Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-19
GOOD SNAKE EATS BAD.
CannibaI Serpent Is now Being Bred
to Befriend Humanity.

to Befriend Humanity.
have just witnessed fight between
a good snake and a bad snake; a fight
terrible and grotesque in the extreme,
yet destined to be of great benefit
to humanity. The encouragement OF
the good snakes species is one Of the
means by which hideous menace to
human life in South America is to
be combated.
My colleague and 1 were driven ir
swift automobile to the Serotheraptic
institute of Butantan, which lies amid
exquisite tropical vegetation, the beau
ty of which is only marred by the
thought of the deadly snakes and in
sects 1t conceals.
The institute is conducted by DR.. Vi
tai Brazil. one of the most distinguish
ed scientists of Brazil. He has pre-
pared a serum Of great efficacy for
snake bite. More than 1000 persons
lose their lives annually from this
cause in the most civilized parts of the
country, and what happens in the vast
wild regions can only be guessed at.
We enter a great hall in which are
glass jars containing snakes in alco-
hol, snakes of all sizes, of all colors
some intact, others dissected, to show
their different organs.
But we have come to see the canni-
bal serpent, and we beg DR.. Brazil to
show him to us without delay. The
doctor extracts him from a box by
means Of a long curved stick, and
places him on the ground near U.s.
He Is a large -venomous viper
about four feet long, thick and muscu-
lar, of a blush color, glittering like
bright steel. He crawls around and
raises his fiat head, darting forth his
long tongue in a way that seems to US
threatening, despite his good reputa-
tion. To reassure us, DR.. Brazil picks
up the snake and winds him round his
arm. He tells us his scientific name
"Rachidelus Brazile." The natives
call him "mussurana." Until recent
ly everybody was ignorant of his val
liable qualities as a serpent eater.
With his crooked stick the doctor
now brings forth another snake. This
time it Is terribly venomous one, the
dreaded "Lachesis lanceolatus," called
the "Jaracara" by the BraZilians. His
bite kills a man or a horse in a few
minutes. The doctor has dropped this
dreadful reptile near the mussurana
and we stand around at q respectful
distance. l confess I look behind to
see If the door Is open.
The two snakes seem very quiet
even appear to ignore e,sch other. DR..
Brazil thinks that the mussurana, hav-
ing gorged himself with snake recent
ly, may not fight. The cannibal makes
slight movement in the direction OF
his venomous victim. The latter shows
that he is on guard against his enemy.
Suddenly, with an incredible swift
ness, which proves that his apparent
torpor was really an artful dodge, the
good snake hurls his open jaws at the
neck Of his prey. He aims evidently
to strike at the base of the brain. The
venomous snake, equally alert lodges
the blow and sinks his poison fangs in
his enemy's body. 1t Is a vain blow,
for the good snake Is immunized by
nature.
The good snake sinks his teeth in
his enemy's .ieck, though not at the
same place he had aimed at. At the
same time he coils his muscular body
around the other. They roll convul-
sively over and over, and it seems at
first that the good snake-the mussur-
ana-is trying to strangle his adver-
sary, the jaracara.
The venomous head of the jaracara
now flaps pitifully with open jaws.
"The mussurana is going to break
the others spine," says DR.. Brazil
You will see, it is very curious"
1t is curious, even horrible. The
mussurana holds the jaracara in a
viselike grip with the folds Of his body,
and then with his jaw twists the 9TH
er's head violently round and round
until the backbone breaks. Then the
mussurana relaxes his hold and slow
ly swallows his venomous prey.
The mussurana has an unfailing in
stinct for a venomous snake, and un-
less filled with food, never fails to
fight. DR.. Brazil proposes by feeding
protecting, and breeding the mussur-
ana to check the supply Of venomous
snakes that are a terror to life in the
cnnntrY=NeW York American.