The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-08-20
SHAKE cHAaMsss, SECRET.
Nature Furnishes the Necessary Protec-
tion Against Reptile Poisoning.

Nature Furnishes the Necessary Protec-
ton Against Reptile Poisoning.
1t has often been stated that Indi.
an and African natives who handle
poisonous snakes without taking
any precaution protect themselves
with the juice of an herb, the odor
OF which is said to be very distaste-
full to the snakes. Various species
of che aristolochia, among them the
birrhwort and the Virginia snake
root, have the reputation in various
parts of the world of possessing the
properties of keeping away venom
Gus reptiles and insects and of coun-
teracting their poison. These state
ments have as often been asserted
as disputed by botanists and chem
lists; but, according to report made
by Mr.. Sada, the botanist at the Co.
lonial park of Pondicherry, in India,
he has recently satisfied himself
that the Aristolochia indica really
possesses such qualities. This plant
Is known in Sanskrit as "ari'' or
"hari, meaning SNAKE" One al
most believes oneself perusing an
old myth of Glaukos or Plinius
when reading Mr.. Sada's report,
where he claims to have observed a
chameleon which, after being stung
by scorpion, hurriedly searched
for an aristolochia bush and ate of
its leaves. The chameleon then re-
manned lying on the ground for a
short time as if lifeless, and finally
biting off stem with few leaves
attacked the scorpion with this
branch. AS soon as the animal ad-
vanced, the scorpion turned and fed.
This sounds like a myth, but Mr..
Sada has also seen that a cobra
snake, the head of which was strew-
ed with aristolochia leaves, was
dazed by their odor so that it could
be killed without trouble. The steam.
ing of aristolochia leaves is the best
remedy against the plague of insects
and vermin, and in the province of
Malabar the natives even carry
wreaths of the foliage of the plants
upon their heads in order to keep
away singing insects. Babies era
dies in that country are also sur
rounde1 by garlands of these leaves.
1t is high time that these reports
should be scientifically examined as
! to their real value, for the loss of
life by snake bites in India alone is
still enormous. The experiments of
Clamette and Fraser, who claim to
make people poisonproof by gradu-
ally inoculating them with the poi
! sons, is not new. While it explains
to some extent how several of the
Indian snake charmers are poison
| proof, it is by no means possible tc
carry the idea out generally. II
would be a physical impossibility tt
inoculate with snake poison the
400, 600, 900 native inhabitants of In
dia and adjacent countries. AS an
| O1O SAdh0 Cudru0r HAS Salu 10 MT.
Sada, their secret is exclusively in
the poisonproof qualities of the ar
! plant-that is, the aristolochia indi.
ca. The swallowing of small guam.
titles of the juice pressed from this
plant and the rubbing of the skin
with it are said to be perfectly safe
preventative against snake bites, for
the simple reason that the snake, be-
fore fastening it's fangs, will turn
away it's head. 1t cannot stand the
smell. AS consequence the snake
can never inf1ict a wound in such q
way as to imbed the poison fangs in
the wound.-Philadelphia Record.