The Washington herald., 1907-12-29
THE GILA MONSTER
Labeled Suspicious, but Not as Dangerous
as Is Generally Believed.

/ property in the saliva DR.. Shufeldt
Prof Snow, Dr. Goodfenov, and Nr. Gill
gan were each bitten. and recovered
promptly, though the pain and swelling
following the bite. as well as the feeling
OF faintness produced. Indicate that il
does have some poisonous effect.
Reptile Found 20 Be Poisonous.
Although Prof. Snow promptly recov-
cred from the bite. he nevertheless con-
cluces that the reptile must be poisonous
( on the principle that what everybody saws
must be 50. a form Of argument once
very effective in treating witches He
says; But unless the ella monster we're
IN fact a venomous reptile. how could lis
universal bad reputation be accounted
for?' And yet Prof SNOW is an enton,oI-
/ ogist and knows that the harmless vyhin-
scorpion Of the Southwest is equally
dreaded That the bite OF the Heloderms
should be harmless. when ths Loculatfo1
OF lis saliva should cause death in
rabbit. IS not so extraordinary as il might
seem.
Experiments have shown that inoeula-
ton with the saliva-y gland u a harmless
snake may Kill a guinea pig. although the
bite OF the same snake would produce
no effect II order 20 cause death. 4
comparatively large amount OF saliva
must be introduced into the circulation.
and in spite OF It's grooved faaes the
necessary amount cannot be introduced
Dy the bite Of the ella monster. StIII. II
the groOyed teeth Of IN. Helcferua are
oy no means so effective rs the hollow
fangs Of the ratuer and cob.a. which
may be called the original or the hypo-
derInic syringe, they are quite as good
as those OF many poisonous snakes
GOaded Into Biting Themselves.
Speaking Of snakes recalls the popular
belief that poisonous snakes may be
s0aded into biting themselves and
promptly dying from the effects OF their
own venom. That snakes. Ike dogs. may
be tormented into biting themselves is
possibly true. but that they die from
self-indicted bites IS quite an erroneous
belief The venom OF a snake has no ef-
feet upon the serpent itself: more than
this, il has no effect upon harmless
snakes. so that the king snake, or any
other species, runs no risk IN attacking
a rattler.
To sum III. Il may be said that whIs
pigeons and rabbits have been killed nv
hypodermic injections OF the saliva Of the
ella monster, there seems 70 be no au-
thenJic case Of death or serious injury
following the bite Al The same time. i
is Just as wei % look upon the ella mon
ster as . suspicious character and leave
him alone. be is AZ best a creature OF ur-
certain temperament and while ~ nay
stoNdly endure handling for months with
out protest. like an unloa6ed pistol. ne IS
liable 90 90 Of az any minute and turn
upon his owner And although the teeth
are made for holding and not I1r cutting.
so that g is quite cut OF the question Tor
him 70 ni3 OUT a piece OF flesh. yet the
bite is severe and painful
i may De- well 20 add that the CHA
monster and his Mexican cousin. the EIe.-
oderma hOrr-dum, are the only TWO lizards
reasonably suspected Of being poisonous.
There Is a vague impression that some
lizards are harmful, but most are such
brilliantly colCred little fellows IS 70
escape suspicion, which shows that after
All dress counts for something. even
among fOur-lesged animals