The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-02-17
PAINLESS LION BITES
Sensations Experienced by Men who
Have Had Encounters in
the Jungle.

The attacks Of the lessee carnivora,
smaller in proportion to man, are fire.
quently very painful, but matters are
so ordered that the bite Of dog or a
ferret is usually more painful than
the injuries inflicted by the jaws of a
lion. The instances quoted are very
numerous and striking, and probably
grouped according to locality or the
species of the attacking beast. In
Somaliland the experiences of the Bit
ten are supplemented by Capt Abud,
the resident at Berbera, who has had
a long experience Of cases, English and
native, as most of the former, unless
killed outright. which very seldom
happens, are brought to Berbera.
He states that ''the view that no
actual pain is suffered at the time
seems almost universal. In most cases
it would seem that there was NO
knowledge of the actual contact, even
in the first rush of lion, much less
of any pain experienced from tooth
wounds" This was the view not only
of the English, but Of natives. In one
or two cases where consciousness was
entirely lost, the person "came to"
while the lion was still standing over
him, a period of complete anesthesia
and Inconsistencies having inter
veneG But, more commonly, those
who have been attacked and have re-
covered, are conscious all the time,
and if they suffer at all do not feel
acute pain. This may be accounted
for partly by the shock given by the
charge which forms the usual preliln-
mary to being wounded. A lion comes
at the enemy at full speed, galloping
low, and dashes man standing up
right to the ground by the iuil inn
pact Of its body. Maj Inverarley
states that ''tha claws and teeth en-
tering the flesh do not hurt so much
as you would think but that the
squeeze given by the jaws on the bone
is really painful. When knocked over
he was still keenly conscious, and felt
none of the dreamy sensation expert
encey by Livingstone.
Maj. Swaine, struck down by lion
ess going at full gallop, was uncon-
scious for some minutes and did not
know what had happened till he found
himself standing up after the acci-
dent. u felt no PAIN" he writes,
mot, believe. owing to any special
interposition of Providence, but sim
ply that the shock and loss of blood
made me incapable of feeling it. There
was. no pain for a few days, till it was
brought on by the swelEng of my arm
on the 12 days ride to the coast"
Capt. Noyes, attacked in the same dis
trict by lion in 1895, was charged
down and bitten, until the creature left
him.. probably when attacked by his
servants. His hand was badly bitten,
but be was not conscious of any feel
ing of fear, or any pain whatever,
probably because there was no time,
but he felt exactly as if he had been
bowled over in football match, and
nothing more" A far worse accident
was that which befell Lieut. Vandezee
in the same year. near Beira. The lion
charged him down in the usual way
and mangled bis thighs and fractured
one Of LIS arms. During the time the
attack on me by the lion was in prog
ress," he writes. u felt no pain what
ever, although there was a distinct
feeling of being bitten-that is. / was
perfectly conscious, independently Of
seeing the performance, that the lion
was gnawipg at me, but there was no
pain.
II may mention that while my
thighs were being gnawed l took two
cartridges out Of the breast pocket of
my shirt and threw them to the Kaffir,
who was lowering few yards away. \
telling him to load my rife, and inn
mediately the lion died and rolled of
me, I scrambled up and took a loaded
rife and fred at the carcass. LON
don Spectator.