New-York tribune., 1906-09-16
VENOMOUS SERPDvr
HOzc Their POison-Beqr;u,
We're DeUeloped

with him, not with the object OF 49, "a d, p
tuda OF a rschaUffe serpent a son-..'o ~s n rs
purposes O. scientific research. and I.,. st
kitchen. Now. seIpenrs take tba1. 'as a
from the ground on which they Hs :, -,sr
corded tns privilege OF handling - s,i
ZOOlOstcal Gardens. you will fnd -. s'
antly warm an agreeable TO the tsu,s "a
Ike plush. II you chance % taEs -, ''1s;,
ths fearful pyuhOns which the - -
eharmer exhibits % a gllled Du5ls ~-s "a
VIII not Be greea5le-distinctiy chm - = " 4
poor brute Is. OF course. m state !. 80
In warmer climes the snake 60 +
would vanish Ike BOB Acres's col;rs,.- a
naturalist picked Up his snakes tss~, va
cold; when he returned 10 tie k,t.h.. - : g,
nice and warm. and tie first ons h. - y
sented the liberty BY biting him on h, ',-ss
wound proved mortal
Now n the Northern States. IN ~u i
Skilled medical aid has been avsussss' =
FeasonaDle period. the percentages ~
from rattiesnaks bite have excssdss -
though no doubt IN equatorial and tr,,,-.,
ica the proportions are fatally rsv,-.,s :,
case under consideration Il would ss.u =. L
conditions We're favorable % recovery -.
presumably knew how % treat snake h,,. -
presumably. remedies were at hand. ana -.
eonoiti0n OF the snake was certainly o.f-,.
modify the activity OF the venom Va, -.
died Possibly he was in bad health: bu. a.
prooabls explanation is that in tlls A.
fatal cases. the snaks got its faugz -.
closed It's Jaws on the wound. wher.a, -
escaped wer9 only scratched. IN order !, -
stand this proposition Il will Be uecessa,v -
a little anatomy
IN Us early days tho serpent was Az.
poisonous as canary; the elements Of uo.x
indeed IN It's system, but had not yst ~, :
eentrated. II had plenty OF testh-slx nm,
two on the lower and four On tba upr., - :
these were innocent solid weapons w5os. :.
IuhCllon was 20 entangle rats and mica ~ II
small deer while the snake slowly sT,i--
them-to die and get digested az leisur.
some evilly disposed serpeRts. however s.,-
0lsSatlSned with this slow process OF Obsau-z -
and set about remedying the defect and =, ~
greater safety for themselves. MANY a s-s -
have come 20 grief under the teeth of a ri,-
rat or weasel, on which 20 was rasnly ezsss---
% oreakras-. IL may be remarked. parsrtss-s7
that snakes meals are all "break-fastsii sfs-1
WseAs, sometimes or months Their 0t!sG :
was 70 ncapaCttate their victim 80 thstirs.-'
not be able 70 annoy them By wrisslinx n +
more. oy biting, while being swallowed
\ portion OF the salivary gland was .so-ss-,
mOOtned into an arsenal for cOnCsntratsd ~,
aaving thus secured the ammunition, ~ !.
step was 70 acquire efficient weapons ior {, =
It IL very remarkable that an exactly ldsrtlcs !,
vice was adopted by two families in rssD4ct y !.
formation Of the fang IN parts as Ear sspars.ss :
was snatomically possible-the cObras srarrsd 4 =
'front.' end OF the upper jawbols. ths vpsn !.
4 groove was formed n the crown az n. s.s
and carried down nearly to the poi,t ,sruss
channel In the course OF time the aizss :. =
groove curves over toward each other 30 .ss I
channel became more and NOR inolOSaa IN n,
IN sOnls hignly specialized serpents he sdxs =
SAu were L-Se1 INTO cdcn OtIeI. leagll- ! 4
1alnt trace or their junction. in some cssss ~
pc detected BY the naked eve. Such 1szS 4z1sr
IN very tact to be perforated By some Ha.,ur az
process, but dissection instantly clears u IA /. >
terry: there Is the semi-circls OF dentins torE n
the gradual forward and inward cu-vng ( 81
edges OF the groove, tnclosing crescent os ,n.s
cobras this process may be traced almost ,o- D
nesian snakes 20 the so-caled 'perrcrsiet" M
the highly specialized coral snake OF the MANIA ,
ViperS. however, started qua vipers, as -l
specialized serDents. and have al 'V=rtorsa
Here. then, we have the ammunition ard :ss g
TIE next process Is 70 load our weapon, "a 2
TO discharge 10. and the next and last % se1i y
charge 70 the mark.
