4BO 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[.June 28, 1888. 



very strong dose is introduced into the tissues or a vein, 

 death will result in less than five minutes. The respira- 

 tory organs cease to perform their functions, and the 

 heart's action is arrested; but beyond a little decomposi- 

 tion of the blood and tissues at the point of insertion, the 

 venom leaves no trace of its action. 



But in those cases in which the venom is less promptly 

 fatal in its effects, its mode of operation is soon mani- 

 fested. The globulines, probably on account of the greater 

 rapidity with which they are decomposed , produce the 

 characteristic local effects: the tissues are decomposed, 

 together with the walls of the capillaries which traverse 

 them, blood oozes out and is rapidly decomposed, horri- 

 ble stenches are generated, and the area of the foul sore 

 extends itself on all sides. Meantime the poison which 

 has entered the circulation, produces similar but more 

 limited effects throughout the system; the capillaries are 

 decomposed from the inside, and the partially decom- 

 posed incoagulable blood, oozes out upon the tissues and 

 sets up a process of decomposition of them, and tins not 

 only in the tissues under the skin, but the capillaries in 

 the coats of the abdominal viscera and in the pia 

 mater give way also, and admit the extravasation 

 of the decomposed blood into the abdominal cavity and 

 on the brain, and the blood having lost its power of 

 coagulating, the immediate cause of death may be inter- 

 nal bleeding. 



Dr. Mitchell contents himself with purely physiologi- 

 cal investigations; but it is certain that physiological 

 appearances are but the phenomena of the chemical pro- 

 cesses which underlie them. The animal organism is a 

 chemical laboratory, in which all the phenomena of 

 healthy life and growth are but the results of a series of 

 chemical decompositions and reconstruction of the ele- 

 ments into new substances. The food is decomposed in 

 the stomach and by a series of chemical decompositions 

 and reconstructions is converted into chyme, chyle and 

 blood, which latter is further decomposed and its ele- 

 ments reconstructed as tissue of various sorts — muscular 

 tissue, brain tissue, etc., etc. Every chemical decom- 

 position in the healthy body is attended with waste of its 

 substance, and in the healthy system decomposition be- 

 gins by the combustion of a portion of surplus carbon in 

 oxygen, which is always in necessary supply in health, 

 and the product, carbonic acid, being perfectly innocu- 

 ous, is carried off without injury. The remaining atoms 

 of the four organic elements have their proportions deter- 

 mined by the amount of carbon and oxygen abstracted, 

 and the character of the product of their recomposition is 

 determined in part by these proportions. 



All disease is equally a chemical process, but in snake 

 poisoning decomposition apparently does not begin 

 with the combustion of carbon in oxygen, but by an 

 abstraction of oxygen, and the reconstruction of the re- 

 maining atoms into foul smelling hydrocarbons, which 

 decompose all the blood and tissue with which they are in 

 contact. The difference between healthy and diseased 

 chemical reaction is that in the one some carbon and 

 oxygen is given off as an innoxious gas, and in such pro- 

 portion that the remaining atoms reunite to form tissue, 

 while in disease, the elements abstracted result in the re- 

 construction of the remaining atoms into deleterious sub- 

 stances, which in their turn promote further unhealthy 

 decomposition. 



In snake bite especially the fatality appears to be due 

 to the fact that in the processes of decomposition set up, 

 the carbon does not undergo combustion in oxygen, and 

 get carried off, but forms unstable compounds with the 

 other elements. 



The venom itself is decomposed within a few minutes 

 of its absorption by the system, and there is good reason 

 to assume that its mode of decomposition is by the ab- 

 sorption of oxygen, possibly accompanied by the elimina- 

 tion of an atom or atoms of one or more of its own ele- 

 ments. It effects decomposition and must itself be 

 necessarily decomposed in the process. In contact with 

 permanganate of potash it is decomposed into an innoc- 

 uous substance, and the permanganate is equally decom- 

 posed. It gives up some of its oxygen to the venom, and 

 at once falls to pieces, the potash separating from the 

 peroxide of manganese. And if, as appears to be the 

 case, the poison acts in the system by absorbing oxygen 

 from the blood and tissues, it is evident that it under- 

 goes precisely the same change that it undergoes from 

 decomposition by the permanganate. Its direct agency is 

 promptly brought to a close, and it causes no more trouble, 

 excepting that the product probably undergoes putrefac- 

 tion, as a result of exposure to the series of secondary 

 decompositions which it sets up. 



The injury which begins with snake bite soon becomes 

 one of septic poisoning. Each particle of blood or tissue 

 decomposed becomes a poison, which decomposes other 

 blood or tissue immediately in contact with it, and the 

 proportion of poisoned to healthy blood must go on in- 

 creasing in ever accelerated ratio unless the system can 

 get rid of it at least as fast as it is generated. 



