The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-16
IN pvruoN,s EMBRACE

l squeezed by python nave hNSN their sensations while in the embrace V, the big snake An Englishman empioyeU in the London Geological gardens "as' however one of the fortunate few The Britisher while in Antwerp Vlsteu the Jardin Zoologique, where he ooserNeu that big python-a female about l4 rect in length-was suffering from carries or the jaw with Liberation of the mucus mem brane, d condition often fatal to snakes in confinement.
 Having pointed this out to the resident direction. the Englishman obtained per mission to make trial of an ointment that he had found efficacious in the early stage of the disease among his own sna tes.
 Now, as ill luck would have it, the reg nlar keeper was absent on this partic- ular occasion and his place was filled for the tine by another from some other de- partmelt of the institution. This man spoke nothing but Flemish. a tongue or which the Briton was ignorant.
 The Englishman went into the python S den with this attendant, taking it for granted, of course, that the man was ac- custorned to snakes and handing him the box of ointment to hold until the Briton should be ready to use 1t.
 When the Englishman had brought the python fairly down to the floor he grlpped her lard by the neck, which action hao the effect, as he intended it to have ana which it always has with snakes, of max ing her open her month. While hold1ng her thus he pressed her. head away from him at the same time. to prevent her catching hold of any portion of his cloth- ing in her efforts to overcome him.
 In ho1 fright and rage she drew her body up across the Britishers back ana twisted her tail round and round ms other arm All that the Englishman now required of the keeper was, bygteasing or pinching her here and there or by unwind ing the tail when necessary, to cause ner to shift her coils constantly and prevent her resting long enough on one spot to apply undue pressure.
 The Fngllshman turned to make sign to the Fleming to be ready to hand nm the ointment. To the foreigners dismay, the Flemings face, with a sort of tuli, iinpal Hal interest, looked at him through the glass In front, the door closed on the outside He had become frightened by the python and had quietly departed.
 At the same instant that the Britisher turned the serpent frightened on him so suddenly and violently that he momen- tarily lost consciousness. Then he found himself staggering about the den fight ing for life. He expected his ribs to give way every moment. yet his chief fear at the time was of falling through the glass.
 He pushed the reptiles head away from him with all his strength lest it should cross his breast, and he can remember catching sight of himself, a mulberry col ored figure, in the mirror. All the time that he fought he knew that he was tramrllng over the other pythons, who, furious at the disturbance, were now darting about the den above and all around him in every direction.
 The Britisher exerted every energy to keep his feet, for he had retained suf- ficient presence of mind to ralze that were he to go down, all would be over with him. The heat was stifling. He felt that he could endure 1t no longer. The cage spun madly round before his eyes and he let go the snakes head.
 The big serpent now twisted sharply over his right shoulder close to his face and slid off to the ground.
 The Englishman remembers falling against the door with outstretched hands. but nothing more until he found himself sitting on the steps outside coughing vio- lently, while the phlegmatic keeper was for some occult reason putting a hot key down his back.
 Fortunately the snake had only small part of her body across the Englishman's left side and back; had she encircled him with a complete coil he would have been crushed like an eggshell.