds are too
riskey even for average Snowman,
and they are generally only to be
seen 10 the large geological gar
dens.
SO it comes about that there is a
constant demand for even such
things as rattlesnakes, copper
heads aud mOccasi us. The exces-
siye care with which they are
handled makes acclderts rare, and
the dealers say that Burns's case is
the only one they remember IN
which a dealer or his emplOye has
been bitten By copperhead after
he was once captured aud boxed
up.
Aside from the demand Tor exhl-
bition there is a certain limited de-
mand from physicians who want
these snakes for purposes OF sclen'
tifc experiment. The lot OF an
unfortunate snake which IS handed
over to the tender mercies OF a
physician is not likely to be a happy
one. tor, although he will be allowed
to crafty himself by biting various
rabbits, pigeons, dogs and the Ike
in order that the doctors may
study the symptoms,he will be teas
ed beyond s,1urana-ss:s s:s.slFna ,S make him m
as angryas possible dOeoplo visiting
I a speedy and miserable dSe.'r dc 9. OFF,
he shall have served his pc.
Moreover, he will be chected by
having soft rubber poked at him
to bite at, which is 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 analized.
There are however, few pbysi
clans who carry their devotion to
science to such lengths as TO lead
them to monkey with copperheads.