The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-22

three times but II the procet is repeated
every day or two but very small guam
tity Is obtained. The smaller snakes
gave 4 much smaller quantity. The
cotton after having received its charge
OF venom was removed from the stick
and washed out carefully in glycerine,
and by measuring the quantity Of this
substance first, and then after the venom
had been added, We were able
to tell accurately the strength
OF the solution, which con-
sisted Of eight drains Of chemically pure
glycerins and one dram Of the venom.
This is the preparation which was used
in all the experiments, and is called
glyeerine-yenom. One fact should be
stated as bearing upon the popular be-
lief that snakes, il kept from warm wa.
ter, are. not poisonous. It was found
that by keeping the rattlers without
water for week or two the quantity OF
venomlwas materially smaller than when
we allowed them free access to water,
and that the color OF the venom, which
was yellowish.green when no fluid was
supplied, became much lighter in color
when they had freely drunken. We
have never been able to induce our rat
tlesnakes TO eat, although they have been
tempted with a variety Of food, but
water they consume largely.
when the present supply OF rattlers
was first received, it was very easy
matter TO grasp any one Of them behind
the neck with the snake staff; but ex-
perience has taught them that they
must do something against their will,
and now 1t Is quite difficult 70 secure
them, and even when secured it is diff
cult to make them strike; in fact, one
specimen is now so tame that 1t may be
handled with impunity, and it is the
writer's belief that rattler, II carefully |
and tenderly handled, will not bite
the hand that grasps 1t. 1t Is be-
lieYed the Moqui Indians are aware
OF this, and It enables them to
handle with IMMUNITY the venom
GUS snakes used in their fearful dance,
so well described by Capt. John G.
Bourke, U. S. A. Many persons sup
pose that the fangs Of rattler once re-
moved, the reptile is harmless for all
time, or that ut least year is required to |
replace the fangs. This is an error, for
LIle WTlLeI uuo III uls pOSScbSlOu I1tblcl
in which the fangs were twice replaced |
after an interval Of three weeks only, As
the rather doubtless knows when the
contents ofthe poison gland is exhausted,
as is evidenced by his refusal to bite
aftertwo or three efforts, he probably
also knows that it is useless to show
fight when the fangs have been removed,
and this has been practically tried on
one OF our snakes. She continued to
coil and rattle, but no matter how much
leased and irritated, makes no attempt
to bite.
"An interesting fact has been no.
ticed during the course Of our expert
ments, and one which seems important
to record. 1t ia, that the rather does
not invariably use both fangs in strik-
ing, the muscular movements of either
side Of the jaw being quite independent
of the other, and quite at the will OF the
reptile, The practical bearing OF this
point Is thar, occasionally in snake bite,
but one puncture will be found, and
some doubt might exist il this was
really due to the serpent's fangs or not.
Another point OF interest lies in the fact
that il only one fang is plunged into the
tissues, the patient will not have re-
ceived so large dose of the venom as il
both teeth had been used, and q more
favorable prognosis can be made"