Telegram-herald., 1890-04-16
SNELLED THE SNAKE.
Strange distance CT = Rsmsrkah.s
Hereditary Fzcuty.
A Mystery whtsh FGzziea' = Hospital SUR
xeSa far ssa.s TlWs. B1f 04s fAA4l
y solssd - Hls s&tisfaet-oa-
Tia LzG@szos og Here1isy.

A few years slnee,~ szi1 the hospital
seward - Kew Iork San reporter,
Il was employed Ia one q the tao hoS-
pitsls supported By well-kRoWn ain
ing company IN Arizona for the care OF
its siek Ard fniares emploves We
we're rsmots from settlements and u
was sometimes dircult 70 get mens 30
that interest as well as humanity re-
e1iFed the company 70 take good care u
Is miners They had over : thousand
employees, and the casualties, great and
small, sometimes averaged one eYeEy
day, 50 that The surgeons oc5oe was no
sinecure- The company was not, how
ever, entitled 70 credit for beneyolence,
for Il levied tax Of = dollar 8 month
on each OF its employees. stopping il out
Of their pay 70 support the hospitals.
surgeons and nurses. The head OF the
service, Or. Ecksrson. contracted 20
bear all is expenses. so that II was =
good thing for the men. the company
and the physician. although the men
paid IL all
''Dr. Eeke-son was young man for
such . responsible position. He was
Swede who had been thoroughly edu-
Gated in his own country and in Ger
many, and possessed the mechanical
skill aud manual tact that make good
surgeon. and the diagnostic intuition
without which no man can be : success
ful physician.
The assistant IN the other OF tho two
hospitals was young French Canadian
named Perot He was reticent young
fellow, very pallid but vigorous. lie
possessed remarkable eyes. The iris
had 3 singular way OF changing color
under the influence Of his physical,
mental or nervous cooditions, and these
changes perceptibly altered the entire
expression OF the mans face.
''One day the doctor had an uncom-
monty ydiflicultoperation TO perform, and
both Perot and myself were summoned
70 assist. When Perot entered the op-
erating-room | noticed that his eyes
changed color repeatedly and rapidly as
II he were under some great excitement
In few seconds he complained of being
dizzy, and before we realized the urgency
10 the floor IN dead faint. The ordi-
nary means Of restoration were imme-
diately applied, but without avail, and
DR.. Eckerson ordered him removed 10
one Of the hospital wards and laid upon
bed. Here 10 our surprise Perot at
once came 10 himself without further
aid and declared himself ready for duty.
Upon our return TO the operatingroom,
however, Perot's disturbed symptoms at
once returned. His eyeballs became
fixed and glaring, his breathing sterto-
rious, and he would again have swooned
had we not caught him and removed him
from the room. The experiment was
tried the third time, with the same
phenomenal result.
1.-The doctor set seriously to work to
investigate this strange case. He soon
came to the conclusion that the infu-
ence which disturbed Perot was external
to himself, and as he had these attacks
only in the operating room, began TO
examine its contents, condition and sur
roundings for the cause of this extra
ordinary affection. What seemed fur
ther to complicate the case was the fact
that Porot had for months frequented
the room without experiencing any un-
usual sensation. At last | said TO the
doctor: Has any change been made in
this room recentlJ?' AT first he said
No
Suddenly, with half-smothered ex-
clamation, be went TO his geological
cabinet, and, taking down jar which
contained live rattlesnake which he
had purchased few days before from
an Indian. he examined it with a curious
expression on his face.
Tho reptile was ~ this largo jar, over
the mouth of which wirc-gauze cover
had been bound to permit the admission
Of air. The cabinet stood behind cur
tain, and no one but the doctor knew OF
the snake In the room.
Tho doctor caused the Jar to be re-
moved from the operating-room and
called Perot in. To our astonishment,
mono Of the previons unpleasant synp-
toms appeared. Then the jar was car
ried into another room and secreted.
Perot was summoned, and upon entering
tho room the former distressing symp-
toms AZ once REQUIRED. Whenever tho
Canadian was brought near the reptile
ne went into this trance.
"Dr. Eckerson believed firmly in the
influence OF hereditary on individual
characteristics, and no began question
ing Perot about his family antecedents.
Perot said that his father was a Cana
dian OF mixed blood; his mother a
French woman, who had died when he
was about twelve years old. He recol-
lccted her as G woman OF vivscious and
happy temperament. Ee said that she
had great passion for flowers, and
would In the autumn gather and dry
large bouqueta, declaring that they
emelled ss sweet 20 her as when fresh
she also liked 70 smell flowers which
were perfectly inodorous. These facts
had been riveted In Perot's memory by
his fathers scofsing al Der strange
tastes, and by her persistent defense Of
tho same This sinrularity seemed tc
have been the cause Of no small conten
tion in the family and talk among tbs
neighbors.
The doctor was now convinced tha'
with bis special hereditary sense Pero'
had smelied tho snake. lie a. once
drowned the reptile with alcohol. stop
pered the Jar tightly, and called Perot
into the room. To his delight tho mar
exhibited none Of the unpIeasant symp
toms. The iar vas then PLACED beiort
him, bat without affecting him IN the
least. The Dyxtery was solved Pero'
lad snelled the snake