The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-10-02
With Snake Poison

| to the medical world that his aDtlVenlne
will be the means OF saving thousands
Of human lives annually in countries
| where death from snake-bite is more fire.
Guent than the fatalities occaSioned from
a scourge.
Some years ago a surgeon connected
with the British army in India became in
terested in the poisonous snakes OF that
country. He published a work entitled:
''Thanatophidia." ii. e, the death ser
pents.) and brought 20 light most appafi-
ing conditions. Sir Joseph Fayrer. for II
was he who entered into this work. stated
that on an average @, ooQ persons perish
ed from the bite of the cobra in India ev-
cry year, and that the Hamadryas, the
Polonga, the EarawaIa. and other less
deadly species caused many deaths among
the natives which were never reported
Soon after the publication of ''Thdnato-
phidia." the medical profession became m
terested IN snake poison. and endeavors
were made TO discover an antidote. Ii
was at this time that DR.. Calmette began
his experiments. and upon much the same
lines as Pasteur-that Is. by immuniZa-
ton. a large animal is selected. presuina-
bly, horse-this creature being perfectly
healthy and sound. Into its veins Is IN
jected very small quantity of the poison
Although the ceature, feels the effects
of the venom the dose is so small THAI
it soon RECEIVERS. when another and slight
~ larger injection is administered. This
operation is kept up for reasonable
length of time, when the animal is found
TO be perfectly immune-feeling no effects
from even large quantities Of injected pp:-
son. AS soon as the creature reaches ms
stage of immunity. quantity OF Inc
blood is drawn off. the serum is separat-
ed from it. which latter is the antivenine.
Ill 1h.-,- 10f~ rod
in a moderately high temperature for
few months becomes useless; when used
it is injected by means of a hypodermic
syringe.
Prior to the discovery of antivenine,
supposed remedies for srake-bite were
many and varied. One, usually thought
infallible, was whisky, but the truth IS,
If a small snake bites q healthy person,
the chances are that the system vii, WIFE
stand the effects of the poison, and the
bitten person will recover after undergo
ing some slight suffering. Such cases are
generally treated with whisky. and full
credit for the persons recovery is always
given the spirits. Whisky mas absolutely
no effect upon the poisoned ,Ys en-. with
the exception of Temporarily increasing
the action of the heart, which the poison
tends to decrease. The poison in making
its way through the body causes destruc-
ton TO everything 1t touches, and TO arrest
destruction in the blood is to effect a per-
manent cure Next to Dr.. Calmette's dis
covery in Importance are strychnine and
permanganate of potash. which. if used
sklfully as injections, produce excellent
results.
The general effects of snake poison in
the system show the terrible nature of
this strange fluid. Immediately upon in
PRODUCTION its ravages begin: as ii passes
into the veins they are destroyed and the
blood runs freely into the vicinity OF the
wounded part assuming the nature of an
internal hemorrhage There is CLOTHING
and coagulation, and while this is going
on some OF the poisoned blood is rapidly
making its way towards the heart. II
II reaches this organ its action is sus-
pended, but still the fluid is working in
another direction-it attacks the nerves
particularly the system controlling the
muscles of respiration, which are paral-
yzed, and the victim is unable to breathe
The method of extracting venom from
a snake is as dangerous as it is interest
ing A stick is placed across the head Of
the reptile, tightly pinning II TO the
ground. while it is grasped by the neck,
Immediately behind the head so that il
cannot turn and bite The furious crea-
ture dashes its body from side to side and
emits a powerful musky odor, while the
jaws snap viciously, showing the long.
pointed fangs. Numerous experimenters
have endeavored to invent some appara-
tus for holding the snake while poison
was being extracted. but their inventions
have been extremely clumsy. and render
the reptile unfit for further handling after
the poison has been once collected.
The apparatus for extracting the poison
consists of a wide-mouth bottle or a COM
mon tumbler with a piece of bladder tied
tightly over the top. This is pressed
against the serpent's jaws; the reptile
bites. sending the sharp fangs through
the bladder. and the venom runs from
their tips into the glass. A large snake
of five feet will yield Auid drachm of
poison. which is equivalent to a teaspoon
full. The venom is pale yellow and odor-
less. and when left exposed, dries quickly
into cracked scaly mass. The anatomy
of the poison apparatus of the serpent
consists Of two glands containing the
fluid, which are situated behind the eyes
and connecting by canals with the fangs.
The latter are two long teeth in the for
ward part Of the upper jaw. They are
hollow and open in a long narrow ori1ce
at the tip. When the serpent bites, a
muscle situated over the gland on each
side OF the head congresses it; the ven
ON Is mus iOECtl rum itlD EAhAiN1 'i4ef
the fangs, and makes its exit with con-
siderable force from their tips.
During the last few years the subject
OF snake poison has attracted consdera-
BILE attention among the foremost physi-
clans Of this oountry. Strange to say, no
definite theory seems 70 have been reach
ed as 70 the exact chemical nature Of the
venom until recently. Dr. G Dangmann OF
this city has worked out some most IN
teresting conclusions upon the subject and
his recent paper. read at the Academy OF
Medicine illustrated by the living rep
tiles Of his collection. excited a most pro-
found interest. The Doctor at one time
maintained a collection Of over forty
snakes. most of which were rattlers.
visit to his laboratory was rare expe-
rfence: Immediately upon entering the
room there was such burst Of angry mU-
sic from the snakes that enc Involuntary
glanced about for the door. These snakes
were captured in Pennsylvania by coun-
try people and sent 70 the city in bags;
the bags were previously weighed with
their formidable contents. and the reptiles
sold By the pound
DR.. J. s Allen Of New York CITY. most
careful student Of the subject. was inter-
ested in the South American and Mexican
srskss At one time his collection was
rich in 4 number Of huge diamond rattle
snakes. none Of which was under five feet
in length and many six and seven feet.
The noise made by these deadly mon
sfers when disturbed was terrific. and NJ
On the death of DR.. Allen. from typhoid
fever. his friends found the collection
yerftabIe white elephant upor their hands
For nearly three weeks the snakes heie
full sway fl the cellar ~ an uptown
building in which they were confined, un-
III some officials OF the American Museum
of Natural History removed them 20 that
institution
Scotch jake.
The Scotch searly love thsir 5oks On the
.-u1ee1lster." and when they can bring 10