The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-29
Prof. James Satisfied Of the
Dsad|insss Of tho "RatlIer." I"
INVESTIGATED FOR YEARS.
Indiana Man Btien-Polstn First Excited
Hearts, Action and Then Dissolution Fol-
lowed Rapidly Death Not Painful,

Chicago. Dec. 2s--Edmund ]. James
professor in the University OF Chicago
and president OF the American Academy
OF Political and Social Science. has been
working for twenty years in an effort TO
obtain we'll authenticated instance OF
death from snake bite in the United
States. and at last he has been success
ful. He says:
81 have read so frequently and heard
so many stories about this and that and
the other person having been bitten by
rattIesnake and dying from the effects
thereof that / concluded years ago TO
make a collection OF such cases, but
found upon investigation that every case
had heard OF was either entirely With
out foundation or rested upon eVi<~,e
which no intelligent person would think
or accepting for a moment in regard to
any other matter IL being evidence at the
third or fourth remove.
II read few weeks ago that Edward
Swanson, OF Hammond, Ind. had been
bitten by a rattlesnake at Fort Valley.
Ga, and had died in a short time from
the results OF the bite | succeeded In OBJ
tanning a statement from the physician
who attended him.
LAS this IL in my experience such
rare incident. | present IL herewith. The
following is the certified statement of the
physician. O. ii. Singleton:
BITTEN BY RATTLEsNAKE
Edward Swanson. American. white.
twenty-four years old, from Hammond.
Ind, while giving an exhibition In Fort
Valley. Ga, as snake charmer on
December 8, 1900 was bitten by large
rattlesnake of the species known In the
South as diamond rattler,' which had
four fully developed fangs.
% Three of the fangs struck into the
right forearm. One fang pierced the ra-
dial and one the median vein. Fifteen
minutes later l saw him and found him
suffering intensely. His circulation was
much excited and his hand and arm
were swollen to the elbow. Two of the
veins having been punctured the wound
bied freely.
. After trying to extract what virus l
could by cupping l gave one-quarter of
a grain OF morphine hypodermically to
relieve the pain. and administered the
usual remedies OF ammonia, permangan-
ate OF potash. whisky, etc.
He was nauseated and was forced
10 depend solely on hypodermic medica-
tion Soon the excited condition OF his
nervous system succumbed 10 the NOR
phlne. And In one or two hours the pri-
mary effect of the poison (Which was TO
stimulate the hearD was followed by a
weakening OF the hearts action. To
overcome this / gave frequent injections
of nitroglycerine, sulphate OF atropia,
strychnine, digitalis, ammonia and whis-
Ky.
DEATH WITHOUT AGONY.
The swelling rapidly extended until
the entire arm was swollen to an i'm
menee size and in few hours ii was so
discolored az TO be almost black He lived
eighteen hours and was conscious to the
last. His thi-st was intense throughout
A cold sweat was so profuse as to wet
the entire bed. After the first few hours
of intense suffering he seemed to sleep
most OF the time.
. When aroused he would be perfectly
rational and would not believe he was
going to die. In spite OF ell we could do
for him his hearts action became weaker,
and his pulse more feeble, until he died
dis breathing was good until near the
last. For several hours before he died
only the second sound OF the heart could
be heard. After death disintegration set
IN 20 rapidly he could not be sent home
for burial, but had TO have speedy bur-
tal here. To summarize:
AT first the pain was intense and
the hearts action accelerated.
Excessive vomiting, with but little
preliminary nausea.
Was excited and talkative
Later became more quiet and sleepy
Had great thirst. skin cold with excessive
cold sweat.
= The conclusion is that death resulted
from the poison OF snake bi,e, paralyzing
the heart. Q. G.. Singleton. NJ. D..
Surgeon, Central OF Georgia Railway
Member OF International Railway Sur
geons' Associa ton. Member of State
Medical Institution OF Georgia. ETC. f"