The Springfield herald., 1901-07-26
VACCINATION FOR
RATTLESNAKE BITE

Some scientific experiments that are
now being !nade regarding the possible
ity of infnuniIg animals and human
beings from the toxic effects of snake
bites. particularly that of the Ameri-
can rattlesnake. are of the greatest i'll
terest TO those states and sections
where such dangers prevail. This is
true in Colorado in some sections.
The bites of rattlesnakes not only deci-
mate the herds of cattle and horses but
are standing menace to life. Some
of the experiments are being made by
the government and some by private ILL
divldualS. y report on some of the eX-
periments will be made at the coming
convention Of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science in this
city and the question will be freely dis
cussed. as the topic is one that admits
of II number of views. In general it is
however admitted that horses can be
immuned from the bite and poison OF
Il rattlesnake and thus Is dcduccd the
theory that Il man can likewise. AS yet
no one has volunteered to be the horri-
ble example. but scientists are patient
and long enduring.
one great difficulty has stood in the
way of experiments of inlmuninS
horses from the venom of the rattle
snake. When the famous Calmette
made his experiments on vunomous
serpentS the American r;ittlesnake was
not on his list. Had he used one of
these snakes he would have had a Sc
rious check from the start. In inject
ing the venom of a rnttlesnake into the
veins of il horse IL was found that the
greatest degree of local irritation fol-
lowed which counteractcd any good
vI. Il .l.
The eXperimenters then tried heating
the venom. Al 20 degrees Calmetti
found that all of the irritating effect of
The venom of II cobra was lost. The
same heating by the American expert
menters of the venom of II rattlesnake
disclosed the fact that it then lost all
its toxic properties. 1t was found nee
| esSary TO inject the dried venom in its
normally active condition. The injec
| tionS We're given simultaneously and
| We're followed by enormous edemata.
| necroSeS and Slougls. so that after de-
| termining that 10 immunity to the
| local action developed this method was
abandoned and the intravenous used.
| 1t has been shown that after this
method the interior of the vessels
! showed no signs of injury. because the
| well-diluted venom met with greater
| dilntion in the circulating blood. No
| local or other irritative disturbances
followed the intravcnous injection. but
| the nervous impression was profound
| the horse often fell and remained uIi-
| conscious for several minutes. Two of
the three horses died before nntiveninc
developed from the damage to the tis-
| sues us Il result of the irritation pro-
duced by the subcuianeous injection.
| Antivenine was obtained from the
| third animal. 1t met death. however.
| from an accidental entrance of the
venom injection into the jugular vein.
| The antivenine obtained was injected
into Il rabbit, two centimetcrs. and II
protected the animal against n full
dose of the rnttlesnake venom. From
this is deduced the theory that people
can be immuned from srnke-biie poi
son. but the practical method of Obj
taining the antivcninc with Il surety
and the absence of practical expert
ments on IL human being leaves thu
matter in the ranks of theory.