East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1919-09-18

moments by very severe shooting
pains up my arm. and down the cor
responding side. The severity of these
pains was so unexpected that added
to the nervous shock already experi-
enced. no doubt. and rapid swelling
of the parts that now set In, 1t caused
me TO become so faint as to fall, and
DIR. Gill's study was reached with no
little difficulty" He goes on to say
that the wound healed quickly and all
| all ugly symptoms soon disappeared,
| Another case on record is that of J.
Stein, traveller in Mexico, who was
bitten on the finger. He suffered
from symptoms similar to those re-
sulting from the bite of n poisonous
snake. but d!d not die. My own opin-
ion is that the poisonous quality Of
the ella monsters venom varies in
different individuals of the species:
and that whereas the bite of one may
/ be absolutely harmless causing no in
convenience save a few pains, as in
the case of DIR. Shufeldt. the bite of
another may be so serious as to cause
death. The prevalent opinion in Ari-
zona. referred to by Mr.. Ross. to the
effect that the bite of the ella mon
ster is more deadly than any other in
the world, is somewhat of an exag-
geration. There can be nothing half
so deadly in all the world as the bite
of the cobra, or of the terrible DEATH
adder of Australia. Compared to
these horrible serpants the ella mon
ster is very harmless animal indeed.
The second letter is from no less an
authority than Dr. Charles T. Var
hies. entomologist of the University of
Arizona the author of the bulletin
containing the statements regarding
the ella monster. which started the
dicussion. DR.. Vorhies agrees sub
stantially with Mr.. Lake regarding the
monsters possession of teeth. poison
glands, and a fully developed diges- /
tive system. He also takes occasion /
to correct the impression that has I
gone out to the effect that the bulle- |
tin in question holds CHA monsters. |
centipedes. scorpions, tarantulas. and |
ether such animals to be on-poison- I
Gus. "On the contrary" he says, sit /
is distinctly stated therein that all of /
the above-named animals are poison |
ous.'' He intimates, however, that /
they are by no means as dangerous |
as in popularly supposed. and suggests I
that Mr.. Ross. in his observations re-
garding the deadly character cf the
elias bite, disregards the venom of
the corba, the fer-de-lance. the BUSH
master or even the diamond-black
rattler. He says further
stated in the bulletin that the in
vistigators of the Carnegie Institu-
ton who conducted an exhaustive |
study on the venom of the ella mon |
ster had failed to authenticate case
of death of human being from its
bite and that 1 had also been unable /
to do this. and 1 still stand on this |
statement. In my attempts to do So I |
consulted with a number of reputable
local physicians. One story which
have heard over and over with slight
variation, was very specific in its de-
tails. According to this tale, cow
boy who had tied a ella monster on
the back of his saddle reached back
to see if it were still in place and was
bitten in the finger. He was rushed
to town (Tucson) for treatment, but
died. Now I have been able to find +:
a physician here who knows all the
facts in the above case. and who
named for me the same person the
usual purveyors of this story give.
Further, the facts as stated above are
all true, but-the man in question died
several years after the bite was in
flicted, and from other causes.
Less than three months ago repu-
table man of my acquaintance was
in my office and in the course of our
conversation he told be of a friend and