The sun., 1908-07-26
SEEKING SNAKE VENOM.
Two Doctors flusy at IN ODD wsrk In IN
Pennsylvania Mountains.


Pennsylvania Mountains.
WILkBsBARRs. Pa. July 72.-For the pur-
pose Of extracting poison from the fanga
Of snakes and using It In experiments To
find an antitoxin for malignant fevers DR..
Walter NJ. Atkinson and his assistant, DR..
j. L. Engle Of the Pasteur Institute at
Lille. France. are now in the mountains
OF this State hunting snakes. The search
is for copperheads and rattlesnakes ex-
clusively. and the poison obtained from
their fangs 10 to be used In the experiments
at the laboratory In Lille
The first stop In, Of course, the catching
OF the snake alive. This 10 done by means
Of snare OF fine silver wire ls flexible as
thread. This wire. one end OF which Is
made into q slip noose, 10 attached to the
end Of stick some four o. Ave fest In
length. and whena snake Is found this moose
Is slipped over it's heed and the slightest
pressure Of the snake viii draw IL tight.
In this manner 1t Is often carried until the
cage Ii reached.
When q sufficient number OF reptiles
have been secured the extraction OF the
venom is the next step. This has Of neces-
sity to be done with extreme care A thin
eisas funnel about three inches In diameter
is secured. and over the mouth Of 1t 10
stretched piece Of sreriHzed. wide mesh
gauze. fastened in place by q rubber band.
The end Of the funnel 10 inserted In a steril-
lied. frosted glass tube about three-eighths
Of an inch In diemeter and about three
inches long. The funnel and tube are held
by q pair Of long forceps The cage con-
tanning the snakes has . small opening in
II. When this is opened they will try to
make their esoape. and as they do 80 they
are grssped just back Of the head.
snake ana gauze covered funnel are
gradually brought nearer and nearer until
the snakes head hes approached within
two or three inches Of the mouth Of the
funnel. when q slight. quick pressure Of the
doctors hand engers the reptile and 1t
strikes The hrst object in view and sinks it's
fsngs into tho meshes Of the gauge.
These fange. Of which there are two,
located IN the upper jaw. are natures hypo-
dernic needles As soon as any pressure
is exerted upon them the venom Is elected
through them from glands located above.
Two drops Of venom are all that are ex-
tracted each time. but the same snake is
used time and time again.
With these two drops Of poison olinging to
the sauae the first cleaning Of the harvest
In secured. slight tap upon the gause
causes the venom to drop into the funnel and
from there into the sterilized tube. Great
care II e1ercised to keep everything oon-
nectsd with the operation sterile. When
the tube 10 full II Is hermetically sealed.
The commercial value OF the venom Ia
$4,000 a pound. or 5000 an ounce. DR..
Atkinson expects to secure about 5000
worth from his summers work.
While the use Of venom secured from rep
ties a. an antidots and antitoxin is not new,
its use a. IN aptitoxin for Alignant fevers
L. DR.. Atkinson carries q set Of surgical
Instruments with him whenever he Is out
hunting snakes and his method Of treating q
snake bite 10 very interesting.
Should he be bitten on the end Of finger,
the most probable plaoe In handling them, q
common rubber band suoh an 10 used IN every
Office 10 twisted tightly about the finger near
the hand. When the circulation has thus
been shut OF the band is gradually worked
forward until the blood 10 all forced into the
tip Of the finger. Then with sharp lance an
tnoision 10 made In the aesh from the first
joint 10 the tip Of the finger and the blood
epurts out and carries the poison with 1t.
After the blood and venom have been
removed from the laoerated finger q hypo-
dernic inj jeotton d potassium pefmanganate
10 made In the finger. and a. o last resort
strychnine 10 administered In tablet form.