The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-02
SCORFS AT THE RATTLESNAKE.
ICONOCLASTIC SNAKELORE by A
NAV FROM TEXAS.
The Power OF Its venom Exaggerated. He
DecIsres-Hsitten People who Recover
Animals Don't Fear Rattlers-W hiskey
Not q Cure-Snakes That do NIL.

"You can believe 1t or not" said the
little man in the loud-ohecked suit. but
before that rattlesnake had stopped wigglin'
the man was dead as doornail"
He took Il long pull at a pair of straws
that nestled close together In his glass,
and glanced around with the triumphal
air Of a man who has Just clinched a satis-
factory story with a fitting climax.
The thin, long man at the corner OF the
table looked up from under the brim Of
his SLOUGH hat.
We can believe it or not. I think you
said?" he inquired, mildly.
That's what said," returned the little
man. belligerently
well, then, I don't said he Of the SLOUGH
hat.
Il suppose you were there and know
all about it, sneered the other.
Maybe wasn't there at that particular
occasion. What's more, don't believe
anybody else was. Why? Because, peo-
pie don't die that way OF rattlesnake
bite. I've seen lots OF folks that know of
other folks that saw a man die OF rattle
snake bite, but I never knew Of but two
cases that would convict the rather in a
court of law. Not in Texas, anyway
you're from Texas, are you? Perhaps
the Texas variety Of rattlesnake don't
amount to much
"Oh, we've got nine different varieties
and guess they'll hold their own with any
serpent that ever played the cas.anets,"
replied the Texan. "Those varieties are
all genuine rattlers. The copperhead and
moccasin, and the barber-pole snake, which
is heap more poisonous than any Of EN-,
aren't counted III that reckoning"
What's barber-pole snake?" asked one
of the other men at the table. "One Of
the kind you hear about while you're gettin'
shaved?"
"Pll tell you that later" answered the
Texan. The discourse that goes with
this present drink waiter kindly initiate
a board Of inquiry--concern rattesnakes.
If were on a lecture platform, 1 should
entitle it The Rattlesnake al a Fake.
Fake, hey?' cried the little man, in ex-
cited tones. Fake? Would you stand up
and let a rattesnake bite you?"
NO, sir; l wouldn't" replied the Texan.
Il wouldn't stand up and let u mosquito
bite me, II saw him first. There's nothing
in it. But, tell you, gentlemen, the big
qest fake unnailed is this notion that the
bite of a rattlesnake is invariably fatal.
IT'S hardly ever fatal I'm willing to
admit that if Il full-sized diamond-back
RATHER landed his fangs deep in an artery,
the victim would very likely die, but an ordi-
nary bite doesn't hit so vital a spot. and
it's lust about as likely TO cause death as
case of measles.
A doctor Of my acquaintance has spent
twenty years trying to substantiate reports
of death from the crotalus venom, and in
all that time he has never found single case
that was positive. Two cases came near
enough TO fix the responsibility Of death on
the snake.
"One was that OF woman whose fool
friends scared her into Mysteries. and from
that into commissions, because baby RATHER
about foot long had put a pin prick in her
finger. The other case died OF delirium
tremens resulting from two quarts OF whis-
kew in a stomach unused to alcohol
THAT'S all hearsay," objected the little
man Have you ever seen any cases
yourself?'
an twenty years I've seen twenty-fOur
cases of snake poison" replied the Texan,
THAT may seem small account for coun
try where venomous snakes are as common
as they are in Texas.
But the fact is that accidents Of this
kind are very rare. A RATHER doesn't
crawl around waiting for chance to tackle
a man. He has other business to attend to.
unless come upon suddenly, he isn't
dangerous. Even then he must coil before
he can do damage, and he always sounds
his warning. Usually man who is bitten
is the victim of his own carelessness.
"Of the twenty-four instances that came
under my own observation, two were those
of men bitten by cotton-mouthed moccasins
and two by copperheads. All the victims
swelled up pretty badly, but they were
well over it in the course of week. or
the twenty rattlesnake bites, not one re-
suited fatally.
six of them were by big diamond backs.
The worst case was that OF ranchman
who heard an animal proving around his
chicken COOP, and went out with nothing
on but nightshrt and a revolver: The
RATHER happened to he hunting, himself,
that evening He coiled and ratified.
THE ranchman jumped the wrong way,
and the fangs caught him just below the
knee. They sank so deep that the snake
hung on and was dragged into the house.
1.-The man suffered agOnies FOR two days. |
II was two weeks before he was able to !
get around, and for several years he suffered
from recurring gangrenous ulcers. In
fact, think he never fully recovered his |
health.
"One Of the other cases was bite on |
the hand. which resulted in permanent |
PARALYSIS of some of the arm muscles. !
The rest were OF less result, though all OF /
them left the patients with vitiated blood !
for time.
Several of my observations were Of
men bitten by the ground rattlesnake.
This ia the most dreaded Of all by Texans,
because it strikes close upon it's warning. |
II IL very vicious, and it prefers to live near |
houses or outhouses. As to Its venom, it |
seems less potent than that OF the diamond |
back On the average it is not as large, |
and it's fangs do not sink 80 deep.
"A Young woman of my acquaintance
was bitten on the cheek by one of these |
reptiles while opening rat-trap for the |
benefit of a terrier. The snake was, per-
haps, hunting that rat himself. Anyway, |
he struck hard and deep.
"The girl nearly died Of shock and terror |
but eventually recovered completely ex-
cept for one thing. To this day at the sight, |
or even the mention of a snake, one side |
of her face begins to twitoh convl1lsively, !
and she becomes violently nRuiseated. |
By the way, the terrier cheWed that RATHER |
to- ribbons, and suffered not the slightest
i'll effects
animals seldom die from snake bite |
Out Of nearly fifty dogs bitten by rattlers |
l,ND, ~ fowl ,ettn