RACE AGAINST DEATH

Hokitika Guardian, 16 March 1933, Page 4

RACE AGAINST DEATH

MAMBA SHAKE RUSHED 400 MILES. TO SAVE. LIFE OF BITTEN MAN. LONDON, March 6. A snake was rushed 400 miles to London by express train, identified in a few hectic seconds at the Zoo, and a -potent serum—the only supply in Britain—hurried back to a dying mans’ bedside in Glasgow in time to work a miracle and stave off death. The once-doomed man is now recovering, thanks to critical injections of tile serum.

■ Such is the story of the deadly yellow mamba in the glass bottle, whose bite means death within a few hours for all but those with the hardiest constitutions.

Johmn Ryan, a young expert at a Glasgow naturalist’s, opened a bottle that had arrived from Holland, in which be expected to find a harmless green tree-snake. He was bitten by tbe reptile that emerged from the bottle, but lie took no notice of the •scratch. Half i&n hour later he colhosed from giddiness, and liis arm began to swell He was whipped off to hospital, but tbe doctors could do little for the victim of an unknown snake.

There was only one hope. A friend rebottled the snake—with care -and caught a. fast train to London, where a seventy-milc-an hour car was waiting to take him to the Zoo. He arrived at the Zoo half an hour before the next train left for Glasgow. , ?

At the repitlo house Dr. Barrett, forewarned by teleer.am, was warning. In a moment lie identified tbe snake as the deadly yellow mamba. Fortunately a close of special mamba serum was in stock, in case of an emergency which does not arise in many years. Half an hour later the serum was in the pocket of a passenger in tlv v Scotland-bound train.

There was a dramatic midnight scene at the hospital when the serum was injected into the man whom nothing else could, save from ctath. Throughout the day students ..gathered round the man wiio h.-d been, bitten by a mamba and lived.

Meanwhile the mamba has left bis bottle,' .and lie nmg be seen in a glass cage in the Reptile House at the Zoo.