SNAKE BITE AND ITS ANTIDOTE. 
269 
them to handle with impunity the venomous snakes used in their 
fearful dance, so well described by Capt. John G. Bourke, U. S. A. 
Many persons suppose that the fangs of a rattler once removed, 
the reptile is harmless for all time, or that at least a year is re¬ 
quired to replace the fangs. This is an error, for the writer has 
in his possession a rattler in which the fangs were twice replaced 
after an interval of three weeks only. As the rattler doubtless 
knows when the contents of the poison gland is exhausted, as is 
evidenced by his refusal to bite after two or three efforts, he 
probably also knows that it is useless to show fight when the 
fangs have been removed, and this has been practically tried on 
one of our snakes. She continued to coil and rattle, but no matter 
how much teased and irritated, makes no attempt to bite. 
An interesting fact has been noticed during the course of our 
experiments, and one which it seems important to record. It is, 
that the rattler does not invariably use both fangs in striking, the 
muscular movements of either side of the jaw being quite inde¬ 
pendent of the other, and quite at the will of the reptile. The 
practical bearing of this point is that, occasionally in snake bite, 
but one puncture will be found, and some doubt might exist if 
this was really due to the serpent's fangs or not. Another point 
of interest lies in the fact that if only one fang is plunged into 
the tissues, the patient will not have received so large a dose of 
venom as if both teeth had been used, and a more favorable 
prognosis can be made. 
Experiments with Permanganate of Potassa. 
This was the first substance used in the experiments, and 
de Lacerda’s directions were carefully followed with the exception 
that chemically pure glycerine was used as a menstruum to 
preserve the venom, instead of distilled water. The writer is 
aware that de Lacerda claims that if glycerine is used to hold the 
- venom in solution, the permanganate is rendered inert, but this is 
not the case, as in our experiments it has been found that a five 
per cent, solution of the salt if added to the glycerine and venom 
solution neutralizes it poisonous effects; moreover, if a ligature 
is placed around the leg of an animal and a certain quantity of 
glycerine-venom is injected below the ligature, followed by a solu- 
