The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-02-26
SCORPION ST|NCS.
They Kill Thousands of Persons
Yearly In Mexico.
QUICK WORK OF THE POISON.


Bite, Will End the Life of the Victim
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-
lions in Mexico. some of them exceed
ingly venomous and others little feared
In the neighborhood Of Topic the viru-
lent Centuris gracilis abounds. but 1t
is little known about the more north
ern 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 hui
mid and torrid-it 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.
A 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 a Holsters; with them
the scorpion brushes it's prey after dis
aiding it by means of d sting.
The body of q 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
businessike appendage is 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
he tail Il rapid lashing motion forward
n advance of the body and literally
administers a hypodermic injection of
POISON. or rather several injections, for
t usually stings repeatedly when 1t
ioes strike
In color scorpions vary according to
environment. One ordinarily colorless
,r translucent will assume u brown or
blackish shade in dark surroundings
Scorpions live in the cracks of the sun
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
a scorpion may be observed under
going commissions before death just as
animals or human beings do.
Unless sleeping cots are well screen
ed and the supports immersed In cans
of kerosene or carbolic acid-water
evaporates too rapidly-the prowling
scorpion may find its way beneath the
bed covers and sting the restless child.
By nature it is nocturnal pest. In
Mexico every one takes peep in the
toe Of his shoe before dressing In the
morning to assure himself that no IN
desirable citizen is hiding there.
Contrary to common belief scorpions
never commit suicide by singing them
selves to death-at least not In Mexico.
In fact. they seem immune to their
own venom. Two well matched speci-
ments will battle to death IL confined
in a jar, singing each other repeated
ly. vet the victor does not die. he
tears his antagonist into small pieces
with his claws and vOraciously de-
yours every trace of the vanquished
foe. And the cannibal 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, and that speedily, especially
when they sting young children or de-
bilitated old people. The lower classes
Of people suffer more than the well
to do because of their custom of going
about half naked most Of the time
In serious cases the local numbness
and pain or burning extend over the
body in a few hours. Then follows
feeling as of a ball in the throat, the
victim clutching his throat as though
choking on a foreign body. Prompt
treatment at this stage will usually
save life.
If not treated the mouth soon begins
to froth and the eyes become Redeemed
and representative to light. Within an
hour or two the breathing grows short
er and more difficult. the body turns
blue, the pulse fails and commissions
set in. The commissions recur fire.
quently during several hours, but COM
plete relaxation usually ushers In the
end.
Fortunately Inconsistencies devel-
obs early, SO that the victim does not
suffer the tortures Of one dying from
lockjaw. The average time required
for a scorpion sting to cause death Is
twelve or fourteen hours.
The treatment of scorpion sting con-
sists of free incision Of the part to
promote copious bleeding. then vigor-
GUS massage toward the bleeding cen
ter for half an hour or more. Stimu-
lants-meaning drugs and not that
pseudo stimulant. alcohol-are also nee
essary.
In villages where physicians are
wanting the treatment is applied by
cticantes''-ignorant. self constitut-
ed healers, and many peon carries
horrible scars from the practtcantes
crude surgery. Their reckless use OF
carboiic acid. iodine and similar pol
sons also accounts for many otherwise
avoidable fatalities among victims OF