Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-09-11
SAVED BY WHISKY
Gets Full as an Antidote for
Snakebite.
FANeED BY AYoUNG RATTLEsNAKE

"Charmer" Ralston Does Some Quick Re-
ediai Work - Suction, Whisky and a
Maidstone Used Promptly and the Pro-
fessor Apparently Out OF Danger-The
Only Effect Being a Swelled Arm-Car-
boIic Acid as a Remedy.
CHICAGO, Sept. 11.-Walter Ralston, bet
ter known as "Rattlesnake Ralston," the
snake charmer at Clark street dime
museum has been bitten by rattlesnake
and not only lives but looks like well
man, whisky and suction having been his
chief physicians. Professor Ralston keeps
several other kinds of snakes in the same
box with a family of eight Florida rattle
snakes in the basement of the museum.
A screen OF ordinary wire netting sepa.
rates them The rattlers were left for
him several months ago by fellow
charmer who feared they were too savage
for him to fool with The family consists
of the old rattllers and six others from
tos years old Ralston went to the base
ment of the museum to take out a striped
moccasin and give it a few lessons IN good
beha' Tor.
A Young Rather Gets Angry.
1t was coiled up next to the screen, and
when the charmer reached in to take it
out in his hand touched the netting and
angered one of the young rattlers 1t
Immediately struck at Ralston's knuckles
The charmer quickly ran for the nearest
saloon, sucking the poison from the wound
"a he ran, and soon as he could pour it
out he drank two trimming glasses of
whisky. When told what had happened
ha no, Cd hot nhx -.
services were needed without delay Raj.
ston walked leisurely to the Office of DR. j.
J Davis, IL Clark street. feeling sure he
had sucked out all the poison.
Tried a Maidstone on the Wound
But the fact that the arm was swelling
rapidly told the physician that he had not.
The wound was enlarged as soon as posi-.
bic to admit a small maidstone. When re-
moved it was covered with deadly poi
con of a greenish color. The stone was in
serted until it showed no discoloring when
removed. The wound was then bound up,
the arm put in sling and the charmer
ordered to drink whisky to his hearts CON
tent. He followed the instructions until
his knees began to bend beneath the
weight of the load Of drinks.
Dressed Again at the Hospital.
Then he sought the basement of the
LuuSCulli W sletp luc Jag Ou DON
amid his snakes. Here one of the pro.
prietors of the museum found him an
hour later. ard, though he thickly pro.
tested that he was all right, Ralston was
loaded into hack and sent to the county
hospital. The physicians at the hospital
We're greatly interested in the case, as it Is
seldom one of the kind comes to their no.
tice. The bite was again dressed and an
other search after poison made.
Uses Carbolio Acid as a Remedy
He recovered from the effects of the
whisky about p m, and barring the
swelled arm appears 10 be all right. When
Ralston is alb Jut to handle snakes that he
thinks are likely TO bite he alw ways has IA
jar of carbolic acid near at hand If the
snake does not disappoint him he immedi-
ately sucks the poison from the wound
and applies the acid, which, he says, kills
the effect of the poison if any is left in the
wound. About two weeks ago Ralstou
was bitten on the nose by a RATHER and the
scar is still to be seen. He attended TO the
bite in his usual way. But this lost time
he forgot the jar of acid