East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-09-18
THE SNAKE-B|TE
CURE FOR FEVERS
PASTEUR INSTITUTE SEEKS
REPTILES FOR MEDICINE.
Snakes Are Shared and Poison Is Ex-
uacted by Delicate Process -
Frcnchnen Believe Venom VIII
Cure Serious Cases-Have Interest
ing Method Of Treating Accidental
Bites.

Wllkes-Barre, Pa, Sept. 1S.-Dr
Walter NJ. Atkinson and his assistant
Dr. j. l.. Engle of the Pasteur Insti-
tute at Lille, France, are now in the
mountains of this state hunting cop
perheads and rattlesnakes for the
purpose Of extracting poison from
their fangs and using 1t in expert
ments to find an antitoxln for mallg-
nant fevers.
The reptiles are caught alive by
means Of snare Of fine silver wire as
flexible as a thread. One end is
made into a slip moose, and attached
To the end Of stick four or five feet
In length, and when a snake is found
this moose is slipped over its head and
the slightest pressure of the snake
will draw 1t tight In this manner it
IL often carried until the cage is
reached.
The extraction of the venom has Of
necessity TO be done with extreme
care. over the mouth Of thin glass
funnel about three inches In dame
ter is stretched a piece Of sterillzed. |
widc-mesh gauze. fastened in place
by rubber band. The end of the
funnel Is inserted in a sterllzed, FROST |
ed glass tube, about three-elghts Of
an inch in diameter and about three |
inches long.
The funnel and tube are held by a |
pair Of long forceps. The cage con-
tanning the snakes has a small OPEN
ing in it. When this is opened they
will try 20 make their escape and as
hey do so they are grasped just back
IF the head.
Anger the Reptiles.
Snake and gauze-covered funnel are
brought nearer and nearer
lntil the snakes head has approach
ID within two or three inches of the
mouth Of the funnel when a slight,
luck pressure of the doctors hand
myers the reptile and II strikes the
irst object in view and sinks its fangs
nto the meshes of the gauze. These
angs. Of which there are two, located
n the upper jaw, are. natures hypo-
lermic needles. AS soon as any pres
ure is exerted upon them the venom
$ elected through them from glands
ocated above
Two drops Of venom are all that
ire extracted each time, but the same
make is used time and time again.
With these two drops OF poison cling
ng to the gauze the first cleaning of
he harvest is obtained A slight tap
ipon the gauZe causes the venom to
lrop into the funnel and from there
nto the sterilized tube. Great care
$ exercised to keep everything con-
lected with the operation sterile
When the tube is full it is hermetical-
y sealed.
The commercial value of the ven-
I'm is 100000 a pound, or $4,000 an
unce. DR.. Atkinson expects to OBJ
ain about $4,000 worth from his sum-
ner's work
Venom Us AntitOxin.
While the use of venom secured
rom reptiles as an antidote and an
toxin is not new. its use an an an
toxin for malignant fevers is. DR..
atkinson carries set of surgical in
truments with him whenever he is
ut hunting snakes and his method
I treating a snake bite IS very inter-
sting.
Should he be bitten on the end Of
niger, the most probable place in q
andling them, a common rubber I
and such MS is used in every office, is {
visited tightly about the finger near
he hand. When the circulation has '
cen shut off the band is gradually I
orked forward until the blood is all a
'rced into the tip of the finger. Then '
18th a sharp lance an incison is made t
! the flesh from the first joint to the c
p of the finger and the blood spurts {
ut and carries the poison with it.
After the blood and venom have
cen removed from the lacerated fin
er hypodermic injection of potas- {
um permangnate is made in the fin