Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-04-07
SERUM FOR SNAKE BITES.
Venom Extracted from Rattlers Used
by Scientists as an Antidote
for Itself.

The method pursued by medical science
in its treatment of the more fatal dis
eases is to set back-flres-that is, use
the cause of the malady to effect its cure.
This is particularly true of those that
develop active and virulent poisons or
more particularly the germ diseases.
This has now bees brought forward to
hopeful experimentation with the poison
of venomous snakes, says recent re-
port.
That is danger that perhaps does rot
possess much personal interest for dwell
ers in cities, but if genuine antidote'
for the bites OF ah kinds Of serpents,
from the cobra to the copperhead, could
be discovered, thousands of painful
deaths in the old world and the new
could be annually prevented Even the
United States possess their share of
poisonous reptiles in their mountain re-
gions and their semitropical belt, ana
a great many thousand people would
feel more comfortable did they know
that an adequate antidote to their ven-
omous attacks existed.
In the Bengal province Of India the
statistics show that over 1000 deaths
occur from snake bites every year, and
in the other districts the fatalities from
the same cause are proportionately nu
merous. The cobra is the principal Of
fender and as its bite, unlike that of the
rattlesnake and most other venomous
serpents, causes comparatively pain
less death, it may be preferable to under
going experiences with famine or bu-
bonic plague. Still there are many
other sections of the world where life Is
still regarded as worth living and where
the bites of poisonous serpents are much
dreaded.
1t is announced that DR.. Marshall Of
the pathological department of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania has allied him
self with scientists of Europe in the eff
fort to discover an efficient antidote. It
is proper that this enterprise should be
international, because if results of value
are obtained the whole habitable globe
will become their beneficiary, and per-
| haps spots on it now considered habita-
BILE will then become so. DR.. Marshall
is now in Europe making his expert
ments but he has enthusiastic CO.
laborers working for him at the univeI-
sity and at the storehouse of the Phil
adelphia ZOO.
To this latter post twice month rep
resentatives of the university repair to
milk" the rattlesnakes and other ven
omous specimens. The snake is throt-
tied 90 it is impossible for him to use
his fangs and the poison sacs are then
pressed, yielding perhaps teaspoonful
of yellowish venom. When the entire
stock has been MIXED the snakes are
returned to the storehouse to secrete a
new supply.
The product Is taken to the laboratory
filtered and mixed with salt solutions
until it crystalizes. and is then consigned
to Dr.. Marshall in Europe, who expert
ments upon guinea pigs. rabbits and
dogs to test It's Pathological effects
Enough progress has been made to learn
that snake venom is not simple poison
but is composed of several constituents
of a proteid nature, each of which acts
On one tissue class Ct cells.
The only human subject upon which
the antitoxin has been tested was the
colored ianitor of the ZOO, who was bit
ten by an escaped rattlesnake and re-
covered by the use of the serum.