EXTRACTING VIPER’S POISON.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9174, 18 June 1908, Page 6

EXTRACTING VIPER’S POISON.

TO OUSE INSANITY! New York, April 37. Four homoeopathic doctors risked their lives yesterday in New York Zoological Gardens, Bronx Park, to obtain a supply of scarce venom from a lance-head viper, or‘l lachesis, ’ ’ Their purpose was primarily to cure a millionaire patient of delusional insanity, and secondly to replenish the world’s stock of this drug, which had not been procurable since 1828. The snake, -which arrived from Brazil last week, is said to be the most poisonous in the world. Antidotes and surgical instruments were held ready in case of accident. A Zoo keeper coaxed the snake from its cage, when Mr R. L. Ditmars, the curator of the reptile house, grasped its neck and placed its head on the operating table. Dr. E. W. Runyon held a drinking glass covered with muslin to the mouth of the viper, which instantly bit the'muslin. The fangs penetrated the fibres of the cloth, and a keeper then pressed the viper’s head, squeezing the poison glands. Drops of the deadly liquid fell into the glass, and the operation was repeated until the reptile’s supply was exhausted. In this way over 173 grains of poison were obtained. This is regarded as an enormous quantity. It will be distributed among the homoeopathio pharmacists of the world. When prepared for use the dose consists of one-trillionth of a grain. Doctors St. Glair Smith, A. Fox, and Charles Snyder assisted Dr. Runyon. The doctors admitted that the case of a wealthy patient had induced them to undertake to obtain the remedy. They declined, however, to give the patient’s name.