THE LIVING WORLD. 
i57 
slipped slightly, and the now highly indignant and irritated heloderma made a 
dart forward and seized my right thumb in his mouth, inflicting a severe lacer¬ 
ated wound, sinking the teeth in his upper maxilla to the very bone. He loosed 
his hold immediately and I replaced him in his cage with far greater haste, 
perhaps, than I removed him from it. 
“ ‘By suction with my mouth, I drew not a little blood from the wound, but 
the bleeding soon ceased entirely, to be followed in a few moments by very 
severe shooting pains up my arm and down the corresponding side. The 
severity of these pains was so unexpected that, added to the 
nervous shock already experienced, no doubt, and a rapid swell¬ 
ing of the parts that now set in, caused me to become so faint 
as to fall, and Dr. Gill’s study was reached with no little diffi¬ 
culty. The action of the skin was greatly increased, and the 
perspiration flowed profusely. A small quantity of whiskey 
was administered. This is about a fair statement of the imme¬ 
diate symptoms ; the same night the pain allowed of no rest, 
although the hand was kept in ice and laudanum, 
but the swelling was confined to this member alone, 
not passing beyond the wrist. Next morning this 
was considerably reduced, and further reduc¬ 
tion was assisted by the use of a lead-water 
wash. 
“ ‘ In a few days the wound healed 
kindly, and in all probability wdll leave 
no scar. All other symptoms sub¬ 
sided without treatment, beyond the 
wearing, for about forty-eight 
hours, so much of a kid glove 
as covered the parts involved. 
“ ‘ After the bite our spe¬ 
cimen w^as dull and slug¬ 
gish, simulating the tor¬ 
pidity of the venom- 
THE IGUANODON. 
ous serpent after it has inflicted its deadly wound, but it soon resumed its 
usual action and appearance, crawling in rather an awkward manner about its 
cage.’ ” 
“ Dr. Shufeldt’s conclusions, however, that the symptoms were no other than 
usually follow the bite of an irritated animal, seem to be given a little prema¬ 
turely. The same reptile was afterward induced to bite the edge of a saucer, 
into which, during the action, a secretion dribbled. This secretion, which was 
of a distinctly alkaline nature, in contrast to the serpent-venoms, which are acid, 
was, in a small quantity, injected into the breast of a healthy pigeon, and pro- 
