The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-29
POISON OF SNAKES
DR.. Calmette of Paris Chats Cheerily
on the Subject
HIS vENOMOUS PAsTlME
Promises to Do More for the Vic
Tins OF Serpents han Pssteur
Has Done for Those Bitten
by Mad Dogs.

Copyright 1896 by Batcheller. johnson &
Batcheller.)
For the past 1--WE years DR.. Calmette
of the Pasteur Institute In Paris has
been diligently studying poisonous
snakes. He has at last established
facts in regard to the action and ma
ture of snake venom which bid fair to
do for the victims of the serpent even
more that Pasteur has done for those
bitten by the mad dog. His investiga-
tions have led to the discovery of a
new anti-venomous serum. and abso-
lutte antidote TO the poison of any
snake. He has also made clear the way
in which both venom and serum act
upon the system. Burning a snake bite
with a red-hot iron, cauterizing by
means of lunar caustic or cutting away
the flesh around the wound with a
knife he has proved 10 be almost use
less. When a person is bitten the poi
son goes into the system with marvel
Gus rapidity. and these methods are
useless II even few minutes have
elapsed after the bite. DR.. Calmette re-
peatedly injected a mortal dose of VEN
ON into the tip OF a rats tail. and less
than a minute afterwards cut off the
tail close 20 the body. The rat in every
instance died from the effects of the
venom. If a very vascular part is Bit
ten. death ensues very quickly A rab-
tion of cobra venom into the marginal
veins Will kill the animal almost In
simultaneously. Human beings the
much more capable of resisting the
poison than most animals. Even after
the bite of hooded cobra death rare
ly ensues in man before three hours
have elapsed. The new anti-venom
acts by neutralizing the poison which
has been introduced into the system.
The serum is absorbed into the system
just as rapidly as the snake venom,
and unless paralysis has already set
In will render the poison entirely harm
less. Its action is exactly like that of
anti-toxine in diphtheria and the serum
is produced in a similar way. The
blood of a horse which has gradually
been accustomed to doses of venom
becomes laden with great quantities Of
the anti-toxine of snake poison. A dose
of venom sufficient to kill 400 horses
can be supported by such an animal
without any i'll effects. and the serum
from its blood Is an absolute antidote
TO the poison of any venomous
snake.
Many more deaths occur from snake
bites than is usually supposed. The
deadly cobra of India alone kills annu-
ally more than 10000 people. These are
the figures gathered by statisticians,
and the unreported deaths would prob
ANY swell the totdi very greatly. III
colder climates. where people wear
thicker clothes and the snakes are not
so deadly, deaths from snake bites are
comparatively rare. They are how
ever. numerous enough TO make an alb
solute antidote very welcome. Europe
possesses fewer poisonous snakes than
any other continent, yet the yearly to-
tai of deaths caused by serpents Is
quite large even there In two depart
ments of France 321 people were bitten
by snakes in a period of five years, SO
cases being fatal.
DIR. Calmette is sending his anti
venom all over the world TO be dis
tributed among physicians. The Pas
teur institute In Chicago will be the
distributing point for the United
States. There is no known chemical