A case of snake poisoning then appears to call for three 

 separate modes of treatment simultaneously; firstly, local 

 treatment of the wound by the removal of the liquid and 

 gaseous products of decomposition, for which the snake 

 stone or other compact piece of fresh burnt animal char- 



coal is a useful remedy, to be followed by injections of 

 permanganate solution or other disinfectant. Secondly, 

 physiological remedies for determining the poison to the 

 skin and urinary organs, and of these the jarborandi 

 appears the best possible remedy, but in its absence 

 resort may be had to other diuretics and diaphoretics 

 accompanied with vapor baths and moderate stimulants, 

 especially of ammonia, which stimulates without pro- 

 ducing reaction. Thirdly, and in all severe cases the most 

 important, the arrest of the process of decomposition 

 in the blood. This being achieved there is only the 

 poison already formed to get rid of , and the patient may 

 be saved in cases which would otherwise prove fatal. 



For satisfactory experiment in this latter direction we 

 ought to know the precise process of the secondary decom- 

 positions, for it does not necessarily follow that the decom- 

 posed or decomposing blood and tissues have precisely 

 the same chemical action as the original virus, but there- 

 are some facts to lead us to suppose that the process of 

 decomposition begins by the abstraction of oxygen from 

 the healthy blood and tissue. The dark color of the par- 

 tially decomposed blood indicates loss of oxygen, and the 

 arrest of the disease by artificial respiration indicates 

 the need of oxygen in the blood, and it is for considera- 

 tion whether oxygen could not be introduced directly 

 into the blood with more pronounced benefit. The venous 

 blood being saturated with a continuous supply of oxygen, 

 there is a strong presumption that it would lay hold of 

 the products of decomposition in their first stage, and 

 supporting the combustion of carbon, alter the course 

 of decomposition and necessarily the products of the 

 remaining atoms, converting them into simple impurities, 

 and perhaps for the most part into innocuous gases readily 

 eliminated by the system. 



Oxygen might be introduced into the circulation from a 

 bladder mounted with the mouth piece of a hypodermic 

 syringe, or the peroxide of hydrogen may be introduced by 

 hypodermic injection, and although this reagent failed 

 in Dr. Weir Mitchell's experiment to decompose the 

 venom, that is no evidence against its possible influence 

 on the secondary series of decompositions in the system ; 

 but it goes without saying that oxygen to be effective 

 must be introduced in sufficient quantity, and for. this 

 reason the permanganate of potash could not be safely 

 employed. The quantity necessary to decompose the 

 original venom would have no appreciable effect on ten, 

 twenty or fifty times its volume of decomposing blood 

 and tissue, and to introduce a sufficient quantity would 

 be to saturate the blood with potash and clog the veins 

 with peroxide of manganese. 



Bttt while from the theoretical standpoint there appears 

 reason to anticipate good results from oxygen, it is no 

 less certain that the introduction into the circulation of 

 a sufficient quantity of oxygen, hydrogen or nitrogen, or 

 a compound of any two of them readily decomposable in 

 the system, must necessarily result in their chemical 

 union with the products of decompositions, and conse- 

 quently in altering the character of the product. These 

 remarks are a fitting introduction to the recommendation 

 of ammonia, a remedy which has more reliable evidence 

 in its favor as an antidote to snake bite than all other 

 remedies collectively, and this evidence is no way 

 shaken by the fact that when it has been administered or 

 introduced into the circulation in poisonous doses, it has 

 killed the patient without arresting the disease. 



Ammonia is a strong alkali very destructive of the tissues, 

 and should not be introduced into the circulation more 

 rapidly than it can be decomposed. The only safe way 

 is to introduce it as vapor. A rough and ready method 

 of applying it in snake bite, and one generally available 

 in country places, is to lance the wound caused by the 

 fang and apply a mass of several pounds weight of par- 

 tially decomposed cowdung smelling perceptibly of am- 

 monia. The skin of the trunk or arm may also be lightly 

 scarified over a square inch of its surface, and the same 

 rough remedy applied there, and maintained in place by 

 a bandage, but for medical treatment a piece of lint or 

 cotton soaked in a diluted liquor ammonia would be 

 preferable, or the powdered carbonate may be applied 

 and covered with a piece of oil skin. 



There now suggests itself for consideration a special 

 measure of possible utility. In snake poisoning the whole 

 of the blood is not affected even at death: as long as there 

 is life some of the blood is performing its proper function 

 and its corpuscles are alive and active, but the partially 

 decomposed fluid which contaminates it is no longer 

 blood, but a chemically altered fluid with dead and de- 

 composing corpuscles floating in it, and the proportion 

 which this dead fluid bears to the living blood is the 

 measure of the patient's chance of survival under treat- 

 ment with physiological remedies, and it is for consider- 

 ation whether considerable benefit might not result from 

 free blood-letting, accompanied with the transfusion of 

 blood from healthy subjects. 



