SNAKES!

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1924, Page 4

SNAKES!

\ griiKH I.AHOKATOItY IN Hlf AZII.-

(Arthur .Mills in Daily .Mail)

111 the interior of Jlntzil there arc till things—gold, diamonds, zebus, Indians, and poisonous snakes.

On aceount of these latter the Institute Jkotantan has been formed, il being estimated that some ten to twelve thousand persens are bitten every year. Already the Institute in the .State of Sao I’attlo litis reduced mortality to 2 per tent. The work is done this wise, Dr Reis, tlie courteous professor explained to he, as we stood in the institute’s laboratory. "In this jar.” lie said', "we have the dried venom ot about a thousand snakes. Here,” taking up a jar of white crystal substance, "is dried rattlesnake venom. A rattlesnake’s bite acts on the nerves, producin': paralysis, blindness, and dentil in two days.”

"Ilow do you prepare the serum.' ’ I asked, hastily tipping the dried venom hack into the bottle.

The doctor told me that the venom, . alter being extracted and dried, was mixed into a solution with t hemically treated water and administered in graduated doses to horses kepi spvciallv for the purpose. In this way the horse, getting only a little at a time, became immune from snake bite, and from his blood the anti-toxin was prepared which wits saving thousands of lives in all parts of Hrazil. In some cases, where there were several kinds j of snakes of the same species, as many j its live diiferciit snakes might he used to prepare one scrum, Ihe dov-toi gave the period at which the anti-! toxin could he nilmirtistercd effectively as hotwicn II and 111 hours.

( 01. LIT TTNC TTIM YKNO.M. ••This is how we extract the venom from the snake. ’ he continued. Coin ; to a corner he picked up a short stick with an iron crunk, unfastened the latch of nil ■ ol a row ol small cupboards round the wall, and with a Hick ol the stick pulled a paiaraea out on to ll'e Hour. 1 lie snake nrived with some agility about the 1 -It of space till -to my relief—the d'oiTor delT'iv ninioued its head with the crook. Rending down, he caught the Lrute iiist behind the head ami, securing its tail, held it up. An attendant came forward with a

glass saucer. The doctor held tbc, snake’s head over the saucer, at same time tU' attendant placed. two. lingers on the opposite rim. Ihe snake'i truck furiously at the lingers, hut securely held by the doctor oily suet ecilcd in biting the gla--s. Ih" long, evil Initgs hit on the glass an.l the deatllv yellow ittice slowly slipped into the -inner. This juice, when dried, was d "stiued In make the scrum. With a Hick of his hand, the doctor IT god | lie .-nuke and holding it <•-1 urni s l.mgill by the tail for a p li-minus -oak.', lie snid. could not -trill • itown length upwards -swung it back into its cupboard. ••11, each of tlii' .c i uphaard-." be -aid. “we have -mikes waiting to have their venom extracted. He opened another little door, poked in his stick and hoi: ted a big Idlow out into tlie little room. Advancing, lie poked the rail !cr w it a Pis stick. TI: • snake struck at him like a Hash of lightning, missed. i“ul recoiled ready to strike again. The doctor walked calmly round in a

riril". The lattlc-nek". King there, slowly moved it- head alter him. occasionally striking out savagely but always missing l:y a lew inches. I hci my white 1 1'n'u-ei's scciicer to attract its rye. “I’uraly-is. blindness, death in two days,” I thought to nty-clf. edging toward- the dear, while the doctor laughed and assured, me the snake only wanted to make friends. A I.Kl’KIt’K KATK. I Pm; at ni'u h eh on • Make- that. ,' iv. I "in ■. s! ll *w 11 ipc ■hiin a wl' Ii In ' pink mid - body and grey brown back, uoioiioiis for llic great <ju;iu l l lof venom Ii" can inject into Ids victims: the prettilv marked coral -nuke with hi- alter’nating coloured hands: the triangular marks bv which all hind-' cf iurirara e.ini there arc many) may la known: the crus- on the deadly cnicc's head: the jararaoiie-u and a giant lizard who, though not poisonous, could liilc through a man’s hand. Kindly vc went to the outdoor homo el the snakes. Here in an ianocen!I. oiling gins- i'liclihiii'. |iirni-lcd with small hi'idiivc--hapad huts. lived a tlioil-and pei-iuiMiis snakes, collected from all pints m' IPazil. sent in for the iicisi part hv plantation iiwners and -mall lanuer- wPc. for every lour lit ■ -ua.kcs -applied, received grati- a lube of life- -avii"; scriltn. II was amazing to 'oe an attendant, wearing i n!y I ggiegs. climb over the wall ol il-e cnclc-ure :"’.d walk ala,at in (he long grass wliieli was literally alive with the poi oicm- brutes. Mo-t cf i snake- -lid ouiellv awnv at hiapproac!i ; only the ralt if-nukes, ever dangeroiis and ready to tight. held their ground: and iiiu'ul these lie .-t -jiped with some care.

11l conuccti'.n with the study of snake bite, a rather grisly experiment was carried out some lime ago. A lep r. in l!io do laneiro, was in an a Ivi'M'-cd stage of the terrilile disease. F'.uie nee had told tlie wretched man that the bile of a rattlesnake might cure him, through the violent emit met "I the two poisons working in his blend. He a-k'-.l permission to try this terrible elite. Tlie man being at death's door in any ease, permission was granted cu Ids signing a declaration that tlie act was purely volnnlarv.

Tbc experiment was eoiidueted in the presence of six leading doctors and scientists of Brazil. At 11 a.m. the man and a rattlesnake in a basket were brought into the loom. The man pul his hand into the basket, hut the rattlesnake declined t > bite him. Thereupon lie pinched the snake's tail ami promptly got what he required, lie died twelve hours later.