Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-03-12

No real antidote has been found for
the poison of the most venomouS
snakes. If the fang is sunk into
tissues we'll supplied with blood YES
sells, or if it penetrate vein or an
artery, the poison goes at once into
the circulation.
AS a first remedy, sucking the
wound is the accepted best thing.
Strong suction, applied directly TO the
wound removes the greater part of
the poison. If one of the eXtremities
is bitten, ligature twisted tightly
around the limb between the bite and
the heart, followed by cupping and
cauterizinE is good. Whiskey in
large quantity also is prescribed as
the alcohol stimulates the heart ami
prevents the paralysis of that organ
which the poisoned blood tends to
produce.
The size of snake, it's general
condition, the fact whether or not il
has recently bitten an animal. or even
whether or not it be exceedingly
angry, have their effects on the
victim. A snake with it's poison
sacks full of secreted poison has been
found to be much more dangerous
than is one which recently has struck
some other creature. Necessarily n
young snake cannot he as venomous
as an old one that has attained its
growth.
Professor George E. Boyer of
Tulane university in Louisiana has
made some interesting experiments
with the bite of snakes.
His first experiment was with
copperhead less than a week old. He
teased the little creature and received
its bite on the hand. The sensation
was almost exactly the same as that
which follows the sting of a honey
bee The pain gradually diminished
and died away, leaving no after
effects.
On Aug. 4, following, Professor Boyer
followed this with an experiment
with ground rattlesnake only days
old. The reptiles had been born in
captivity, six of them five and one
half inches long and a quarter of an
inch thick, The professor chose one
of these, leased it until it was angry
and coiled, and then presented the
first joint of the little finger to re-
ceive the sting.
The snake struck like lightning.
Again the sensation was that of
bee sting, but for only a moment
Soon a sharp shooting pain ran to
the elbow, and another and another
until they reached the shoulder. The
bitten finger began to swell and be-
come dscolored, then numbness
came, followed by still harder pains.
lii one hour Professor Boyer coulI
not lift his arm to level with his
shoulder.
At the end of two hours the
symptoms that had been manifested
only in the arm became systemic.
He experienced sense of general
oppression and vertigo. All the while
the pain increased steadily.
At II o'clock Professor Boyer
went to bed, only to pass sleepless
might AT 2 o'clock in the morning
his temperature had reached 1913 de-
grees. At daylight he found that the
sW Yelling from the arm had extended
al down the right side and up the
side of his neck and face. His little
finger was double its natural size,
while the wound showed two inky
dots where the fangs had penetrated.
His whole hand and arm were dis
tended and hot and painful.
At 10 o'clock the next day, nearly
twenty-four hours after the finger
was bitten, the mans temperature
was 100. About that time, however
the reaction set in. For nearly two
days afterward, however. pressure Of
the arm would cause intense pain.
and for several days more the patient
felt uncomfortable and oppressed
No supuration followed the bite. and
lno remedy of any kind was used.