Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-16
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

prime antidote for snake bites is no
longer held by scientific men, except
that in cases where the shock Of the
patient is the chief feature. Then
whisky may be helpful, as its first eff
fects are stimulating, but, essentially,
whisky--or any alcoholic drinks the
reverse Of stimulating; it Is a de-
pressant. AS the poison effect OF snake
bites is to depress heart action, then
alcohol merely aggravates the condi-
lions and adds to the depression OF
the heart.
Even 80 years ago the eminent SCI
enlist, DR.. S. Weir Mitchell, who be-
came an authority on snake bites,
having made special study of the
poison, in 1889 wrote in the Century
Magazine:
1.-The first effect Of venom is to les
sen suddenly the pressure under which
the blood is kept while in the vessels.
Any alcoholic stimulus would at this
period be useful, but, despite the popu-
lar creed, 1t is now pretty sure that
many men have been killed by the
alcohol given them to relieve them
from the effects of snake bite, and 1t
is a matter of record that men dead
drunk with whisky when bitten have
died Of the bite. For the consequences
to the blood and to the nerve centers
which follow an injection of venom,
there u.s. so far as I am aware, no
antidote."
That was written just about year
before the antidote-serum from the
coagulated blood Of q horse-was dis
covered in 1890.
*
The expert, Mr.. Snyder, who died
after 20 hours following the bite, added
to his serious condition by running and
walking five miles to seek his COM
panion with the serum: that further
added to the strain of his heart and
contributed to its fatal termination.
In olden days, the theory was that a
snake bitten victim must have plenty OF
whiSky-as a stimulant"-and must be
kept walking, lest he go to sleep and die
In the sleep. The patient does have a
tendency to "go to sleep" or go into a
coma. which ends In death. but walking
him only hastens the collapse into the
final coma.
On the authority of Curator Stejne-
ger, it is stated that different snakes
although usually all the snake serums
come from the blood of horses. Great
advance has been made in the last
quarter century in serum therapy, and
in no line more radical change than
in the treatment Of snake bites.
X n X
All history agrees in denouncing the
snake as the most cursed of creatures.
1t became the personification of the
Devil in the Garden of Eden; 1t became
the curse of the Israelites in the VIII
derness; it is the symbol Of sneaking
trickery in all social and business rela-
tions. Men and women loathe it and
fear it. The heel Of man treads upon
1t when daring to do SO. It never be-
comes a friend of humanity, as nearly
all other creatures may be tanned into
becoming.
Yet the snake is beautiful in design,
rhythmic in motion, adorned with deco
ration as varied and ornate as Oriental
tapestry.
Why is it an outcast Of creation?
Why is human SANDER and backbiting
compared to snakes? Do snakes take
the aggressive against man? Rather
they flee from his murderous attacks.
Self-defense Is honored in every crea-
ture except In the rattlesnake, which
warns before it strikes, and in other
snakes, which so seldom strike unless
themselves in danger. Why is there
none to champion the cause of the OPP
pressed and downtrodden snake or to
give 1t due credit for its self-defense?
Only poltroons are so cowardly as not
to strike back when unprovokedly at
tackled. Shall not snake have that
right?
With Byron let's note
Man spurns the worm, but pauses ere
he wake
The slumbering venom Of the folded
snake.
The first may turn, but not avenge the
blow:
The last expires. but leaves no living
foe"