The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1893-09-02
THE FEAR OF SNAKES.

THE FEAR OF SNAKES.
Why Many Children and Some Grown
Persons Dislike Them.
There are authenticated instances of
children becoming attached to snakes
and making pets of them. The solu-
ton of n question of this kind is some
times to be found in the child mind.
My experience is that when yonng
children see this creature its strange
appearance and manner of progression,
SO unlike those of other animals known
to them, affect them with amazcment
and a sense of mystery, and that they
fear it just as they would any other
strange thing. Monkeys are doubtless
affected in much the same way, although
in q sta te of nature, where they inhabit
forests Astounding with the larger con-
strictors and venomous trce-sna<cs, it
is highly Proba BILE that they also possess
a traditional fear of the serpent form
1t would be strange if they did not
The experiment of presenting a Gagged
monkey with serpent carefully
wrapped up in Il newspape and wa tch-
ing his behavior when he gravc1y opens
the parcel, expecting to find nothing
more wonderful than the familiar
sponge-cake or succulent banana-well,
such an experiment has been recorded
in half a hundred important scicn-
tific works, and out of respect
to ones masters one ought to en-
it. third view might be taken which
would account for our feeling towards
the serpent without either instinct or
tradition. Extreme fear of all Ophid-
ians might simply result from a vague
knowledge of the fact that some kinds
are venomous; that, in some rare cases,
death follows swiftly on their bite; and
that, not being sufficiently intelligent
to distinguish the noxious from the in
nocuouS-at all events while under the
domination of Il sudden violent emotion
we destroy them all alike, thus adopt
ing Herod's rough and ready method
OF Kidding his city of one inconvenient
babe by general slaughter of inno-
cents.
1t might be objected that in Europe,
where animosity to the serpent is great
est, death from snake-bite is hardly to
be cared; that Fontana's six Thousand
experiments with the viper, showing
how small is the amount of venom
possessed by this species, how rarely it
has the power to destroy human life,
have been before the world for a CEN
fury. And although it must be admit
ted that Fontana's work is not in the
hand of every peasant, the fact that
death from snake-bite is a rare thing in
Europe, probably not more than one
person losing his life from this cause
for every two hundred and fifty who
perish by hydrophobi:l, of all forms of
death the most terrible. Yet, while
the sight of I. snake eNcites in major
ity of persons the most violent emo
tions, dogs arc universal favorites,
and we have them always with
us. and make pets of them in
spite Of the knowledge that they
may at any time become rabid and in
1lict that unspcakabl dreadful suffer-
ing and destruction on us. This leads
to the following question:: Is it not a
least proba BILE that our excessive fear
n hos ONT t1,1-
rational beings, and the cause of so
much unnecessary cruelty, is, partly.
at all events, II result OF our supersti-
tious fear of sudden death? For there
exists, we know, an exceedingly wide
spread delusion that the bite Of a VEN
omous serpent must kill. and kill
gu ick1y. Compared with such ophidian
monarchs the bush-mas tcr, fer-dc-
lance, hamadryad. and tic-polonga, the
viper of Europe-thc poor viper of
many experiments and much (not too
readable) iteraturc-lnay be regarded
almost harmless-at all events not
more harmful than the hornet. Never
theless, in this cold. northern world.
even as in other worlds where nature
clabora ties more potent juices, the delu-
sion prevails, and may be taken in ac-
count here, although it's origin cannot
now be discussed.
For my own part am inclined to be-
lievc that we regard serpentS with a
destructive hatred purely and simply
because we are so taught from child
hood. a tradition may be handed
down without writing. even articu-
late speech We have not altogether
ceased to be CLOVER animals ourselves
Show Il child by your gestures and ac-
tions that a thing is fearful to you, and
he will fear it; that you hate it, and he
will catch your hatred.-NIa cmillan's
Magazine.
Dreamed Caulifiower.
One head of cauliflovcr will be suf-
ficient for several meals Break off
sprigs about two inches long from the
top, carefully wash them, put them in
boiling, sailed water and cook 81 bout
twenty minutes until tender. the
time depending on the size of the
SprigS. Pour over them a white sauce
n milk fhit.lSened 1.,ith it'll,