Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-05-24
The Gila Monster.
lHeloderma Suspectum.l ]

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 In view of the accident which hap pened few days ago to Hon. Walter l.. Vail, through the bite of a Gila Monster, the Citizen publish an ex tract of paper written by John A. Spring, and published in the April number of Chambers Journal London and Edinburg), relative to the veno- nous nature of this mysterious lizard.
 "The long debated question as to to the venomous nature of the Gila Monster which the scientists have named Heloderma horridum, was brought up at late meeting of the College of Physicians at Philadelphia. Drs. Mitchell and Reichart had on hand live, vigorous specimens of the lizard. Dr. Mitchell caused one to attack the edge of dish, and some of the saliva was caught in a watch glass This was first tested. The venom of poisonous reptiles is acid, but this was alkaline. A minute quantity was then injected into a live minutes. Other experiments were tried, which demonstrated the danger ous character of the poison. Accord ing 10 these learned doctors, rattle snakes poison is mere bagatelle in comparison"
 A few years ago the following well authenticated fact occurred in the Huachuca mountains. A woodcutter who had laid down in complete health to sleep, wrapped up in his blanket. failed to arise in the morning when his co-laborers called him. Upon un- covering him they found him stone dead, and near his body a Gila Mon ster, which in the hustle and confus- ion of the moment, made good his escape. As the body of the man bore no marks of bite or other wounds, we must suppose that his death was caused by the mere exhalation of the lizard.
 Near Magdalena, Sonora, a man was hunting rabbits with dog. The latter inserted his snout into rabbit hole, but immediately retreated, utter ing fearful howls, while he was triyng to shake of Gila Monster, which had fastened its teeth into the dogs nose and, although snarling and splitting
 without interruption, could not be made to let go its hold till it was kill ed, and even then its jaws had to be
 forced apart with an iron rod. The dog very soon began to act strangely
 and showed something like the same
 symptoms as horse does when suffer
 ing from "blind staggers," but soor
 began turning itself around
 in circle, and in about twenty min
 utes fell down dead. The same ac
 tions before death were observed II q mule, only this animal was bitter
 in hind leg, and lived for seyera
 days.
 A young miner while prospectin,
 was bitten just above the shoe. Al
 though previously in the best o
 health, he at once began to lose flesh
 became melancholy, and died in fey
 months in the manner of those wh, succumb to what in Germany is call
 ed the galloping consumption. Many similar cases might be enum erated but suffice 1t to say, that anon
 the natives who have an abiect flea of this lizard, the universal belief i that the spittle or saliva, and evel the mere breath and exhalation of tn
 animal in an excited state IS deadl / poison.
 Where this deadly venom is reall
 located, and by what process of natur
 1t is produced, remains an open que! tion. When l dissected the first HelC derma, l found, to my great surprise that notwithstanding the evider outer resemblance to that of the ra tlesnake, there were no fapgs, n venom bladders, no visible receptacl for venom; and furthermore, tha whereas the jaws of venomous snake are simply held in position by nun - Der of elastic skins, which allow the throats to stretch to a great exten /; and thus enable them to swallo
 bodies of much greater circumferenc than themselves, the jaws of the Hel' q derma are we'll locked or hinged lik : those of the Mammalia, and contai 5 two rows of very sharp teeth on eac , side, those of the upper jaw being col :, siderably longer than the lower. . The vitality of the Gila Monster ' something wonderful, aye, incredible ' it will not die by drowning, nor t
 strangulation nor by laceration; sti , it has one soft spot where a moderat :. short knock with hard substant V will cause instant death. This spot !. on the back of the skull, where tf :, latter joins the vertebra. One shou . always be careful to ascertain positiv 2 ly the death of the animal before a 9 tempting to handle it, for its aptitu, : of feigning death is as great as d vitality.