The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-03
IF STRUCK BY FANGS
Local Doctors Tell What to Do
if Snake. Bitten.
Suck Cut the Poison, Cut Out The Flesh.
Drink Whisky, CT Prepare to Bid
the World Farewell.

Vineyard, near Santa Cruz, was bitten in
the forearm on Monday and he died before
his companions could take him to sur
geon.
The only thing they did to save the pa
tent was to battle the wound in whisky
and give him frequent draughts of the
liquor.
In the Santa Cruz case the venom doubt
less entered large vein and was soon do
ing its work of destruction throughout the
system. Such bites are usually the most
dangerous, especially if neglected for even
a minute, but DR.. Weir Mitchell, who has
written book on rattlesnake bites, cites
case of a woodsman who was bitten in the
arm while kneeling down to drink out of
spring. He Immediately sucked the wound,
then. Selling his pocket-knife, cut out
section of the muscle. There were no ef-
feets from the poison.
OPINIONS OF PHYSICIANS.
A CALL reporter yesterday interviewed
q number of local physicians on the ques-
ton of rattlesnake bites and their treat
ment. Many refused to say anything on
the subject, and others were taken aback
One of the first physicians seen was DR.. Z.
A. Clinton, who was addressed pointedly,
as follows:
Doctor what would you do if you should
be bitten by rattleSnake while out in the
woods, away from remedieS?
The doctor laughed, put his hands in his
pockets, paced the oorneryousiy, scratched
his head, laughed again and said:
We'll that is a cOrker to ask a city prac-
titioner. We do not have many cases of
that kind in cities. If | could get to the
wound with my knife, | would cut around
it freely, and then suck the poison out; but
there is one precautiOn about using the
ordinary knife If you have been cutting
cheese or meat, or anything of that kind,
you must light match and heat the blade,
otherwise the knife wound is as poisonous
as the bite itself. So If l had match I'd
heat the blade. might then cauterize the
wound with the hot blade. 1t is good idea
TO chew a leaf or piece of bark after suck
ing the poison from the wound, so as to
cause flow of saliva, and thereby wash
away any bit of poison that might remain
in the mouth. If there is any chap or
wound in the mouth the sucking is, OF
course, dangerous.
NO KNOWN ANTIDoTEs.
DR.. P. \. Kearney said: 81 have had
some experience in these snake bites.
There are no known antidOtes Anything
that wtbdraws the poison before it enters
the general circulation is of course ef-
fective. Therefore sucking the wound is
commOnsenSe thing to do. Whisky, arc
matte spirits of ammonia and other stimu-
lantS are good. They do not kill the poi
son, but they keep up the hearts action.
Ammonia, diluted one-half with water and
Injected into the wound, Is n common treat
ment, but usually the man bitten does not
have these remedies at hand. A string tied
tightly above the wound is a good thing. 1t
greatly retards the flow of the venom into
the SYSTEM.
CUT OUT THE FLESH.
DR.. Henry NJ. Fiske, who has lived in
many rattlesnake regions, was perfectly at
ease when asked what he would do II bit
ten. He said: The best thing to do is to
grab knife at once and cut out the flesh to
the depth of the bite. Then drink whisky
if you have 1t. Men thus bitten can drink
in0rdnate quantities of liquor, the effect of
which is to increase the hearts action. The
poison retards the circulation and weakens
the hearts force. Iodine, ammonia and
other ike remedies are good if at hand"
AgneW's work on surgery treats fully Of
the bites Of insects and snakes, and it is
regarded as the best work eXtant on the
subject unless it be the work of DR.. Weir
Mitchell, which cannot be found In San
Francisco. From Dr. Agnew's work the
following facts were learned:
AN AUTHORITY.
II the system is in any way weakened from
fatigue, exposure or chronic disease its
power of resisting the effects of the bite is
greatly lessened.
In Australia and other rattlesnake coun-
tries good results have often been obtained
from the injection of ammonia and water
in equal parts into the veins near the
wound.
Not more than one bite in dozen forces
the poison through the clothing and into
the general circulation. The researches of
chemists have failed to determine the con-
stituent elements of the poison. The fluid
elected is colorless, tasteess and without
odor. Heat, freezing, acids and alkalies
have no effect on the venom.
The first ana almost immediate effect of
the poison is 10 destroy the vitality of the
blood so that IL cannot supply the nerve
centers. AS a result the heart loses its force
and the patient becomes comatOse.
BITE IT OFF.
II toe or finger is bitten, the best thing
to do is to ampuiate it Immediately with
the first instrument available, even if the
patient has to bite off his finger. A ligature
drawn tightly around the limb above the
bite prevents rapid entrance Of the poison
into the system.
Large amounts of alcohol should in all
cases be taken without delay, or as soon as
it can be obtained. 1t keeps up the carts
action and stimulates the system until the
poison exhdustS Itself.
MANY SNAKE BITES.
DR.. w. L. Burleigh, 9i5 Howard street,
who is an accepted authority on p0isOns,
was asked about snake bites and their
cures.
"What do know about rattlesnakes?
Which kind do you mean, the California or
the EASTERN"
"Both, il there be any difference"
"Oh, there is lots Of difference. The Cali
fOrnia rattlesnake Is small, while those of
the Southern States, in particular, are quite
large. They are the regular rattler de-
scribed in all the works on natural history,
and their bites are in nearly every case
fatal. The California RATHER. on the con-
trary, is only species and their bites are
not near so yirnent and death is not so
speedy nor so sure. Anyhow, he is very
mean customer to have strike you"
What should be done when person is
bitten?"
THE FIRST THING.
" The very first thing to he done, if the
snake bites a limb that can be ligatured, is
to bale the limb and apply a igature as
soon as possible, SD that the circulation OF
the blood will be wholly stopped about the
place bitten. Then the flesh must be cut
away. l know it seems awful hard to even
imagine cutting into the Quivering flesh,
but it is case of life or death, aud who
will pause second to question which he
prefers when the head is growing dizzy
with approaching coma? / know wouldn't.
| would take my case of surgical instru-
ments l always carry in my pockets and
slice good large piece out, so that I'd get,
at least, large portion of the injected
poison"
=" But wouldn't you be afraid of cutting
away too much, so that. in trying to save
your life from poison, you would really en-
danger it by bleedinG?"
LIFE OR DEATH.
"No, as / said before. it is case of life
or death. When person knows he has
that within him that kills and in killing is
one of the most painful, terrible deaths
pOssible-a death where every muscle
creeps with agony and every nerve cries
he will never pause to think that he may
bleed to death. 1t is not, after all, death
that we dread 1t is the pain of that transit
ton. Death by bleeding, when the muscles
relax and the mind sinks into dreamless
stupor, is thousand times better and
easier and to be preferred to death by
rattlesnake bite And that is the way that
you would look at it if you were bitten"
After having cut out piece Of the
flesh or muscle. would you suck or have the
wound sucked?"
Yes, if it could be done with safety
but often that is impossible. How many
times people have small sores in the mouth
and are told some foolish reason as the
cause of it. They are told that they have
been telling falseboOds or sume othpr fie