The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-25
SOME T~ENFZUELA SUI'ERSTI7IONs.
Women, II I. H-I. we'd, Bring Death to .
Snni.c-hl'trn Person.

1CVSOu.
CARACAS. Venezuela. Sept. 1O.-Has any one
ever heard Of tho snake men Of the Alto
Orinoco? Probably even the natural history
experts of New York are a trife hazy on this
point. In Venezuela there are all manner of
snakes, from the deadly twelve-inch coral
snake. whose bite is death. TO the tiger striped
hunting snake and tho boa constructor. Most
persons in New York know tho habits Of the
hoa constructor. but know nothing OF the tiger
hunter. which is quite as remarkable in its
way. Nothing will better illustrate the point
than the story Of an actual occurrence In this
modern age of science and civilization.
While the English railroad from Tucacas to
Bar1uisimrto was under construction an Eng
lishiman holding an important position in the
work was bitten by n rattlesnake there known
as the c%ulolraL The man was forthwith taken
10 the English quarters and put to bed. While
the English doctor was being the
wives of tho l:nGlishmen mt work on the road
hustled about and tried to do what they could
t, help the sufferer. In the midst OF tho con-
fusion n native came running in with the
kim hearted intention Of curing the man.
Turn all the women out" said no.
what the devil" said the Englishman's
friends. What for?'
Their eyes are DEATH" explained the ma
tive. The man will not live il they look
upon him.
With that tho EnGlishmen turned the native
out Of the house. aud tho bitten man himself
declared that If the English doctor could not
cure him no superstitious native could. Tho
physician came in hot haste and worked until
the pcrspiration .an down his face in little
streams. The women lowered around and
did what they could. In exactly two hours
and IN half the man was dead. The kind
bn, ri nI pntiyn I'd Of IL shrnnuaI hia oh,rl
Lcrs. and went his way.
ON thG following day n native ,laborer was
same place. He was not OF sufficient account
for the well-paid English doctor to bother
with. so the native lab2rers carried him of to
sent for herbs and leaves and such things.
rhay worked at him for an hour or SO in the
tn" next day he was back at work as though
nothing had happened. The ,thicx-hsaded
hn%iishdmen could not explain this and they
Here is another story On tho same subject:
\ native woman's ten-ycar-old son was bitten
serpent. Did, she rush to him, clasp him in
hcTn,ms. md try to cure hin Not she. The
band. aud to hide hersel; and her female ser
wants inr away from tho, suffering lads pres-
cncei Her husband and q neighbor or two
was only on the third day that she looked upon
her son; Il she had looked upon him, while
ives had no doubt her eyes would have caused "a sai
him TO vonit blood and die. Yet this woman
l"y;yrl her boy with r.! a mothers devotion.
men from, some remote Inland Place had
." sa"ts'''G rapt L BOX M lH,r OF to o1' iook az
those noispn%us snakes was enough to
Wax sr owe sfu the Scx W Wss o dSy Thsn the ".d riSSS Ss
about n a remarknbly lively sort Of, way, 4
excitement and confusion. People went raw
Ing mad IN their desire to get away. Tables.
tf"P tina rran nfs m noS~ ana Eases Tor % y time "Si i IooRca S Sy
though half the. crowd would be bitten to
death or tramplcd underfoot before theycould
The man who told this story, pulled off his
coat aud threw 1t over ono Of the snakes. and
their naked hands. One OF the men was bitten
several times-so badly. bitten. In fact. that it
snomed TO no impossible that he could live
Ills c~omrani3n know Just exactly what to
dr and did it,. In the first place he. called for
could get, and with f-verish haste he wrapped
w his bitten companion completely out Of
r'iT' amo"nteii@ 'G madness M i a H Then H." h wGll
iotssi rI and put ! t to he'd: ' lis. so% s%s sI,s'' w q I'D
time rested, with a sigh. Of relief.
asks Mh tI n' n S Snv w wrap h'W up In such hasteT"
women r"pli.d T." snak" exhibitor.
Mhut WAS tho danger!
II women had locked upon him no would
have v"mited blood and died before we could
have. got him hall way across the street"
This strange si perstition Is not confined to
NeneZuela by any means. Tho same thing Is
found in the Dutch island of Curacao. in the
further West Indies. and also in tho republic
of Colombia. Atenatoroi the United States of
Colombia said to an American visitor that al
though The fac, was as familiar TO him as tie
no, say why 1t WAS So He added. however,
TINT h" believed that the danger lay mostly In
the case Of women with child.
As g. the snake men Of the Alto OrinocO that
r another, matter. An. American who once
lived II the house Of an adopted mem
9. can rander a snake UNCONSCIOUS for many
hours merely by. blowing his breath on It's
head. A drop Of his saliva will kill a snake al
most instantly beyond alhops Of rssurraction.