The record-union., 1896-06-22
DEFIED THE GILA'S BITE.
An Ancient Indian Antidote That
Makes Its Poison Harmless.

DR.. e. G. Harper, who has been among
tie Huilipi Indians in Mexico for sew
eral years in the interest OF science,
says the savages there certainly have
a decoction that is a cure IL admins
tered Immediately for the bite OF the
ella monster found in that region.
L have tried to learn from the Next
can Huilipis this anti-venom decoc-
tion,' said DR.. Harper recently, but
1t was useless. President Diaz says,
however, that it can be had and he will
interest himself to get it for the ben
eft of the people of the United States,
where a death from Gila monster bite
happens once in a while.
The most wonderful feat 1 ever saw
performed anywhere" continued Dr.
Harper, was done on the edge Of the
desert wastes in Southern Sonora sew
eFal years ago. 1t was the test OF the
bower of the anti-venom preparation
OF the Huilipis. The chief medicine
man claimed that he was wizard,
too, and that the great spirit, MOI
no-ha, who dwelt on the peak of ORR
zaba, came down and helped him defy
death from the most deadly poison
known among the Indians. AT the time
OF the test 1 witnessed the medicine
man summon a dozen of his young ash
siStantS around a caldron, which was
steafning and boiling with roots, leaves,
horned toadS, rattleSnake heads. and a
score of other kind of articles. l was
told that this was the anti-poison med
acine In an hour the stuff was cooled
and ready for use. The chief man
drank literally of the strange tea and
then his body was literally washed
with some liquid that made it impervi
GUS to poison. The body bare to the
waist was then painted in red and
white streaks. A fox skin hung from
the waist. The medicine man bounded
anto the arena with a 'ho-ho,' brand
fishing over his head two ella mon
STEERS. Then he varied the programme by
twirling them around his body and
permitting them to crawl all over him.
he leased the reptiles, poked his
thumb into their mouths and even put
them up to his face. l am sure the man
was bitten several times We looked
upon this feat of daring with horror, while
the Indians viewed it with superstitious
frenzy and showered upon the medi-
cine chief all the presents they could
NO4NUid1lQ.
The venom of the rattlesnake is
somewhat numbing in it's effect, and
after the first half hour is not SO very
painful, but the poison of the ella mon
ster goes through the human system
with lightning rapfdity, causing I'M
spealzable pain and excruciating agony
from head to foot The victim seems
TO be paralyZed, and yet every muscle,
bone, sinew, and particle of gray mat
ter is keenly alive to intense pain.
The sufferers head seems as if it would
split open. Very few persons bitten
by a ella monster can speak after the
first fifteen minutes, but unconscious
ness seldom comes until a few minutes
before death. Physicians say that the
poison sets up a tremendous action Of
the heart and the victim really dies of
heart failure. The person who has
been drinking to excess a few days or
a few hours before he is injured by a
ella monster is almost sure of death
in half an hour after the bite Many
physicians in the Territory say that
alcoholic stinulants are worse than
useless for a person hurt by the rep
tile.-Chicago Chronicle.