366 BuLivKTiN 83 



ous. The Gila Monster has poison glands, but in the lower instead 

 of the upper jaw, the secretion oozing out between the teeth and 

 the lower lips. It has no poison fangs, however, and therefore no 

 definite mechanism for forcibly injecting poison with a stroke as 

 does the rattlesnake. It will snap and bite if irritated, and will 

 cling like a bulldog when it gets hold, and poison may enter the 

 wounds made by its numerous small sharp teeth as a result of the 

 tenacious grip of the animal. The effects of its bite are variable, 

 owing doubtless to the imperfect application of the venomous 

 saliva. Though some reports have it that human deaths have re- 

 sulted from the bite of this animal, these reports are but hearsay 

 and fade away to nothing upon investigation. The writer is in- 

 debted to a reputable physician of Tucson who has made consider- 

 able effort to authenticate a single case of death caused by the Gila 

 Monster, and has failed to do so. An exhaustive report on "The 

 Venom of Helodenna," by Leo Loeb, published by the Carnegie 

 Institution, as well as the researches of other investigators, shows 

 that the venom produces fatal results in various small animals, 

 such as rats, mice, frogs, guinea pigs, etc. As to eft'ects on man, 

 we find no local data to discountenance the following statement 

 from Loeb's report : 



"No death of a human being has come to our knowledge that 

 can be attributed to the bite of a Gila Monster. A bite from this 

 animal is in man either followed by no symptoms at all or by a 

 local swelling, perhaps extending to the shoulder, if the bite affected 

 the upper extremity. ****** In all the reports concerning 

 the local eft'ect of the bite of the Helodenna in man. mention is 

 made of the rapid appearance of swelling and hemorrhagic discolo- 

 ration of the skin at the site of injury. We found that when fresh 

 venom was injected subcutaneously into an animal, no swelling 

 or hemorrhage appeared at the site of injection ; and when venom 

 was injected intramuscularly, no hemorrhage was noted. ***** 

 It is impossible, however, to absolutely rule out mechanical injury 

 as a factor in causing the appearance of these local syniptoms when 

 an individual is bitten 1:)y a Helodenna. The animal has very power- 

 ful jaws and its bite would easily l^ruise a large area of flesh and 

 skin. When the animal bites it clings tenaciously, and in endeav- 

 oring to extricate a wounded part the injury might easily l)e in- 

 creased." 



Whether potassium permanganate is destructive to Helodenna 

 venom is not determined. Therefore we cannot recommend it as of 

 value in case of a bite by this animal. We would only suggest 

 releasing the bitten part as rapidly and yet as coolly and carefully 

 as possible and then seeking a physician, perhaps first inducing 



