634 Notes for the Month. * [JUNE, 



Examiner's prescription and travel as far as " Astrachan," to have it 

 removed. 



The English Newspapers of February last contained a short notice of 

 an unfortunate exhibitor of wild animals, of the name of Drake, who was 

 killed at Rouen, by the bite of a rattlesnake. The particulars of the 

 affair have since been duly " reported," and discussed, in the AcacUmie 

 des Sciences at Paris ; and the French Globe gives the following not unin- 

 teresting account of the proceeding : 



" Bite of the Rattlesnake: the late Occident at Pouen.M. Dumeril makes 

 his report upon the papers relative to the death of the Sieur Drake, forwarded to 

 the Academy by the Minister of the Interior. 



" Several newspapers have already published this deplorable event, which took 

 place at a public-house at Rouen, on the 8th of February last. An Englishman 

 of the name of Drake, about fifty years of age, residing in the " Galerie de Bois 

 du Palais Royal" at Paris, was bringing from London three rattle-snakes, and 

 several young crocodiles. In spite of all the precautions which were taken to keep 

 them from cold on the road, he perceived, with regret, on arriving at Rouen, that 

 the finest of the snakes was dead, and accordingly took it out of the cage with a 

 pair of pincers. The other two, which looked weak and languishing, were carried 

 in the cage into the dining-room, and placed close to a fire. While they were in 

 this place, the Sieur Drake, in touching (hem with a twig to try if they were reco- 

 vering, fancied that a second of the three was dead. Upon this, he had the impru- 

 dence to open the cage, and, taking the snake by the head and tail, carried it to 

 the window to make sure whether or not it was still alive; while he was examining 

 it with this object, the reptile suddenly twirled itself round, and fixed one of its 

 fangs in the flesh of the outside of his left hand. The wounded man gave a cry, 

 and wishing? to prevent any further mischief, did not Itt go the snake, but re- 

 turned it to its cage; but in doing this he was t again bitten in the palm of the 

 same (the left) hand. M. Drake instantly ran out into the yard of the inn calling 

 for a physician, and for water; and not finding the latter readily, he rubbed his 

 bitten hand with the ice (it was freezing hard) which lay here and there about him. 

 About two minutes afterwards, he laid hold of a cord, and tied his arm tightly 

 with it, as with a ligature, just above the wrist. While he was yet in great alarm 

 and uneasiness, Doctor Pihonel, who had been sent for, arrived : Drake's courage 

 then returned ; and a chafing-dish and irons being procured with all celerity, the 

 actual cautery was applied to the wounds. After this, the patient swallowed half 

 a glass of olive oil, and for a short time appeared tranquil ; but at the end of only 

 a few minutes, the most fatal symptoms began to appear, and destroyed all 

 hopes of saving his life. He died exactly eight hours and three quarters after the 

 accident. 



" The papers presented, consisted 1st, of the foregoing memorandum of the 

 manner of the accident, and the nature of the medical assistance given. 2d, of an 

 account of the opening of the body after death. 3d, of the suggestions of medical 

 men at Rou^en for preventing similar accidents in future. 



" The opening of the body presented very little that was worthy of notice. All 

 the interior organs appeared sound and healthy ; and the operators noticed with 

 astonishment, that neither the brain nor the spinal marrow was in any degree 

 altered ; the membrane that covers them merely was slightly reddened. The 

 veins exhibited no trace of inflammation ; and the only morbid appearance was, 

 that a considerable quantity of blood was collected in clots in the veins on the side 

 on which the bite was received. 



" To avoid similar accidents, the physicians of Rouen advise that those who 

 carry about rattle-snakes for shew, should be compelled to take out their fangs 

 (which are the poisonous teeth in biting), and that they should constantly be pro- 

 vided with instruments proper for cauterization, in case of exigency. 



" The commission (of the Academy) is of opinion, that these measures might 

 properly be adopted ; but observe?, that the eradication of the fangs should be 

 repeated every two or three months, as the lapse of that period is sufficient to 

 re-produce them. It desires also that the immediate sucking of the wound, in 

 case of accidents, should be recollected among the remedies the suction of a 



