Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-05-07
QUEST OF SCIENTISTS.
Experts Seeking AntidOte for Bite of
Mathematics.

Experts seeking Antidote for Bite of
Mathematics.
A series of experiments which have
for their object the discovery of an
antitoXin remedy for rattlesnnke bite
are now being conducted at the Rock
efeller Institute of Medical Research
in New York city. Already the tests
are well on their way to completion.
While serum for snake bite is now
manufactured in the Pasteur institute
at Lille. France it is believed by the
Rockefeller institute eXperimcnters
that this can be materially improved
on for the specific use in cases of rat
tlesnake bite. They began the expert
ments on the principle that Il specific
serum or antitoXin would prove more.
effective than Il general one. for the
antitOXin made at the PaStcur inSti-
tutc is not specific. but Is designed for
use in the case of any poisonous snake
bite-cobra, viper. asp or any other of
the deadly reptiles.
Those who have been carrying on
the experiments to obtain an infallible
antidote for rattlesnake bite argue
that nature provides specific remedy
for specific diseases and that this
should always be used if possible. 1t
is argued that in the case of smallpox
the patient after recovery is immune
to another attack of that malignant
disease. but is not immune to measles
cr other kindred maladies. Thus in
ha Of
immunation for that specific disease.
Acting on this principle. DIR. Hideyo
Noguchi. a Japanese scientist attached
to the Rockefeller Institute of Medical
Research. began the experiments with
rattlesnake venom which are expected
| to result in cure for the bite Med
| ical men say that more persons die
| from rattlcsnake bite In the United
| States than from the bite Of any other
| serpent. Especially in the south and
| west and southwest is this true. AL
| though there are many who champion
whisky as an almost sure cure for
| rattleSnake bite, many medical men
are skeptical on that point.
| Observation of the effect of the Pas
| teur institute serum on persons who
have been bitten by cobras in India
| led DR. Noguchi and his fellow expert
| mentors to believe that by using the
venom of a rattlcsnakc exclusively In
| the making of Il serum the best re-
| suits could be obtained. 1t is said that
| the serum made by the Pasteur insti-
| tute Is obtained by mixing the venom
Of several different kinds Of poisonous
reptiles. III so doing it is asserted
| that the serum attainS Il wider range
| of effectiveness and can be used for
| almost any venomous bite.
| In obtaining snake bite serum the
| Pasteur institute scientists use some
| times a goat, but more frequently n
| horse or mule The animals are in
| oculated with q small quantity Of
| venom taken from a cobra. vipcr or
other snake and allowed to rest for
| several days. Then another and
| slightly larger dose of venom is in
| iected. Again rest. then q still lar
withstand an injection of venom
which would kill several men. 1t
! would also kill the animal were such
n quantity injected at the first stage
IF the incubation. But gradually the
animal under treatment becomes i'm
mune When certain stage of i'm
munity to snake bite is reached the
serum is taken from the animal. This
is sealed in air tight tubes.
The rattlesnake venom which is be-
| ing used in the Rockefeller institute
experiments was extracted from the
big rattlers in the Bronx park zoo.
Several of the diamond backed rat
tiers from the southwest have been
tapped for venom during the last few
weeks. The reptile house is prolific
source Of reptile venom these days. for
there are several dozen rattlers and
other deadly poisonous snakes in cap
tivity there. The rattlers which have
given up their venom in the interests
Of science were drained by Raymond
l.. Ditmars, curator of the reptile
house
Mr.. Ditmars is taking keen inter