The San Francisco call., 1906-12-31
SAY SNAKE BITES
NOT DANGEROUS
Two Smithsonian Professors
Assert That the Poison
of Rattlers Is Not Fatal
ANIMALS RARELY DIE

A recent edition of the Chicago News
contained an article telling of a con-
troversy between certain professors of
the Smithsonian Institution as to the
effect on human beings of the venom of
the poisonous snakes of America. Two
OF these professors hold that there is
not an authentic instance on record in
the United States of the death of a
grown person from snake bite. Con-
elusive data on the subject is not to be
had. This article will deal only with
the several varieties of the crotalus,
more Familiarity known as the rattle
snake. Although the yellow or timber
and mountain variety is the largest,
it is not so dangerous as the other two.
The action Of its venom does not show
the same degree of acute intensity.
The variety is more numerous in the
heavily timbered region of the East
and the Allegheny, Blue Ridge and
Smoky mountains.
The variety found in the West, and
particularly on the plains. is smaller,
Of a dingy dark color and more specific
ally known as the ''massasauga," and
is extremely dangerous. The writer had
considerable experience with the snake
and knows personally of several deaths
from its bite All of these persons
We're under eighteen years of age, and
in each case the best known and most
approved remedies were promptly and
intelligently applied. Young persons.
being needless. are more liable to be
bitten than their elders. The writer
was credibly informed of one case of
robust. middle-aged man who was
bitten by a ''massasauga," but recov-
cred after a period of great physical
anguish. accompanied by incipient' mad
ness. the distressing symptoms being
annually recurrent, though happily in
z modified form
The black diamond or water rattle
snake is also dangerous. 1t is natural
ly shy, is not numerous and is found
. only along the water courses of the
Southern States.
The part of the body bitten and the
condition of the person at the time of
being bitten have an important bear
ing on the outcome of snake bite.
Should the fangs pierce a vein or
artery and the person be overheated.
with the blood coursing swiftly from
eNertiOn. the case is grave and the best
treatment promptly applied is likely to
be of no avail
Full-grown animals in good condi-
tion. either wild or domestic. seldom
sOccumb TO snake bite. They recover
in a few days. doctoring themselves
by methods prompted by instinct.
logs, nOfSeS ana cdllle are frequently
bitten.
Cats and mules are never bitten.
The habits Of cats, their acute senses.
alert watchfulness and lightning like
rapidity of movement in moments of
danger stand them in good stead. Their
prowling is done at night, while snakes
are daylight prowlers.
Mules are instinctively on guard
against snakes and have the faculty
Of discovering the presence of a snake
in time TO avoid contact Hogs are the
natural enemies Of snakes and unless
fects from being --fanged.7 They
pounce upon snakes at sight with
great fury. tearing them TO pieces and
deSOuring them
Rattlesnakes exhale a peculiar odor
and their venom appears to attain its
greatest 'xirulence in the month of Au-
gust
No matter how often or under what
circumstances a person may hear the
warning rattle. always sounded except
during the shedding period, this start
ling sound gives a momentary unnerv-
ing shock of dread. The rapidity of
the vibratory action of the rattiers
when being sounded is remarkable and
the act OF striking out with the fangs
is done quickly Otherwise, the move
ments of the snakes are slugginsh l.
The writer would hesitate to advise
the two professors TO seek to demon
strate their theory by personal ex-
pertinent with the .-massasauga" It
would be tantamount TO an Invitation
for call from the grim reaper.-Chi-
cago News.