Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-12-11
STING OF SCORPION
Poems Of Mexico Suffer the Most
From Deadly Pest.
Four Thousand Deaths Yearly Are
Caused by the venomous Animal
Commissions Precede Victims
Final Collapse.

Whatever the limitations placed
upon life expectancy in Mexico in
these restless days the Mexican scor-
pion still holds the record as official
executioner of the republic. Four
thousand persons are reported to die
each year in Mexico from the stings
of scorpions.
There are several varieties of scor-
plons In Mexico, some of them excede-
ingly venomous and others little
feared. In the neighborhood of Topic
the virulent centuris gracilis abounds,
but 1t is little known about the more
northern state of Sonora. 1t is one
of the most venomous creatures in the
world.
In the small city of Durango scor-
pions are perhaps more plentiful and
more dangerous than anywhere else
In the republic. Here the climate Is
humid and torrid-it is in the TERRA
caliente''-and it is estimated that
more than 10000 scorpions are killed
each year, with no appreciable effect
on their numbers.
A scorpion resembles diminutive
lobster. Some specimens are eight
inches long, though the average length
lie from two to four inches. The claws
closely resemble lobster's; with them
the scorpion brushes its prey after dis
| ah1ino a. Iu n,aono Nf ytino
The body of a scorpion consists Of
several segmented joints, the last five
or more narrowing down to form the
tail, which curls up forward over the
body and terminates in the sting. This
businesslike appendage is a horny,
sharp spine containing two little open.
ings, which connect with the venom
gland within the cell of the last seq.
ment. In striking, the scorpion gives
the tail rapid lashing motion for
ward in advance Of the body and lit
orally administers hypodermic iniec
tion of poison, or rather several injec
tions, for 1t usually stings repeatedly
when 1t does strike.
In color scorpions vary according t
environment. One ordinarily colorless
or translucent will assume a brown
or blackish shade in dark surround
ings. Scorpions live in the cracks O
the sun-baked- clay, under stones, IL
the chinks of the adobe huts and IL
the cracks in the plaster Of old frame
houses. They prey upon spiders ant
other night marauding insects. A spi
der stung by scorpion may be OBJ
served undergoing commissions Just be
fore death as animals or human being
do.
Unless sleeping cots are wei
screened and the supports immense,
In cans of kerosene or carbolic aci,
water evaporates too rapidly-th
prowlinS scorpion may find its wa.
beneathst the bed covers and sting tn
restless child. BY nature 1t is noe
turnal pest. In Mexico every one take
peep In the toe Of his shoe befor
dressing in the morning to assure him
self that no undesirable citizen Is hiC
ing there.
Contrary to common belief scorpion
never commit suicide by stpgin
themselves to death-at least not 1
Mexico. In fact they seem immune I
their own venom. Two well-matche
specimens will battle to death II col
fined In jar, singing each other r.
peatedly. yet the victor does not dl,
He tears his antagonist into sma
pieces with his claws and voraciousl
devours every trace of the vanquishe
foe And the cannibal thrives on tn
, diet.
, Some scorpion bites cause littl
more than burning pain and numbnes
in the part affected for a few day
I But the more poisonous varietie
, cause death, and that speedily, esp
cially when they sting young childre
or debilitated old people. The lowe
classes OF people suffer more than Ii
| well to do because of their custol
, of going about half naked most OF Ii
time.
I In serious cases the local numbnei
/. and pain or burning extend over Il
, body in few hours. Then follow
a feeling as of a ball In the throa
the victim clutchlng his throat
though choking on a foreign bod
! Prompt treatment at this stage vi
usually save life.
a II not treated the mouth soon
gins to froth and the eyes become re
dened and representative to ligt
Within an hour or two the breathir
u grows shorter and more difficult, Il
g body turns blue, the pulse fails al
r. convulslons set In. The convulsiol
l. recur frequently during several hour
>. but complete relaxation usually ushe
!. In the end.
3. Fortunately unconsciousness dev,
" ops early, SO that the victim does n
h suffer the tortures of one dying fro
t. lockjaw, The average time requlr,
r. for scorpion sting to cause dea
d ia twelve or fourteen hours. This
is calculated to make some Amerlci
" rattlesnakes ashamed OF themselye