VEGETABLE POISONS. 165 



The bite, at first, resembles the sting of the 

 wasp or bee; but the parts rapidly swell, become 

 livid, and extend to the body and head, followed 

 by delirium, fainting fits, convulsions, general 

 swelling and discoloration of the body, and 

 death ; which takes place, in some instances, in 

 three hours after the bite has been inflicted ; at 

 other times, at more distant periods ; and if the 

 weather has not been extremely hot, or the animal 

 much enraged, the wounded man has a distant 

 chance of recovery. 



The unfortunate carpenter, who, in consequence 

 of irritating a rattle snake belonging to Womb- 

 well's menagerie, was bitten in September, 1809, 

 by one of these animals, survived the bite four- 

 teen days ; when, after the unavailing efforts of 

 the best medical advice, and after suffering ex- 

 treme torture, he fell a sacrifice to his indiscre- 

 tion early in the following October. 



This tardiness in the operation of the rattle 

 snake poison, may be attributed to climate ; as 

 we know that the whole of the snake tribe be- 

 come torpid as the winter approaches, and that 

 they increase in power and activity upon the 

 temperature of the atmosphere advancing, when 

 their bites become in proportion formidable and 

 dangerous. Much also may depend upon a 

 large blood-vessel being wounded, or only one of 

 its extreme branches; the poison, in the former 

 instance, being conveyed more rapidly into the 



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