The Washington herald., 1914-03-29
SNAKE TRAINER
dies FROM bite
Treats Four Punctures with
Antidote, but Fifth Es-
capes Notice.
OWNED REPTILE FARM
Australian Made Business of Extract
ing Poison from Fanss and
Selling 1t to Chemists.

The death occurred at Calcutta, India.
recently, of a man for whom 1t is claim
ed that he was without equal in his skill
in handling snakes This was Prof. Fox,
an Australian snake farmer, who went
to India a short time ago to prove the
efficiency Of what he claimed to be per-
fectly sure antidote to the virus OF
tsnake.
Fox had been successful in all his ex-
periments with animals in the Calcutta
zoo, and had Just treated goat which
had been bitten, and was leaning on
box containing poisonous snakes when q
kraft, one of the most venomous OF In
dian snakes, escaped and punctured
Fox's wrist in 1--WE places.
Fox, who often had submitted to snake
bite in order to show the efficacy OF his
antidote. was in no way perturbed and
treated four Of the bites at once, but the
fifth escaped his notice. Later In the day
symptoms Of poisoning developed. and
the tiny NTH puncture was discovered.
II was then too late, as the antidote only
acts II applied at once. and Fox died the
same evening.
Kept 500 Snakes.
Fox was well known in Australia His
snake farm was a few miles outside Sgd
ney. where he kept more than 500 snakes,
most Of which he had caught in the
brush. His business was to extract the
poison from the snakes and sell 1t to the
chemists, and for this purpose he farmed
snakes as other people farm pigs or poul-
try, and moved about his stock as fear
lessly as II they were rabbits.
On his snake hunts he tracked his prey
with the cunning and patience OF a cat
and could see a snakes trail where II was
absolutely invisible to the ordinary eye.
Having found a snake, probably asleep
after a meal. he had to get 1t alive and
uninjured into his bag. He rarely tried
to lift up a coiled snake. II was a most
difficult thing to do, and he always pre-
ferred to catch the reptile when. stretch
ed to its full length. II was gliding away
from him. He then approached from be-
hind. caught it firmly by the tail and as
it turned its head to strike he would
catch II by the neck also and place IL in
the bag.
a fighting snake-for instance, a tiger
snake-he preferred to tire out before at
tempting TO handle. and would feint and
dodge for an hour on end as the snake.
with head slightly raised, darted at him.
striking viciously this way and that. He
disdained leggings or gloves and always
worked among his snakes with his shirt
sleeves rolled up above his elbows.
Bitten More Than 100 Times.
lie had been bitten more than 100 times
and used the antidote of his own discov-
cry.
In India, the country OF the fatal snake
bite. there are about 10000 deaths annual
ly. but in Australia, where the snakes
are almost as vcnomous II is doubtful II
there are dozen. The reasons probably
lie in the fact that Australians wear
hOOfa nd
ualian has been taught from babyhood
up what to do in case OF snake bite. This
at the expense of the government which
placards all schools and railway stations
with snake bite precautions"
ANY small child bitten by a snake
knows that he must instantly tie tight
ligatures above and below the wound
and then slash the part freely to let the ,
flow OF blood carry away the venom.
Many lad willingly sacrifices a finger
tip rather than run the risk of dying of
snake bite, and will instantly chop OF
the tip himself and then hurry on for
treatment. |
Fairly Good-natured.
The Australian snake, though venom
Gus. is fairly good tempered, as the fol- |
lowing story will show: A party Of men |
were haymaking and in throwing some
q QrOD-
ped out OF the hay and fell inside the |
open Shirt OF the man who held the fork. |
He was almost paralyzed with terror for
while snake bite may be treated fairly
easily when II is on a limb II is a yery
dinerent matter when 1t Is on the body.
The unfortunate man. with sweat run
ming down his face carefully let himself
down onto the ground. half lying, half
sitting. hoping that the snake would
make his way out, but the snake, Der
faectly satisfied with his quarters. re-
mained where he was.
The mans companions did what thew
could; one ran for a saucer of milk. for
SNAKES are reported to be fond of milk;
another for concertina, for they are
also supposed to be fond of music.
FOR nearly an hour the snake STAYED
inside the shirt. enjoying the strains Of
"fip. 1 Addy." Home, Sweet Hom.
and Annie Laurie" then he lazfly made
his way out and was promptly killed. A
cobra under such circumstances would
alsost certainly have bitten the unfortu-
nate man.