Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-27
GET VALUABLE POISON
DEADLY SNAKE FROM BRAZIL
YIELDS TO SCIENTISTS.

NEW YORK, April 27.-An operation
the first Of it's kind in eighty years ant
| the second in the history of medica
science. was performed in the reptile
house at the New York Geological Park
in the Bronx. yesterday. while score o
the most eminent medical men in thu
country were spectators. The patient wa
the lancehead snake Of Brazil. known Il
scientists as the Lachesis trianocephalos
the poison from which is the most deadly
known in the reptile world.
This particular specimen of the lance
head arrived in this country on Saturday
April IS, on a South American steamer
and was imported especially for the occa.
sion by well known chemist of this
city. The serum from this dangerous
reptile is of the utmost value in the treat.
ment of cases of insanity and infectious
Of the difficulty in obtaining the snake
alive.
It was back in 1898 that the last supply
of this poison was obtained by German
scientist, DR.. Herring, who was on an ex.
petition to the upper waters Of the Anna
ION. in Brazil, when he first heard Of the
snake. This small quantity Of lachesis as
the poison Is known to medical men, while
scarcely equal to the capacity of a small
teaspoon. was sufficient for the world s
needs until the present day, and even now
there Is still some Of it in existence
Grasped in Bare Hand.
Last Saturday the snake was sent to the
Geological Park. in care Of Raymond L.
Ditmars, curator of reptiles for the Zoo
logical Society. and yesterday morning at
II o'clock the operation was begun
Charley Snyder. the head keeper. and
Tuomey. a keeper. took the cover of
the glass box in which the lancehead was
a captive, and with the aid of two small
forked sticks pinioned its head just back
of the jaws and near the end of its tail.
In this position 1t was lifted clear of the
box and held up before DR.. Ditmars.
While the reptile tried in vain to wriggle
out Of its predicament DR.. Ditn1ars
grasped 1t quick as lightning with his
thumb and forefnger just behind the jaw.
at the same time holding a beaker glass.
the front Of which was covered with a
fine piece of gauze stretched across the
opening. The instant the glass was held
near its head the snake struck out its
forked tongue with lightning-like rapidity,
gauze and the poison dropping to the
bottom of the glass. Three times was
the serpent allowed to strike. until all
the venom in its poison sacs was ex-
hausted. It was a yellowish liquid. the
color Of amber, and the quantity of it in
17A grains.
Serum Made Ready for Use.
After the snake had been put back into
the glass box skilled chemist poured
the almost invaluable serum into a NOR
tar. such as is used in compromising
drugs. and after mixing into 1t ninety
nine parts Of sugar and water to every
one part of poison. began to pound the
whole mass vigorously until it was re-
into small glass Walls. when 1t was ready
for medicinal purposes.
In speaking Of the snake and the power
full effect Of the poison a chemist who
was present at the operation explained
to the newspaper representative that on.
dose of the poison as prepared for medi-
cal use consisted OF less than one-mil-
lionth part Of a grain. He said the 11as
grains of the unauthorized poison OBJ
about half century.
The snake from which the serum was
extracted yesterday Is consigned to the
Society of Medical Research, but in all
probability will never be received by that
organization. as not a mOrsel OF food
has passed it's mouth since 1t was cap
tured, more than a month ago. and the
operation Of obtaining the poison from
its sacs has further added to it's weak
ened state.
Among those who watched the extrac-
ton of the serum were the following
DR.. St Clair Smith, one OF the editors OF
the Medical Journal; DR.. Eugene H
Porter, state commissioner of health;
DIR. L. L. Danforth. DR.. Walter Sands
Mills, an editor OF the Medical Journal
and DR.. T. c. Robinson OF San Francisco