Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-10
FOOLISH EEAR OF SNAKE BITES
SO one writer Thinks But Urges
Caption and
Kennedy.


snake bite on dues Of about a dollar per
annum would have an AL risk.
Precautions against snake bites are
generally considered altogether useless,
even in region infested BY yenomops
snakes, sharp eyes and the protection %
shoes and trousers make the probability
Of being bitten very remote, more rare in
deed than being struck By lightning
Yet these things sometimes DO happen,
though IL one comes In close contact
with a yenomous reptile there + generally
more scare than accident" the writer
goes on. stepping over a fallen tree
in q southern swamp, / felt a slight blow
as OF twig or loose stick swapping back
against my leg, and discovered a mecca
sin holding on TO my trousers Just above
the shoetop and unable to get his fangs
loosened from the cloth. At another
time l slid doBn from a rock on a noun
tain and stood almost agtride Of small
rattlesnake. The angry creature struck
savagey but could not quite reach me
"of four persons and q dog bitten by
rattlesnakes, four persons and a horse
bitten by eopperheads, and two persons
and q dog bitten by water moccasins
within my immediate knowledge no one
case has proved fatal / have carefully
~+NN~ ~ AAiN ohAANAAAANAAJ vs. - AaAkH
number of cases mostly those struck BY
the rattlesnake, and have found but few
fatalities among them and no real evl-
dsnee that they gsrs eapssa BIZ the snake
When the books record deaths after
snake bite they assume this to have beep
the cause, but proof Is wanting Ordinary
blood poisoning may easily result from
careless treatment Of the fapg wounds
End u seems apparent that the greater
npnRsr Of fatalities are Of these spFgioally
":rhs most easily observed difference
between the action Of spake yenon and
ordinary blood poison Is the matter Of
pme, yet prolonged illness from snake
pits has occurred sometimes pf q dropsl-
sci eharacteFi death even has followed
after forty -eight hours. Death from
sepueeamia may occur In two days; 1t Is
more to be dreaded than snake bite
nature ppaided can easily take care Of
ths letter. the former has Prpbably killed
many 4 snake bitten man.
y knew girl OF fourteen in the Rsnn-
sylYama mopntaips who was struck by
2 eopperheaa snake twice op the bare IN
STEP she was aFWng the soHs from pas
Epre', HsYng P Sad handy she calmly
klAea ths snake then returned ~ the
house not pms mite alarmed, ana made
no msnp9n of the incident Of ths time
When the poison began It's slightly
eenpmPing aetion she went 70 bed sup
PEERLESS and not q thing was done tor her
She was up late the next morning ana felt
out OF sorts most Of the day. The third
Waruipg she was as we'll as ever
"A little later ] observed the fang marks
and heard the girls account OF the incl
dent. In this case at least blood poison
ing did not play a part.
Having no means for MEDICAL treat
ment at hand the best course to pursue
II bitten by a venomous snake is: First,
Keep calm and don't imagine that you are
going to die, for you are not Second.
act quickly and sanely; much depends
upon what is done the first few minutes
before the poison has a chance to dis
seminate.
Third. make a lgature aboye the
wound with well knotted handkerchief
bit Of clothing or a stout Irvine. ana
tighten with a stick thrust through the
loop and twisted until the cloth sinks
dsepy into the skin. Fourth, sterilize
knife blade by passing it slowly through
match flame then cut into each fang
puncture as wide as the blade and about
one-iourth OF an inch In soft flesh; IL
against bone the wound will be shallow.
Fifth, squeeze the poison out With the
flowing blood for a minute OF more hy
pinching the flesh deeply and eli around
tne wounds Sixth. stop the flow OF
piooo with bit Of clean psper. clean
hands and plenty of saliva, so IS 10 cause
2 healthy scab and thereby very peoes-
s9Fily prevent blood poisoning, which
would prove IN an already unhealthy part
bites. 7sFs Y
Seventh remove the IiEaturs to pre.
vent gangrene and remain as quiet az
possible or move slowly to a convenient
place OF rest Eighth. II depression Of
the heart action is observed take q finger
OF Whiskey, not more. and repeat the dose
frequently to accelerate heart action.
II convenient, send for doctor vhiIa
proceeding with the above treatment. b,,t
observe closely that any further surgical
operation, as the deeper drainage OF tba
wound may not prevent septicasnia- TN
frequency with which fatal blood noiaon1
ing follow operations in the hest az.
Polntea hospitals is sufficient excuse for
this fear. ~
~ may be well for any one, espeo,aiiv
uhla person, 20 carry with him to anv
Mestea camp pocket hYpodernic
case containing good clean needle ana
phial of potassium permanEanate cyvs-
ials' While the wound lie bleeding fdom
the knife cuts dissolve the crystals m a
little water. producing a dean p,,rnIss
color I'LL the hypodermic and iniset ~
Iiuid into and close around both fang
puhetures' Then stop the blood
Fermanganate solution when frasb A.
a powerful oHdizing agent and destrovs
'he toxic Character OF the venom wb.n
ever coming In contact with ~ Rubbins,
lot OF the finely ground crystals mo
'he open wound before stopping the flov;
OF blood may be resorted 70 wben M
hypooermie is not at hand
BUT above all keep the wound el..n
ana 20 not become frightened, reneubsT-
ing mat many persons and animals ba,,o
suffered very little from snake Bic w.
pot d thing was done for them ana that
Others have suffered and somstimss as
efficacy" y seuOti4l
10 make fat and healthy children -,
cream OF Barley morning and niEbt
Studies OF the VernacuIar
lie