As regards the possible utility of inoculation as a pre- 

 ventive, the question arises, should we use the venom 

 or colonize with the micrococci? We do not know, un- 

 fortunately, whether immunity from the small pox is 

 caused by the Vims or the microbe. It is very difficult to 

 realize that the virus could have any effect on the system 

 after it has been expelled: but it is easily intelligible that 



the system being colonized with the microbe, these, on 

 the introduction of the virus, which is their proper food, 

 would seize on it with avidity and assimilate it. But 

 snake venom decomposes so rapidly that even if a colony 

 of the micrococci were assembled at the point of its inser- 

 tion, they could hardly make away with more than a 

 portion of it before it was decomposed. Still, the fact 

 that the whole family of snakes is proof against the action 

 of venom, while frogs and alligators are subject to it, is 

 a fact due to causes within the field of scientific investi- 

 gation, and a matter worthy of the most patient and 

 painstaking research. 



That man may eventually triumph over his hereditary 

 foe is well within the limits of possibility, but meantime 

 the most hopeful direction of research for the treatment 

 of snake bite is into the means of arresting the spread of the 

 secondary series of chemical decompositions of the blood 

 and tissues. With this problem solved even severe cases of 

 cobra bite might be healed successfully if taken in time, 

 and we hope that when we next recur to the subject of 

 snake bite and its treatment in our columns we shall 

 have to chronicle some satisfactory experiments in this 

 direction. 



VACATION. 



BY EDWARD CA11DTON. 



f\ WORKER, weary with thy work, 



Worn with thy daily strife, 

 Who kuoweth that success is vain. 

 That dreams fade out of life, 



(io to thy mother's heart for rest, 

 Deep as thy childhood's sleep. 



Her tired children safe and close 

 Thy mother yet can keep. 



For still 'tis true, as iu those days, 



Long past, of myi h and song, 

 ( "'aim Nat ure great all-mother is. 



With love and memory long. 



Find then, thou canst, on Nature's heart, 



This solace for thy pain— 

 The joy that blossoms with the grass. 



The gladness of the grain. 



The happy breaking into song 



Of brook, and bird, and bee. 

 And of the wind that lifts the Wave 



And bends the willing tree. 



On silent pools beneath the hills, 



Where quiet shadows lie, 

 On waters swift, of changing hue, 



Let fall thy line and fly. 



Let thy heart dance with dancing leaves, 



And with the pattering rain- 

 So shalt thou find though day decline 

 Thy childhood's rest again. 



TO THE CHOSSAHOW1LZKA RIVER. 



THE fishing in the Homosassa River being very poor, 

 tour of us decided to go a few miles down the coast 

 to try our hands at the shooting at a certain bird island, 

 or bird roost, as the natives say, and the fishing in the 

 ( Tiossahowilzka River. We had been often told of the 

 fine sport of be expected and consequently went well 

 prepared to do justice to the occasion. To attain the end 

 in view, and with as little discomfort as possible, (so we 

 hoped) the fast and only sailing yacht to be obtained in 

 the place was chartered for the trip. The point of attrac- 

 tion about our craft lay in the peculiar roof of the cabin, 

 and it was certainly unique, showing in a marked degree 

 the ingenuity and deep thought of the shipbuilding 

 Florida cracker. And yet, when we consider that she 

 was built many miles from the water by a marine archi- 

 tect of unknown capacity, the wonder is that she did not 

 display more absurdities. This roof, instead of sliding 

 back as those of our northern boats do, was cut down the 

 center so that it opened upward and outward on each 

 side of the boat, thus hanging close to the water's edge. 

 If we desired air and light svhile sailing, one side was left 

 closed in order that it should not impede our progress by 

 dragging in the water alongside. The idea, as far as "l 

 could learn from outsiders, was not patented. 



When starting it was our intention to be back on the 

 following day but any man who takes the Florida 

 "yacht" and crew is doomed to disappointment if he ever 

 expects to do a certain thing in a given time. Our de- 

 parture was a peculiar one, and in order to gain time, as 

 we supposed} and also to catch a few fish for dinner, two 

 of us rowed down to the gulf, about six miles, but disap- 

 pointment was there ahead and waiting, so that our catch 

 amounted to but one poor little salt-water trout of scarce 

 3lbs. We waited long and patiently for our yacht, and, 

 as "everything comes to him who waits," so did she, two 

 hours later. We left the mouth of the river nearly three 

 hours behind time, the consequence was that our arrival 

 at the bird island was at about sunset. 



Great sea! what a spot it was! The severe frost of the 

 previous winter had killed every tree and shrub, so that 

 a more dreary-looking place it is hard to imagine. We 

 made the best of what we found, and by crouching in the 

 wet reeds with mud over our ankles, we managed to 

 hide ourselves sufficiently to deceive a flock of cormo- 

 rants into coming near enough to be shot at. Bang, 

 half a dozen times in quick succession, went the guns 

 and down came the birds, at least that is what they prop- 

 erly should have done, but owing to our not baring put 

 on our best aims, only two poor things were killed, and 

 as they were of no earthly use either for their plumage 

 or for food, our poor success was not to be regretted. 

 The magnificent herons which were to have been our 

 chief dependence, had evidently been fired at too fre- 

 quently not to recognize that we were at their roost 

 with evil intent, and consequently never came near 

 enough to our liking, but kept circling well out of gun 



