The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-03-06
SCORPION STINCS.
They Kill Thousands of Persons
Yearly In Mexico.
QUICK WORK OF THE POISON.
The Venom Of the Deadly Species, Un-
less Prompt Treatment Follows the
Bite, Will End the Life Of the Victim
In Twelve or Fourteen Hours.

site, VIII END the Lire OF the victtm
In Twelve or Fourteen Hours.
Four thousand persons are reported
TO die each year in Mexico from the
stings Of scorpions.
There are several varieties Of scOr.
piOns In Mexico. some of them exceed
1ngly venOmous and others little feared.
In the neighborhood Of Topic the viru-
J, lent 'Centuris gracilis abounds. but it
is little known about the more north
erD 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 hu-
mid and torrid-lt is in the "tierra
caliente"-and it is estimated that more
than 10000 scorpions are killed each
year. with no appreciable effect on
their numbers.
scorpion resembles a diminutive
lobster. Some specimens are eight
inches long. though the average length
is from two to four inches. The claws
closely resemble Holsters; with them
the scorpion brushes its prey after dis
abling it by means of "a sting.
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 shell of the last seq
ment. In striking the scorpion gives
the tail Il rapid flashing motion forward
administers hypOdermic injection of
poison. or rather several injections. for
il usually stings repeatedly when it
does strike
IN color scorpions vary according to
environment. One ordinarily colorless
or translucent will assume a brown or
blacklist shade in dark surroundings
baked clay. under stones. in the chinks
of the adobe huts and in the cracks in
the plaster of Old frame houses. They
prey upon spiders and other night
marauding Insects. A spider stung by
scorpion may be observed under
going commissions before death just as
animals or human beings do.
Unless sleeping cots are well screen
cd and the supports immersed In cans
OF kerosene or carbOlic acid-water
evaporates too raridly-the proving
scorpion may find its way beneath the
bed covers and sting the restless child
BY nature it is a nocturnal pest. In
Mexico every one takes peep in the
too of his shoe before dressing In the
morning 20 assure himself that no un
desirable citizen Is hiding there.
Contrary 10 common belief scorpions
never commit suicide by singing them
selves Ia death-nt least not in Mexico.
Ia fact. they seem immune to their
own venom. TWO well matched speci-
mcuts viii, hattie 10 death If confined
in Il jar. singing each other repeated
ly, Yet the victor does not die. He
tears his antagonist into small pieces
with his caws and yOraclously de-
YOURS every trace Of the vanqulshed
Zoe Aud the canniDal thrives on the
diet
Some scorpion bites cause little more
than burning pain and numbness in
the part affected for few days. But
the more poisonous varieties cause
death. aud that speedily, especially
when they sting young children or de-
biiitated old people. The lower classes
Of people suffer more than the well
10 do because Of their custom OF going
about hair nat,ed most OF the time.
In serious Eases the local numbness
and pala or burning extend over the
body in few hours. Then follows a
feeling as Of ball in the throat. the
victim clutching his throat as though
choking on foreign body. Proppt
treatment at this stage will usually
save life.
II not treated the mouth SION begins
10 fr0th and the eyes become reddened
and representative TO light. Within an
hour or two the breathing grows short
or rnd nlose difieult the body turns
blue. the puise fails aud cony uisions