The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-27
EXTRACT DEADLY
YIPER'S VENOM
Scientists Perform Perilous 0p.
GRAFTON to Secure Half
q Teaspoonful Of
Serum.
OF INESTIMABLE VALUE
Operation In New York, Second In
History, Gives Fifty Years Sup
ply for Treatment Of Ma
llgnnnt Diseases.

New York April &C. For the first
time In SO years and the second time In
the history Of the science of medicine
an operation for the extraction of
venom from the deadly lance-head vip-
er, said to be the most poisonous Of all
reptiles, was performed at the Bronx
Geological park today. The operation,
which was directed BY f. w, Runyon
OF this city, through whose efforts the
Snake was captured and brought TO
4 New York. WAS a complete success and
as a result science once more has
plentiful supply Of the serum which
has been found almost invaluable in
the treatment Of extreme cases OF
insanity and Of many or the malignant
diseases. The extremely powerful ma
ture Of the lance heads venom can be
no better described, possibly, than by
lthe declaration Of one Of the sclent-
'ists who witness ID the operation to-
iday.
When the perllous task had been
completed and tho precious fluid OBJ
ltained had been carefully weighed and
found to be less than a third of an
ordinary teaspoonful IN quantity, he
announced that the supply was ample
to meet the demands of the world for
at least half century He explained
. that this would provide for the most
|, Widespread use Of the serum In all
X The malignant diseases such as typhoid
And scarlet fever and diphtheria. SO
X powerful Is the action that II Is pre-
soribcd only In the most minute guam
tiles. the largest potion commonly
q ised containing only one ten mil
ionth of n grain. From that point
tdhe trituratiCn continues to point
+ where figures would be useless In
4 attempting to describe It.
It'd To-day's operation was the culmn-
JAtion of painstaking trouble during
Which many obstacles which appeared
.. Utmost insurmountable were finally
SO great is the dread Of
vlhe reptile among the natives around
|, ,sIha headwaters of the Amazon where
"a is to be found and among sailors
Who know of Its dangerous character
. hat It was only with the utmost ditii-
: sulty that a specimen was caught and
(, Brought to New York.
I. Those who participated In the opera
! gtion today were DR.. Raymond l.. Dit
v flars, curator of reptiles at the park
. Dr. st. Clair Smith, one Of the leading
{, omeopaths of the country; headkeep-
:. IA Charles B. Snyder OF the reptile
4 Mouse, and Mr.. Runyon.
r,s Those who had gathered around the
s bible expecting to see the deadly viper
" Brought into the room securely Gagged
H ere thrown almost into panic when
III ieadkeeper Snyder appeared at the
,osead of the passageway bearing the
Ill rithing monster at arms length on a
%zbece of slender wire. They were reas.
Slired a moment later. however, wher
he snake had been placed upon thc
. EsAble, his head had been cleverly pin
'tsf med and DR. Ditmars firmly seizet
sgAm. Holding the reptile close to hi
szbdy with the head pointing outward
Z In Ditmars gave the signal and Keep
tF Snyder thrust into the snake!
fb Aouth the receptacle which had beer
'Xslfepared to receive the venom. 1t-wa'
IA lass of unusual strength and thu
ide aperture at the top had beer
3} pvered with a piece Of medlcate'
'iuze and securely fixed In place.
8Sl When the receptacle was at poin
'Ql ss than half an inch from the viper
N bse the snake lunged forward s.
81 iickly that the eye scarcely could fol
Nv It's motion; Its mouth went open
M e lips which covered its cruel fang
al8 rled back and with snap the fang
erced the cloth and the Jaws close
arply The poison, enough to kill
lien men. spurted harmlessly into til
ASS.
+ " kThe snake will be kept In captivity
nd II 1t survives Its new and strang
~ ndltions. It Is likely that the othe
erations viii be performed from tim
time and the future supply of tn
rum will be made secure possibly 70
81 II nturies.
But It Is hardly likely that the wipe
Hi live long This specimen has no
+ ten since captured In the wilds o
a NNazii morethan month ago, and tn
4 perts at the geological park say tina
n less It soon accepts nourishment
#aN Al languieh and die.