The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-03-18
THE RATTLEsNAkE's VENOM
Acts on the Human Veins Exactly
as Does Acid on a Metal
Pipe.

One Of the Oldest controversies
among biologists is whether the venom
Of the rattIer is fatal. On the one
hand are experts. who point 70 IN
stances where men have survived It's
bite: On the other are scientists VINO
cite long lists Of those paying eio-
ouent tribute to the proves oil the
viper,
According to chemical analysis
writes A. W. RoIker, in Pearson's Mag
azlne. the poison Of a rattlesnake con-
sists Of IS per cent, of bIood-destroy'
ing element and Ave per cent of nerve
destroying element-a fact which eH-
plains the dreadful suffering OF the
victims Of this reptile. Rattlesnake
poison acts on the human veins exact
" as does acid when poured into a
metal pipe, Like the acid, the poison
attacks the walls Of the veins, eating
and gnawing through them and de-
stroying the red corpuscles OF the
blood. lever ceasing until the very
walls Of the heart are gnawed, bring
ing that organ 10 q st4ndstill. Quick
bleed poisoning is the real cause of
this frightfui death; for, into the brief
space Of two hours or less is crowded
the circulating pin Of an ordinary
case of blood poisoning extending over
several weeks. The victims body turns
purple and black, 1t swells to two or
three times its size. The man cries in
agony under the torture Of a burning
inside as if melted iron were courstng
through his arteries.
To enumerate more than a few in
stances among the thousands of hui
man victims Of TIE ratticsnake's ven
ON is manilestly impossible. But here
are several that Illustrate the wonder
tul activity Of the poison and that have
come to the personal notice of Mr., Dit
mars:
While hunting in Georgia, a physi-
clan was struck in an artery in the
groin by a rattlesnake which he star
tied when sitting down to eat lunch.
Despite the efforts Of a second physi-
clan who was in the party, the mar
lay stretched in death within ten min
utes.
Not many years ago Washington uni
yersity lost one Of its professors who
was experimenting with a young rat
tier whose head had just been chopped
off. Surprising life extinct the expert
stopped to pick up the severed head,
when the mouth opened and the fangs
fastened themselves in a death grip.
In two hours the professor was dead.
Many similar instances might be
cited. bat Mr.. Ditmar's own experience
with a rlttlesnake's venom illustrates
even better the yirulence of the poison
One Of the T~attlesnakes in the reptile
house having died, the curator skinned
il and stripped the skeleton for mount
ing. Two months after the bones had
been bl2ached he scratched the tip OF
a f0refnger with one of the fangs,
barely pu%ncturing the skin. The in.
significant prick was promptly cauter.
lied and ~bandaged, yet within ten min
utes the poison was at work. The
finger intamed with alarming rapid.
ity; within two hours the entire arm
was attacked and was swollen to
double its natural size, and that night
the curator went to a hospital. Nine
weeks he lay in the hospital and seven
times he was on the operating table
before it was decided that his arm.
Scared, carved and permanently stiff.
eRed, would not have to be amputated.