Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-05-20
QUEST OF SCIENTISTS
Experts Seeking Antidote For
Bite of Ratiiesnaka.
WOULD BE A LIFE SAVER.


pect to Find Specific Anttoxin-Rep-
tiles In Bronx Zoo Supplying Venom
For Tests.
A series of experiments which have
for their object the discovery of an
antitoXin remedy for rattlesnake 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 a serum for snake bite is now
manufactured in the Pasteur institute
at Lille, France, 1t IS believed by the
Rockefeller institute experimenters
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 a specific
serum or antitoXin would prove more
effective than n general one. for the
antitoXin made at the Pasteur insti-
tute is not specific, but is designed for
use in the case of any poisonous snake
bite-cobra, viper, asp or any other of
the Gca1ly reptiles.
ThCsn who have been carrying on
the experiments to obtain an infallible
antiIote for rattlesnake bite argue
that nature provides n 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 Gfter recovery is immune
to another attack Of that malignant
disease, but is not immune to measles
or other Kindred maladies. Thus in
the case of smallpox nature provides
tmmunation for that specific disease.
Acting on this principle, DR.. Hideyo
Noguchi, n Japanese scientist attached
to the Rockefeller Institute of Medical
Research, began the experiments with
rattlesnake venom which are expected
to result in a cure for the bite. Med
ical men say that more persons die
from rattlesnake bite I'm 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 DIR. Noguchi and his fellow expert
menters to believe that by using the
venom of rattlesnake exclusively in
the making of serum the best re-
suits could be obtained. 1t is said that
the serum made by the Pasteur fnsti-
tutc is obtained by mixing the venom
Of several different Kinds of poisonous
reptiles. In so doing it IS asserted
that the serum aUtaiHs 20 wi Ter range
of effectiveness am ,.a Ia used for
almost any venouug5 'in
In obtaining SNAKE ...' Serum the /
Pasteur institute scientists use some .
times a goat, but more frequently n
horse or mule. The animals are in |
oculated with a small quantity Of |
venom taken from a cobra, viper or .
other snake and allowed to rest for |
several days. Then another and |
slightly larger dose OF venom is in |
jected. Again rest. then a still lar
ger dose until the animal Is able to /
withstand an injection of venom .
which would kill several men. 1t |
would also kill the animal were such ,
quantity injected at the first stage
of 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 a keen inter
est in the Rockefeller institute expert
ments. He has kept on hand stock
Of the Pasteur institute snake bite an
titoxin for several years, although he
has never had occasion to use it. He
said the other day that should the ex-
perlmcnts of DR.. Noguchi and his CO.
workers produce the expected result it
will be most valuable acquisition to
medical science.
1T is sound principle on which
they are working" said Mr.. Ditmars.
1t is law of nature TO provide i'm
munation for a repetition Of certain
specific diseases. In trying to obtain
an antidote for the bite of Il rattle
snake the Rockefeller scientists are
only applying a principle of nature.
"Th" death rate in India has been
materially lowered by the use of the
lntitoNin made by the Pasteur insti-
ute, for in India the cobras are deadly
md numerous The natives 20 around
With bare legs and fall easy victims ;
o the bite. But in recent years the an.
toxin is TO be had all over India. and
is use has saved thousands of lives
Now that most parts Of the south
ire going dry and whisky is getting ,
larder to obtain it is likely that The