The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-07-08
TEMPERANCE NOTES.
ALCOHOL FOR SNAKE BITES.

Extract from Lecture by j. II. KelloGH.
NJ. d.. Of the Battle Creek sanitariunA.
People who are ready to admit that
the effects Of alcohol upon the human
are bad under ordinary condi-
tons and rarely necessary for medical
purposes still think that nothing but
whisky will cure person bitten by
rattlesnake. However, l am. inclined
to think that there is more Of supersti-
ton than fact in regard TO the supposed
benefit to be derived from the use of
alcohol to counterfeit the poison of the
rattlesnake. At any rate l am quite
sure that whisky bite is great deal
worse than snake bite. But you say
a man was bitten by rattlesnake and
he drank large quantities of liquor and
II did not make him drunk--a man who
was not addicted to the use of liquor
and fraction of the quantity would
have made him dead drunk under OF di-
nary circumstances-does that prove
whisky to be an antidote? Or here is
another man bitten by rattlesnake
who took alcohol and did not die. Such
instances prove nothing In the first
place, the reason that man who has
been thus bitten does not become drunk
by taking liquor is simply because the
poison of the snake is more virulent
than the poison of the whisky. 1t is
just the same with poisons which are
given as medicines Under certain con-
ditions, morphine can be administered
In doses which would prove fatal to one
in health. Nature has her attention so
thoroughly directed TO the disease that
she pays no attention to the medicine.
On the other hand, some become ex-
ceedingly susceptible to the medicine.
If a person is really poisoned by the
virus of rattlesnake, the whole sys-
tenn is aroused in alarm and cOnse.
quently alcohol can be taken in enor-
nous quantities and the body does not
give it recognition. It might also be
the case that the person was under
such state of mental excitement that
the alcohol would have NO effect Many
man in the army was wounded quite
severely and yet so carried away by the
excitement Of the battle that he did not
know until afterward that there was
anything the matter with him.
But you ask further; how about the
cases of individuals who took whisky
for the bite and got wellp Many be.
l;eve that if a person bitten by rattle
snake can be made dead drunk he will
recover. But the truth is, that if you
can make him dead drunk. it merely
shows that he was not effectively bit
tenn The apparatus with which a rat
tlesnake deals out his, virus, is Of bone
and made exactly like a hypodermit
syringe, being sharpened Off wish 6
chisel point. 1t is curved so'that if i
strikes the skin indirectly, it strikes or
the rounded side and does no harm fol
the poison slides off. Frequently a
snake will make two or three f1-mtles'
thrusts and will empty his poison bag
before he pierces the skin at all Tht
thrust has to be exactly right elise thu
instrument will glance of and win moi
penetrate the skin, or by getting toe
much excited the snake spills, out hi.
| poison too soon and little or'none gets
into the system. Or, again, if the bite
is made through clothing, very little o.
the virus will penetrate. Probably no
more than one case in ten receives {
fatal bite and the remaining nine
cases are the ones which get we'll wher
treated with whisky forthey, world gel
well anyway.
The proper thing to, do, is to- imme
Aiately extract the blood and tn,
poison from the wound by Sucking
1t with the mouth. The wound cal
first be squeezed and oIeanset
and then drawn with the lips with per
feet safety. If the part; is inacces
sible, get another person to- perform
the service for you. There are Other
other remedies such as soaring with
red-hot iron. the application of causti'
or of carbolic acid, but in the majorit,
of cases these things are nDt at han'
and to wait to secure them. would be a
the risk of life.-RepOrted BW Helen L
Manning.
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