Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-11-07
CHLoROFORMING A TURTLE.
An Old Snapper Put TO Sleep for Short
Time.

An Old Snapper Put to Sleep for q Short
Time.
l decided to chloroform large snap.
per and endeavor to learn something
of the action of the lungs, and whether
it could resist death in this form AT
the first application of the saturated
sponge to the snapper's nose, he darted
and seized it in his strong mandibles
and jerlSed it into his shell. Then !
had him, and in due time, by constant
attention, and with an outrageous ex-
penditure of chloroform, completely
subdued the old fighting mossback.
At last the ludicrous sight of a thor
oughly an@sthetized swapping turtle
was presented. 1t was an amusing
spectacle-this savage turtle lying
limp and apparently lifeless. l
opened its sharp, hooked jaws, and
freely handled his powerful, but now
nerveless legs. This fellow, an@sthet-
lied, with his flabby legs and lolling
head, looked much like the old dead
mossbacks which are found about the
margins of ponds each spring.
Finally, after the application of the
chloroform was discontinued for a
length of time, his serviceable but ILL
looking flippers began to vibrate spas
medically, very soon one of the closed
eyes was exposed, and then the other,
much after the manner of the opossum
in emerging from one if its voluntary
lethargic spells. In time 1t perfectly
recovered, and again gave evidence of
its innate viciousness by savagely Bit
ing at everything as before. 1t is prob
able that n swapping turtle could be
ultimately killed by constant applica-
tion and the expenditure of large
quantities of chloroform, but 1t is not
readily done, as l convinced myself
The reason for this is evident. AS soon
as the turtle comes under the influ-
ence of the drug it lapses into state
not inaptly comparable to the condi-
tion in which it passes the cold months.
In Information it probably breathes
much less frequently, and, also, when
under the influence of chloroform
ceases to breathe to a large extent
This the turtles and other reptiles can
do, as they are cold-blooded and do not
require the constant supply of fresh
air that is indispensable to birds and
other -blooded creatures.
We may say that the voluntary act
of stopping the respiration when be-
low the surface of the water corre-
spends to the involuntary cessation
which spasmodically results from an
aesthesia. Therefore, whether con-
fined at the bottom of pool or sub
jected to the continued effects of an
anaesthetic, it is reasonable to suppose
that a water turtle-either the snap
per or eather-back-would resist death
for long time. If the snapper and
soft-shell spend the colder months in
the mud and water, and this is stated
as fact by many writers, then the
creatures must surely cease breath
ing during their Information, or else
adopt an entirely different form OF
respiration from the one made use OF
when on land. Interesting expert
ments might be made to ascertain
whether the swapping turtle takes his
winter sleep in the mud, dry earth on
water.-American Field.
The Unitarians in this country have
l2l societies; they meet in 424 churches
and So halls, the former having n seat
ing capacity of 165, 900 and the latter
1-n I. h -,