The shooting apparatus consists Of a pez--
muscle, which y wound round the polso, Er
passes round the back OF the mouth, and Is .zs.s
on on the lower Jaw When this muscle q :,
tracted the poison gland is compressed rt a
venom driven forward. along the duct % ths t-f
az the same time the lower jaw g inszi4.
snapped 20 BY the contraction Thus g s1
that IN order q make really effecttys s--'fs >
snake has 20 bite on 20 the wound 4
The original cobra "a convenient nars n 9
family which began operations az the ioss e, !
the Jaw was a comparatively harnlsss -
with small fangs and plenty Of solid tcsis ~ ~
them. The prev was stll caught and sntansA
the teeth. while the poison injected r.-ols-
taugs rapidly par0lyzed IT'S resistance - =
OF the poison started a new train Of loud. =
not increase the size or the fang and tls w
OF the venom. so that the prey shall q rsrllx
on the spot and the necessity Or having rli = :
70 hold II Obviatedf IL would be tncOr-ect . -
"NO sooner said than done inasmueh . - z
ess took an uuCOuntaOle number or ye.ss
eventually Y was done. and IN ths nos
remote ancestors have been entirely s-~ sla
leaving IN their place pairs or most roF'-aA'T
son fangS
The original viper opened hts earnpalu -
telligentIy-tO Wit wl,h his poison falgs a <.
OF his taw Consequently he had 90 caic1 -
with his harmless 'front.' reeth. work it TO, -
the back OF his head "a snakes NOM -.
nearly 10 the nape OF IT'S neclO. ard ogen y
70 an angle OF nearly % degrees Delo.s -
bring his rangs 20 bear. Ths renleGy ~ - -
card all the solid teeth and a consl9s,A'sr ~ d
OF the tawbOne in front OF the tangS a.
result, easily intelgole no solid Jeetl - -. s,sI
on the upper taw bone Of ths viper oen'A'
because there never were any there. a, a.
The attack. tho sending Or the cl1sa.i A
mark, differs somewhat IN the coDf.S 49,,
vipers The cobra, accustomed rom s,-s, - 3 Il
stages OF It's evolution % upright ans
mont OF its mouth. bites "a mlght % ~
more OF less like other creatures N go
SONS less-and strike forward and d0wnxsas
the manner OF q man making a lons - ~
with a sword The tangs OF ne vipss vipsi.s ~,
in its back fanged stage. and IN some cssHs 4
long that It has to open It's head ~ 49,
nearly in the sans plane As a rule y sxssi Z.
coll, making q straight thrust Win ~ =. -. Z
us Jaws open az an angle " nearly ~ ~
the fongS at right angles 20 The Jaw =. =
TIE stroke OF the viper il more Likely esra .
taan that OF the COBRA but, IN compeess.svs
I0NlC properties or IT'S venom are not - 80.
What hope OF escape a. there from az 80
t0rmidable With the deadllesr weapons - y
The first chance OF salvation lies IN re ~ -
the snake IS about the worst shot iulagra..~..
Immediately after slOuEhiDg. is VISION = =
seopic. and thu longer 90 keeps the oid -, - >
pNncer u gets. Snakes havs no 49, =
eyes are protected BY q Uenllr ane ~ w. ~
Or the outer sklu.) SUppOsing, h0Wsss... n .
fangs do reach the mark the snake ~ -
It's Jaws 20 infect the poison, so that y ~-sols
can tWltCh away before the Jaws 49, ~
may escape with a comparatively sl--- ass
which, however, would probably SuI,,..S,'Ss, -
lingering death unless attended 20 w. sg5z
aoie PERIOD ~. hOWcNo ueauiN Sii-e as
II burying its fangs ana snappins -
prospects Or recovery are next % ..l.r.'s.t
y man severely bitten - a man CO s~9rrs.
ruined There NAV be an OCCASIONS ',1res, q
recovery" but with the drst siis i.is, . .
the end Al Australian (the rhaial ~, s1ryc,-
trala are ell coOraS) was treateI w. -,5af ts
and 80 completely cured, appareliltl, fsaf =
aole 20 mount his horse ard ride l9h.s sraz
ne died in his sleep. To the vSslA .Ji-sest .
sep - desperate ,.slA= y. ,r,lisst bgi T.
mCst always be Kept ca tna Nt..s"E h. - -
the periods OF slumoe-. when ilussf,F
as possible. vigilance must De d01S.ssr f,fsE |.
OF deadly snakes. watch IS the ~ ~, - ths 8
counts Tor a great deal The venom, nsls
Is more Viruieut than that or tio siffel D 4
less II would be Drefarable 20 Qe ~ 20
notorious nttle Indian KARAT W. M pg1 =
than your unger. rathcr tlan p9 = "a slrs,
with head tine size % ,ao.esp,o 1I,,,,-sross =
poison Stands 70 match me ..,, -.ssr 1sostial.s >