Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-03-10
SNAKES.
Some Strenuous Inhabitants Of the
Junqles of Asia.

Jungles Of Asia.
Contrary to general belief, the
python, or boa constructor. rarely at
tacks people and is looked upon very
differently by the people than are the
hamadryad and cobra. The python
will take up his abode in a neighbor-
hood and will not disturb anything
except the hen roosts. These he dis
turbs very much, as he has a great
fondness for chickens, also for astray
dogs or small goats. 1 know of one
/ case, however, in a floating house,
where a python attacked a woman
and, contrary to the preconceived
idea, did not crush her in his folds.
but attempted to swallow her. COM
mencing with one one of her feet.
When she was rescued her foot and
ankle were badly lacerated by the
snakes teeth. The Chinese xiii the
python to make medicine from the
liver which has a big repute among
them. They also use the dried skin
for medicine. Any Chinese drug shop
in Siam will have number of python
skins for sale.
| One of the most important things
to know about snake bites is that the
poisonous snakes, such as the hama
dryad. cobra, ETC., leave on the indi-
vidual only two punctures Of the
poisonous fangs, while the less poi
I,ooo,e opd I,orpoIacc cpakac laova ha-
sides the two punctures the marks of
adventitious teeth. This is most i'm
portant in prognosis, as being called
to see persons bitten who were show
ing great shock it helps physician
and patient materially to assure the
patient that while he may be very i'll
he will not die.
| There is only one snake in the far
east-that is, in India, Burma, Siam
and the Malay peninsula-that will
always and at all times attack man
on sight. That is the. hamadryad,
justly more feared than any other an
imal that crawls. Fortunately for
mankind they are not common, ex-
cept in limited districts. They are so
feared by all that the native shikar-
ris, or hunters, will go miles out of
their way to avoid the locality in
which these snakes are known to ex-
list.
The hamadryad will stalk man as
a tiger stalks his prey. Mr.. Leon
owens, who as a boy was educated
with the present king Of Siam and
who is interested in teak forests,
told me he had seen elephants die in
half an hour after being bitten, and
that he always carried a shotgun
loaded with buckshot when in the
jungle infested by them. He said that
one of his men, a Burmese, was
chased by one and escaped by throw
ing away his clothing piece by piece,
the snake stopping each time to bite
the clothing. He shot the snake him
self just as the man fell exhausted
near him.
These two snakes, the hamadryad
and cobra. cause the great annual
deathroll of India from snake bite,
about $4,000 last year. One reason
for this great death roll is that Hin
dus and Buddhists will not kill the
snakes, as it is against their religion
to take life. The cobra will go away
from you usually, except in the nest
ing season, and then he will attack
you on sight if you disturb him or his
mate. 1t is at this time that so many
deaths take place among the Malays
and Siamese. as it is coincident with
the e-planting season. Death usu-
ally takes place in an hour or less.
have known a large buffalo to be bit
ten and die in fifteen minutes. II
must have been directly into a vein
In the Malay peninsula and in ST.
am no one ever walks abroad after
dark without a lamp or torch, as ii
proves almost suicidal to do So
Medical Journal.