Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-18
SNAKE VICTIM LIVES
Antitoxin May Save Life OF
Keeper David Rose.
DIAMOND RATHER BIT HIM
That Reptile Among the Most Poi.
sonous Serpents Known.
NOT A DROP OF SERUM HERE
The New York Zoo Had Some and
Rushed It on-Must Keep
Patient Awake.
DIAMOND RATHER BIT HIM
NOT A DROP OF SERUM HERE

xAt1ent Awake.
David Rose. the keeper at the local zee
who was bitten by a deadly diamond rat
tier yesterday afternoon. is getting along
nicely at the Emergency Hospital. He
isn't out of danger by q long shot, but
his condition is improving.
If he does get WELL Rose will have the
officials of the New York zoe to thank,
for they rushed a bottle. of anti-snake
bite-anti-toxin is the medical term for it
in care of a Pullman conductor to
Washington. When it came at o'clock
last evening. Rose was in bad way,
but he rallied soon after the first injec-
ton had been made, and has improved
somewhat since then. DR.. William Carr,
who has charge of the case, wouldn't say
today that Rose would recover. but he was
plainly hopeful.
Had No Anti-Snake-Bite.
1t is pretty certain that hereafter Dr.
Frank Baker, superintendent of the local
hand. There's a pretty fair collection OF
assorted reptiles out there, and, while II
is a rare thing for keeper to be bitten
by q snake or any other captured thins
that walks or flies or erawls, it is realized
now that a mans life may depend upon
having q remedy handy.
Rose, who is fifty years old and lives at
1893 W street northwest, has been en-
ployed at the Eco for a number of yeari
and was regarded as q careful man. Most
zoo keepers are careful. Those that art
not usually die suddenly. when young.
Rose slammed open the door of the
snakehouse yesterday morning about II
o'clock and stepped in among the motion
less reptiles. He carried his bucket ant
brush in one hand and in the other, loose
iy, carelessly. like a cane or q swaggeI
stick the pronged rod that he used. when
necessary. to pin snakes head to the
floor of the cage or to push RATHER. q
nloccasin or an adder out OF the way
Twas his accustomed daily routine and he
housewife when she swaths a broom and
goes after spiders and their webs. high UP
on the wall.
Says He Wasn't Careless.
Rose says he was neither more nor less
ter now. He showed a big diamond RATHER
out Of the way with his pronsed rod and
then turned his back. That second he
felt a darling. singing. heart-reachins
pain in the middle finger Of his left hand
He leaped for the door Of the cage with
just q downward glance at the wounded
finger. There. already darkening around
taxable little red holes where a RATHER
swiftly hung fangs had struck.
The keeper didn't have to ask anybody
what they meant. He has worked around
that rattler's bite is mighty dangerous
but he realized. too. that a diamond rat
tier Is pretty nearly the most venomous
crawling thing Of all the reptilian tribe.
SO he dropped his bucket and brush and
his pronged snake rod and went on the
jump to find DR.. Baker, the superintend-
emit o; the Zoo. And he sucked his wound
ed. swelling, biackening finger as he ran.
First Aid Treatment.
applying tourniquet to the finger to stop
the how OF blood, with its burden of par
alyxing poison. toward the heart. And he
gave Rose an injection of permanganate
Of potash. with stimulant. too. and per-
mitted him to stay out there at the Zoo
DR.. Baker knew all about the deadly prop.
critics Of diamond venom and so did Rose.
time his finger swelled and his hand
swelled and his arm swelled and the
thick black poisoned blood showed dark
beneath the skin.
Finally about O'Clock the Emergency
Hospital ambulance was summoned fol
the long trip to the 90 and Rose was go,
under medical care about 3 o'clock. He
needed It, He was In a bad way and DIR.
Carr and several others Of the hospital
staff got to work on him In a hurry. But
l t60xr h f~ft
that was what they needed and what they
had to have. Dr. Baker was busy trying
to get 1t. Hurried telephoning to other
hospitals and laboratories revealed the
fact that there wasn't a drop of the anti
toxin in the city. and then he thought of
the New York zoo and jumped to the long
distance.
Did the zoo have any anti-snake bite ?
The zoo did. Would they rush it to the
Emergency Hospital in Washington? They
would. And they did.
= Antitoxin Arrives.
The antitoxin came in at o'clock and
with 1t a human message Of hope and
encouragement from the folks in charge
over there. A messenger from the Emer-
gency was waiting for it, and he made
record time back to the institution with
the precious package in his pocket Rose
improved after the very first injection.
''It Is generally conceded" said DIR.
Carr this morning-and this is not DR..
Cars first snake bite case. either-"that
il the patient in q case of this kind lives
thirty-six hours his chances for recovery
are greatly improved. Every minute that
he gets along without becoming uncoA-
scious increases his chances"
Must Keep Rose Awake.
And DR.. Carr might have added that
in order for the patient to live he must
be kept awake. Once the deadly coma
gets him it's all of but sending for the
undertaken. SO In ROSES case DR.. Carr
has devoted every effort to keeping Rose
conscious, wide awake. on edge Strych-
nine and other heart and brain stimulants
are given him at short intervals and he
il kept walked and slapped with iced
towels and massaged.
Rose is badly frightened. He talked
with his wife for some time last night
and she called again this morning. but
it was thought best to permit him to see
her for only q few minutes.
To Extend Research.
The accident probably will have the
effect Of extending the researches Of the
hygienic laboratory in this city into the
realms of snake poisions. Up to the pres
ent g. Weir Mitchell is about the highest
authority on snake venoms in this coun-
try. He has been at work on the subject
for many years and decided that there
was no real chemical antidote for snake