The sun., 1890-05-18
HOH The CHA MONSTER kILLA
some Experiments with tho Poison or this
Venomous Lizard.

Is he poisonousE' said II young man be-
.nWRd Wd,, ths s,n newSpaper stand at The Nadeap.
though. man from Arizona said that the
iorkad tongue was the sting"
you're wrong" said listener; Its breath
That q single blast OF its breath was sure
That may be-" said another: but saw a
man die from the bite OF one and that is the
secret OF 4. Id rather have rattler bite me
Where was 1t 2" quered a startled listener.
over II Arizona" was the reply. A friend
OF mine had one in u box Just outside OF u
was so Hrunh that 10 was ready 10 eat up the
EARTH ear. lie was afraid OF nothing. aud when he
they coui d prevent him he ripped Off the stats
ann made aSd II; EraG % as i me thing twisted
long story short, saw him die in the middle
Of he street short tine alter"
49, Inc ubJeet OF all this c9nvers1tion was rale
yeilow.hnd-b black. bluut-headcd lizard, about
u foot In ength, thut rested upon bed OF sand
in small wooden box. 1t was the famous
lizard in the world. and as ugly ana disaGreea.
biz "a looking creatnre as one could imagine.
and Thf he9d long pPd EP the P9Sb
body, thickset and clubiike. The entire body
seemed enca~ei in :. thinly coated armor.
The Gila monster is sluggish and slow OF
movement. in this respect being entIrely differ
ent from the tribe in general, IN its own coun-
try the animal shows more activity, especially
In the dry, hot regions contiguous to the Gila
River. IN confinement it has the habits Of
young alligator more than anything else. The
interest which centres in the heloderma lies in
the, poison that is supp9sed TO lurk In its bite,
and perhaps no animal has given rise to so
many weird and wholly imaginary stories.
The natives and some ignorant whites SUD-
pose that its breath is Poisonous: Others think
that TO have one touch the body Is a bad sign.
The heloderma is simply Il lizard. and the only
one known that can POISON other animals by
its bite: discovery made a few years ago by
some naturalists who we're travelling through
the country. The story was not at first be-
lieyed. but several were sent East whore the
poisonous properties were soon demonstrated
naturalist ut the Smithsonian was bitten.
the polson taking effect So quickly that he had
soon died after being bitten, and it was shown
that human beings. under certain conditions.
might easily die from the effects Of the bite
The poison OF the helodeI has been care
fully examined by Messrs. Mitchell and Reich-
ert. the eAperts. who announce that the physi-
ent from that Of snakes. The latter destroys
j lie BY paralyZing the respiratory centre while
the poison Of the heloderma at once attacks
and affects the heart paraIy2ing it.
Among the interesting experiments that of
in legtin.EG the poison subcutaneoously has been
ing at once Affected. slowly contracting. the
spinal cord finally becoming paralyZel.
It Is probable that the cQndtion OF the victim
or his general health would have much to. do
with the question uf death. II n man was in u
poor, condition and run down he would possi-
bly, die. while healthy man would not be Sc
Specimens sent 10 Europe were expert
mented upon by Sir John Lubbock a lrog
bitten by the lizard died in a few seconds in
a guinea pig bitten In the hind
leg passed away in three minutes, and other
minds of the observers a decided respect. II
the teeth OF tho specimen at the Nadeau
House are examined they will be found 10
have curious assures. and further and closer
look into the mouth OF the monster will show
at the base OF tho grooves grooves small small dents from
do rma Is an interesting creature, and while not
always sure death it Is well to keep 1t at dis
tauce and handle 1t with the care and respect
iue its uDSaVory reputation.