MORRISSEY AND HIS SNAKES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 4 December 1907, Page 5 (Supplement)

MORRISSEY AND HIS SNAKES.

SURE ANTIDOTE CLAIMED

The adventures of James Morrissey and his snakes, which partly amazed and partly diverted tho public mind recently (says the Molbourno “Argus”), weix) merely lincidonts to tho man himself, who bus been oil what ho calls “friendly terms” with snakes for tlie past 20 years. Morrissey claims that he has discovered a sure antidoto for snakebite, and in tbo course of an interview ho gavo somo account of his experiences. “It took mo four years solid graft,” ho said, “to discover that antidote, and I have proved its worth again and again, I have given exhibitions for yoars pnst at Colac, Yea, and at various places in the Ballarat district. I would take from 12 to 20 snakes into tho ring and throw thorn out. Tlie audience appointed a committee, wlio picked out two of the snakes. Ono of those I would ‘milk’ of its jioison, to show that the snakes woro really venomous, and I would let tho other ono bite me. Then I would tie my ligature (which I have patented) above the bite, scarify the part, and pour my antidote into it. I have been bitten at least 40 times. At Elaine, about seven years ago, I was bitten on tho liip. Of course, I could not use tho ligature there, but I pinched up tho part with my thumb and finger, and held on tight while I scarified the hip and applied the antidote. Ido not bail* any kind of snakes. In fact, I prefer a tiger snake, becauso ho is more vicious, and you can always make him bite. Ho fs easier to handle, too, ami feeds better than tho other kinds. You can get as much venom from a 3ft 6in tiger snake as a 6ft 6in black snake, a 6ft copperhead, or two 6ft brown snakes. Another thing about tbo tiger is tliat you may have Him about your body, and you can squeeze him, and lie will not bito. Of course, any of them will bito if you strike them a sudden-blow. A tiger snake will have liis poison-sac full again 48 hours after striking, and will have sufficient poison in 12 hours to kill a healthly man. I had a little tiger snake that killod a rabbit in 30 sec, and I reckon it takes a- minute and a half for tho poison to assimilate with tho human blood. “The doctors used to say to me, ‘Qli, Morrissey, you aro immune from the effects of snake-bite;’ but I asked them wliat about George Underwood. George was bitten 500 times before ho ‘went out,’ and then it was snakebite. Where does the immunity come in Shires was another man on the same game; he was bitten about 250 times, arid then ho ‘went out.’ ‘Pegleg’ Davis was only bitten eight times before lie died of snakebite. Somebody ‘shook’ George Underwood’s bottle of antidote, and filled it up with cold tea, because they reckoned no snake could hurt him. Well, they found out. All these men ‘went out’ because they didn’t take care of themselves. lam the fourth man to take it on, and I suppose I’ll go tlie same way if I don’t watch it. The doctors tell me that to do the thing scientifically you ought to know how long the snake was, and how many drops he put into you. Then you regulate tlie amount of antidote to be injected. That is very pretty, but if you are out in' the bush and get bitten, you don’t stop to measure any snakes. You want to get to work right away. If you have got a bottle of my antidoto you don’t want any oomplioated instructions, but just use it as I have said. An hour or two’s bathing in hot water to reduce the inflammatory swelling, and you are as right as if you had never been bitten.

“How did I discover it? I experimented for four years. I had half an aero of ground near Queenstown, in Tasmania, and I used to get snakes and ‘goannas’ and blue-tongucd lizards, and mako them fight. Then I watched tlie lizards run and eat certain herbs after they were bitten. I reckon I tried every blade and leaf of herbage on that ground before I perfected my cure. I can tell now by the herbage of any place, what snakes I will find thero. My antidote is compounded of two herbs, and if I find these growing among tho rock’s I -expect to find,tigers and copperheads, which live in rocky country. If the herbs grow thickly near the streams I expect to find black and brown snakes, which live mostly in water. Whenever I mako up a fresh supply of antidote I test it on animals to. make sure it is the right strength before I sell it to tlie public, as I havo been doing for many years. I stand to fall heavily if my mixture is not right. I. suppose it would be manslaughter. Anyway, it would bo very serious for me.

“I never had any dread of snakes. I -can’t understand that. I reckon snakes aro beautiful, graceful tilings, and thero is nothing you can’t teach a snake to do as well as jany other animal. The tiger snakes aro the best. They dance te music nioro than any of them, though all snakes are affected by music. I had a snake which, when I tupped my foot and whistled, would go up tlie leg of my trousers, come out at my shirt collar, and drink tlie milk I held for it. My snakes are pets to me. When I carry them in tho bag I feed them on milk, but at other times I give them birds, rats ,mice, and young rabbits. All tlieir food must bo alive, and must not be touched with the hands. I don’t know how it is that they do not refuse milk, for most milk has been touched by human hands, but they will all drink it. When I am oil tho track I think more about my snakes than myfjelf. I do not care if I have to go short so long as I can get some milk for the snakes. I will be on tho track again presently, and but I will have to test it before I can I will mako up a fresh lot of antidote, start selling.”