VENOM
“ALL venomous creatures act in the same way as the bee, wasp, and
hornet. With a special weapon—needle, fang, sting, lancet—placed
sometimes in one part of the body, sometimes in another, according to
the species, they make a slight wound into which is instilled a drop of
venom. The weapon has no other effect than that of opening a route for
the venomous liquid, and this is what causes the injury. For the poison
to act on us, it must come in contact with our blood by a wound which
opens the way for it. But it has positively no effect on our skin,
unless there is already a gash, a simple scratch, that permits it to
penetrate into the flesh and mingle with the blood. The most terrible
venom can be handled without any danger if the skin is not broken.
Moreover, it can be put on the lips, on the tongue, even swallowed
without any bad results. Placed on the lips, the hornet’s venom produces
no more effect than clear water; but if there is the slightest scratch
the pain is atrocious. The viper’s venom is equally harmless as long as
it does not mingle with the blood. Courageous experimenters have tasted,
swallowed it, and yet afterward were no worse off than before.”
“Is that true, Uncle? People have had the courage to swallow a viper’s
venom? Ah! I should not have been so brave.” This from Claire.
[Illustration: Copper Head]
“It is fortunate, my girl, that others have been so for us; and we ought
to be very grateful to them, for by so doing they have taught us, as you
will see, the most prompt and one of the most efficacious means to
employ in case of accident.”
“This viper’s venom, which has no effect on the hand, lips, and tongue,
is it much to be feared if it mingles with the blood?”
“It is terrible, my young lady, and I was just going to tell you about
it. Let us suppose that some imprudent person disturbs the formidable
reptile sleeping in the sun. Suddenly the creature uncoils itself in
circles one above another, unwinds with the suddenness of a spring, and,
with its jaws wide open, strikes you on the hand. It is done in the
twinkling of an eye. With the same rapidity the viper refolds its spiral
and draws back, continuing to menace you with its head in the center of
the coil. You do not wait for a second attack, you flee; but, alas! the
damage is done. On the wounded hand are seen two little red points,
almost insignificant, mere needle pricks. It is not very alarming; you
reassure yourself if you are in ignorance of what I so earnestly desire
to teach you. Delusive innocuousness! See the red spots becoming
encircled with a livid ring. With dull pains the hand swells, and the
swelling extends gradually to the arm. Soon come cold sweats and nausea;
respiration becomes painful, sight troubled, mind torpid, a general
yellowness shows itself, accompanied by convulsions. If help does not
arrive in time, death may come.”
“You give us goose-flesh, Uncle,” said Jules, with a shudder. “What
should we poor things do if such a misfortune happened to us away from
you, away from home? They say there are vipers in the underbrush of the
neighboring hills.”
“May God guard you from such a mischance, my poor children! But, if it
befalls you, you must bind tight the finger, hand, arm, above the
wounded part to prevent the diffusion of the venom in the blood; you
must make the wound bleed by pressing round it; you must suck it hard to
extract the venomous liquid. I told you venom has no effect on the skin.
To suck it, therefore, is harmless if the mouth has no scratch. You can
see that if, by hard suction and by pressure that makes the blood flow,
you succeed in extracting all the venom from the wound, the wound itself
is thenceforth of no importance. For greater surety, the wound should be
cauterized as soon as possible with a corrosive liquid, aqua fortis or
ammonia, or even with a red-hot iron. The effect of the cauterization is
to destroy the venomous matter. It is painful, I acknowledge, but one
must submit to it in order to avoid a worse evil. Cauterization is the
doctor’s business. The initial precautions, binding to prevent the
diffusion of the venom, pressure to make the poisoned blood flow, hard
suction to extract the venomous liquid, concern us personally, and all
that must be done instantly. The longer it is put off, the more
aggravated the evil. When these precautions are taken soon enough, it is
seldom that the viper’s bite has injurious consequences.”
“You reassure me, Uncle. Those precautions are not difficult to take, if
one does not lose one’s presence of mind.”
“Therefore it is important that we should all acquire the habit of using
our reason in time of danger, and not let ourselves be overcome by
ill-regulated fears. Man master of himself is half-master of danger.”
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