The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1897-01-14
NOT A WISE SERPENT.
Relieved Of a Blanket II Had Swallowed
In Kansas City

VT Ndusdo wy
On Sunday, August %, '.The Spar
told of Mrs. Rade Harden's pet AFT
can boa-e.onstrictor Babe" having alb
sent -mindedly swallowed the bianKet
on which it had been sleeping. since
that time Babe has lain In her box
thinking the matter over and putting
Torch all her gastric powers to dlgest
the blanket. But the blanket being OF
good, stout Canton flannel, refused 10
yield to digestion, and it became SER.
Gus question whether or not 1t couio
stand the strain much longer. 1t was
determined, therefore, to perform
surgical operation on Babe ana re-
move the impeachment
At o o'clock this morning "BaDe
was taken to the University Medical
College, and placed on an operating
table IN a lecture room. 1t was eX-
tremely lively as to the first four feet
of its body, and heavy as TO the other
four feet. The amphitheatre was
filed with medical students, doctors
and visitors. Mrs. Harden STOOD py
Babe" and encouraged It to endure
the coming ordeal. DIR. f. Rosenwald
took off his coat rolled up his sleeves,
and announced that he was ready to re-
leve Babe of it's burden. Babe
ran ITS forkcd tongue In and out, cares
sing Mrs. Harden's checks and hands.
Even the medical students snuddered'
While DR.. Moore administered chloro'
form to Babe" DR.. RosenWald drew
rough plans and specifications OF
Babe" on the blackboard, and, adj
dressing the students in technical IAN
guage explained that a similar opera
ton had never been performed on d
snake before, and that he would make
an exploratory incision'' through the
abdominal wall, the peritoneuT
the stomach of the reptile IIJ.h anu
had them, and recoT5 -, Pros, ,t ~ ~
their necks ane& students craned
Ions wite,-eia regarded the prepara-
"Boh4n much interest.
,,ety DE" had In the mean time re-
sponded gracefully to the chloroform,
and We insensible. An incision, five
inches long, was made in the snake,
ard hardly drop of blood escaped.
But the .anket was there, and was
drawn forth without trouble. 1t had
been rolled into a cigar-shaped cylln-
der about two feet long, and was as
hard as a brick. 1t was covered with
vi INT xIrblch futilnlV
deavoring to do its work. The blanket
looked as though it had .een compress
ed by machinery. 1t had to be soaked
in water before it could be unfolded
e stomach of the snake was as clean
as a whistle, and after the blanket had
n me stitches were made in closing the
wound, and the snake was taken out
into the alley for fresh air. 1t was
soon surrounded by students, small
boys and colored women. In about
five minutes its lungs filled with air
and it's fo1ked tongue ran in and out,
and Mrs. Harden, who was anXiously
watching it, gave sigh of relief.
L m so glad my Babe uIdnt die"'
she exclaimed. Il couldn't spare my
baby. I'd sooner have that snake
around the house than lots of men,"
DIR. Rosenwald said that the snake
would surely recover, and prescribed
a diet of raw eggs for it for two weeks,
after which it may eat anything except
Canton flannel blankets.
The owner of the boa-constrictor con-
ducts a restaurant near Fifth avenue
and Wyandotte streets. She got the
reptile from snakecharmer who
couldn't pay a board bill.-Kansas City
Star,