The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-17
TESTING VENOM OF SNAKES.
peDfile Poison Kills by Destroying The
Hearts Action.

g. o., out-of-the-way Corner of the
s-.f+bsonian Two Experts on Snakes
I've Been Conducting Interesting
7z-.,ariments in Poisons-Their Den
ID What is in it-Some Information
ABOUT Different Kinds of Snakes
and Their Deadly Properties.
From the Washington Post.
One of the most important pieces of
u-or- that has occupied the Smithsonian
Cor some time past has been a series of
o,,srinents on the effect of snake venoms
on5 their antidotes, and long series of
intaresting experiments was made year
or two ago with the result of establishing
snumber of facts not before known re-
'-grding the action of the subtle venom.
nj Iate. however, this work has been in
.o,rupted. and the scientists are now
Iooking forward to removing to larger
quarters in the National Museum, where
the work can be recommended and car
ried on to definite conclusion with in
creased hopes OF success.
zone thing that we have found concern
4 ING snake venom, " said Mr.. Test, lis
that alcohol has little or no effect on it,
and after a specimen has been preserved
in one of these jars for ten years drop
nj its venom extracted from the poison
glands is almost if not quite, as deadly
as ever.
noisou stored away in the collection in
HE Smithsonion to kill a regiment of
Cossacks.
AS a result the specimens, stiff and cold
as they are, have to be handled with care
for the scratching of finger with one of
the sharp fangs of the dead reptiles
would mean a terrible illness, and in
many cases perhaps death.
The chief thing that was established
bv the series of experiments that the in
stitution carried on, continued Mr. Test,
was that the poison of the rattlesnake
and that of very many other snakes is a
powerful alkaloid that kills by paralyzing
the hearts action. The experiments
were made on dogs, cats, rabbits and
chickens, and it was found that the only
drug that had any appreciate effect in
counteracting the effect of the poison was
permanganate of potash. This injected
into the fresh wound and in the limb
above and around the wound seemed to
neutralize the poison in a large degree.
This, with stimulants to keep up the
hearts action until the poison had been
dissipated in the system, was the nearest
approach 10 Il satisfactory SOlublOu Oh Ull6
venom problem that was reached"
OF the live specimens in the possession
of the modern snake charmers, one of the
most interesting is red and black spotted
chain snake, harmless reptile, not I'M
common in the dry, fields and about the
water courses of Maryland and Virginia.
1t has considerable constructing power,
and makes quite handsome and docile
pet. A "hOg nOsed" snake is another of
Z hn cir Of no ~
little fellow is variously known as the
puff adder" the spread adder" and
the blow snake the first two names
being erroneous, as the true adder is not
to be found in this country at all,
being a resident of Africa, where it
grows to an immense size, and is
very dangerous. One of the most
horrlDle-looklng and innocently help
less OF the captiveS was horned
toad, not more than an inch and half
long, which was sent in the other day
through the dead letter office. having
been contlscated in transit through the
mails. The youngster with his stickley
back and his cOronet of horns, from which
he takes his name, was apparently in the
last stages of starvation, for he was as
thin as a sheet of paper and apparently
took but little interest in life. But his
friends in the institution were not cogniz-
ant OF the demands of his appetite, and
unless some one who is acquainted with
the horned toad's favorite menu will step
In and give the institution some light on
the subject the amiable little fellow is
likely to die of hunger.
There are some Interesting and lifelike
models of snakes and lizards made for the
worlds fair, but which did not reach
their destination. They are made of a
pllable, elastic, substance and painted to
the life, and even after taking them in
ones hands it is hard TO believe that they
are not the genuine article.
But the working den of the snake men
Is not the most gruesOme of their apart
ments. High up aloft there is another
room. the holy of holes of the reptilian
world, where the choice specimens from
al quarters of the globe are gathered in
silent and well bottled array This is a
nall lighted spectral hole in the wall, and
from one of the shelves there CLEANS the
eyes OF deadly asp, sent to the in
sIlGunon from the land of the pyramids
ana probabably lineal descendant of the
one that dealt the death stroke to the
beautiful sOrceress of the Nile. There is
also head of the dreaded cobra of India,
WIN us permanent fangs, unlike those of
yue fdJtleSnake, as small as fine needle,
p1l capable OF producing swift and terri
ple uedth. There is another deadly ser
penV' yeritable sea serpent, a native of
tAe south seas, where it is terror to the
swimmers near the coasts, and another
sea serpent from the China sea, which is
marked with the colors of the dragon flag,
ana a IS entirely helpless on the land.
IAere are rattlers of gigantic Dimensions,
me terrible little coral snake of Florida,
Ine tabled hoop snake of which so many
t!emarkable and totally unfounded tradi-
IONS are told, and many others literally
VII yUG numerous EI to mention, but all of which
~ aIu14 IN -
oS soon as the institution gets its snake
quarters in the National museum.