The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-09-28

4 DEADLY REPTILE
The Fer-de-Iance the Most Ven
omous of All Serpents.
ITS STING a DEATH WARRANT
l;..,e Chance For Victim Of :ne
fanss Of This Terror Of the island
o; Msrtiaicue-The Cat and the Mon
GOOSE its Most Formidable Enemies.
Every one is perfectly well aware
that there exists 4 large number OF
venomous serpentS-we have many OF
them right here Ii the United States:
the ratle., for czaup.eoue probably
20 o,he. spot in the know0 world has
such I death dealing reptile IS has the
French islaua OF Martinique. aesuinS
In the linpid blue waters OF the Cario-
bean sea. X IS the fcr-dalance, SCI
enahcaly KNOWN as TCiSoacephalus
lanccia,us. thu, cao beyond the shad-
ow OF doubt lay claim 10 being the
most deadly serpent OF the ea'ta- is
sting neaos almost certain death.
There are eight distinct varieties.
the most common being a dark gray
and black spcckled. which color!ns
enables It to couceal itself easily
among roots and ssumps OF trees. Al
other variety is q clear. bright yellow.
and when hidden in the freshly cut
cane It can hardly be distinguished
from tie stalks II may also be dark
yellow or coal black With yellow
belly.
Il is not q large snake. rarely c1'
ceed;ns Eve feet in length and IL cir-
cumference approximately the size OF
child's aru. To repeat. the sonS
means almost certain death. and
should not the service Of physician.
or ..panseur." as the natives call tiin.
be obtained within very short t:1ne
the venom does its deadly work-the
sesh grows cold. sofsens. becomes
pulpy. changes IL color. quickly pc
gins 20 spot. and o great chuHness
c-eeps through the blood. This lasts
on,y few ninrtes-pnss!oiy half an
hour-then death.
II the victim IS fortunate enough 20
get physician upon the scene pest
haste and 40 artery or vein has been
p,erced there IS bopejust q faint
hope-t.t even Il LIE IS saved the dan
| ger IS not entirely removed. fer u
rany cases necrosis Of the tissues 1o!'
lows. The aesh corrupts and falls from
the bones, and the body moiders as
does tree.
There IS. however. heroic rneihod
Of treatment often brought Into use
by the Martn!euaas- 1t IS the in
mediate ampueaton Of the les OF arm
e the sting happens to 30 in either:
Even this has to be done at once ans
| before the venom c!rculates through
the system. There are TO be seen
! today UPON the Island many natives
F; With limbs missing. AID n the na-
so-.ty OF cases II is the result OF eaT-
tnc the ractete. OF cane knife. aD-
pl.ed after 40 experience with Ser-ce-
lance.
| The ser-de-lan e IS fShter-and no
mistake about .:-agrcssive and pug
pac;ous, and domestic animals. win
the cat as he one exception, stand s
ye-y DOOR show IN battle Pussy. Ii
about nine cases out Of tea. VIII come
out Of the scrap With co.ors dying Be
cause OF the fact that It IS apparent?
ouite as quick in movement and at the
same ;iue uses what may be termed
ring genera!ship.
There Is ut one animal other than
the cst that successfully wages war
upon the fer-de-lanee. 1t is the mon
goose Cchae1noa,. imported from In
Sia number Of years ago 1oE the
sole purpose Of getting rid OF the
snakes
OF the weasel family aad looking
very much like II. this little animal IS
absolutely fearless so f.. as SNAKES
are concerned and will just as readily
tackle one Eve feet IN length as one
q foot long. From the moasoose the
ser-de:ance vii! Gee. but II coraered
win put up 4 great fight. using ev-
err trick =. its Commando useless
sort Of contest however. 1or with'n
| a short tine It Will be stretched out
Nfeless.
A battle between these two natural
enemies Is we'll worth witnessing. II
Is never limited" eight. but to 4
anish always. and probably the snakes
BY this time have come to understand
that when they enter such combat
Il IS With the odds greatly against
them
The nocgoose Is quite as clever
ring general as the cat and uses that
Sicc to advantage. Strategy more than
strength IS It's asset.
When they meet. and II the scaSe
sees no avenue Of escape. It prepares
for battle, as does the monSoose. out
u q more leisure!y manner. It takes
about one minute for them 70 get rui!E
prepared. There IS nc shaking cancS,
so to speak. as By prizefSh;e1s-
The mongoose circles about the rep
die, always CT safe distance ano
| I>.i.i,- 2 h,, ,r,nCinn