DEFIERS OF POISONOUS REPTILES: THARDO; MRS. LEARN, DEALER IN
RATTLESNAKES.--SIR ARTHUR THURLOW CUNYNGHAME ON ANTIDOTES FOR
SNAKE-BITE.--JACK THE VIPER.--WILLIAM OLIVER, 1735.--THE ADVICE OF
CORNELIUS HEINRICH AGRIPPA, (1486-1535).--AN AUSTRALIAN SNAKE
STORY.--ANTIDOTES FOR VARIOUS POISONS.
About twenty-two years ago, during one of my many engagements at Kohl
and Middleton's, Chicago, there appeared at the same house a marvelous
"rattle-snake poison defier" named Thardo. I watched her act with deep
interest for a number of weeks, never missing a single performance.
For the simple reason that I worked within twelve feet from her, my
statement that there was absolutely no fake attached to her startling
performance can be taken in all seriousness, as the details are still
fresh in my mind.
Thardo was a woman of exceptional beauty, both of form and feature, a
fluent speaker and a fearless enthusiast in her devotion to her art.
She would allow herself to be repeatedly bitten by rattle-snakes and
received no harm excepting the ordinary pain of the wound. After years
of investigation I have come to the belief that this immunity was the
result of an absolutely empty stomach, into which a large quantity of
milk was taken shortly after the wound was inflicted, the theory being
that the virus acts directly on the contents of the stomach, changing
it to a deadly poison.
It was Thardo's custom to give weekly demonstrations of this power, to
which the medical profession were invited, and on these occasions she
was invariably greeted with a packed house. When the moment of the
supreme test came, an awed silence obtained; for the thrill of seeing
the serpent flash up and strike possessed a positive fascination for
her audiences. Her bare arms and shoulders presented a tempting target
for the death-dealing reptile whose anger she had aroused. As soon as
he had buried his fangs in her expectant flesh, she would coolly tear
him from the wound and allow one of the physicians present to extract a
portion of the venom and immediately inject it into a rabbit, with the
result that the poor creature would almost instantly go into
convulsions and would soon die in great agony.
Another rattle-snake defier is a resident of San Antonio, Texas. Her
name is Learn, and she once told me that she was the preceptor of
Thardo. This lady deals in live rattle-snakes and their
by-products--rattle-snake skin, which is used for fancy bags and
purses; rattle-snake oil, which is highly esteemed in some quarters as
a specific for rheumatism; and the venom, which has a pharmaceutical
value.
She employs a number of men as snake trappers. Their usual technique
is to pin the rattler to the ground by means of a forked stick thrust
dexterously over his neck, after which he is conveyed into a bag made
for the purpose. Probably the cleverest of her trappers is a Mexican
who has a faculty of catching these dangerous creatures with his bare
hands. The story goes that this chap has been bitten so many times that
the virus no longer has any effect on him. Even that most poisonous of
all reptiles, the Gila monster, has no terrors for him. He swims along
the shore where venomous reptiles most abound, and fearlessly attacks
any and all that promise any income to his employer.
In a very rare book by General Sir Arthur Thurlow Cunynghame, entitled,
My Command in South Africa, 1880, I find the following:
The subject of snake bites is one of no small interest in this country.
Liquid ammonia is, par excellence, the best antidote. It must be
administered immediately after the bite, both internally, diluted with
water, and externally, in its concentrated form.
The "Eau de luce" and other nostrums sold for this purpose have ammonia
for their main ingredient. But it generally happens in the case of a
snake bite that the remedy is not at hand, and hours may elapse before
it can be obtained. In this case the following treatment will work
well. Tie a ligature tightly ABOVE the bite, scarify the wound deeply
with a knife, and allow it to bleed freely. After having drawn an
ounce of blood, remove the ligature and ignite three times successively
about two drams of gunpowder right on the wound.
If gunpowder be not at hand, an ordinary fusee will answer the purpose:
or, in default of this, the glowing end of a piece of wood from the
fire. Having done this, proceed to administer as much brandy as the
patient will take. Intoxicate him as rapidly as possible, and, once
intoxicated, he is safe. If, however, through delay in treatment, the
poison has once got into circulation no amount of brandy will either
intoxicate him or save his life.
An odd character, rejoicing in the nick-name of Jack the Viper, is
mentioned on page 763 of Hone's Table Book, 1829. In part the writer
says:
Jack has traveled, seen the world, and profited by his travels; for he
has learned to be contented.
He is not entirely idle, nor wholly industrious. If he can get a crust
sufficient for the day, he leaves the evil of it should visit him. The
first time I saw him was in the high noon of a scorching day, at an inn
in Laytonstone. He came in while a sudden storm descended, and a
rainbow of exquisite majesty vaulted the earth. Sitting down at a
table, he beckoned the hostess for his beer, and conversed freely with
his acquaintance. By his arch replies I found that I was in company
with an original--a man that might stretch forth his arms in the
wilderness without fear, and like Paul, grasp an adder without harm.
He playfully entwined his fingers with their coils and curled crests,
and played with their forked tongues. He had unbuttoned his waistcoat,
and as cleverly as a fish-woman handles her eels, let out several
snakes and adders, warmed by his breast, and spread them on the table.
He took off his hat, and others of different sizes and lengths twisted
before me; some of them, when he unbosomed his shirt, returned to the
genial temperature of his skin; and some curled around the legs of the
table, and others rose in a defensive attitude. He irritated and
humored them, to express either pleasure or pain at his will. Some were
purchased by individuals, and Jack pocketed his gains, observing, "A
frog, or a mouse, occasionally, is enough for a snake's satisfaction."
The Naturalist's Cabinet says, that "In presence of the Grand Duke of
Tuscany, while the philosophers were making elaborate dissertations on
the danger of the poison of vipers, taken inwardly, a viper catcher,
who happened to be present, requested that a quantity of it might be
put into a vessel; and then, with the utmost confidence, and to the
astonishment of the whole company, he drank it off. Everyone expected
the man instantly to drop down dead; but they soon perceived their
mistake, and found that, taken inwardly, the poison was as harmless as
water."
William Oliver, a viper catcher at Bath, was the first who discovered
that, by the application of olive oil, the bite of the viper is
effectually cured. On the first of June, 1735, he suffered himself to
be bitten by an old black viper; and after enduring the agonizing
symptoms of approaching death, by using olive oil he perfectly
recovered.
Vipers' flesh was formerly esteemed for its medicinal virtues, and its
salt was thought to exceed every other animal product in giving vigor
to a languid constitution.
According to Cornelius Heinrich Agrippa (called Agrippa of Nettesheim),
a German philosopher, and student of alchemy and magic, who was born in
1486, and died in 1535, "if you would handle adders and snakes without
harm, wash your hands in the juice of radishes, and you may do so
without harm."
Even though it may seem a digression, I yield to the temptation to
include here an extraordinary "snake story" taken from An Actor Abroad,
which Edmund Leathes published in 1880:
I will here relate the story of a sad death--I might feel inclined to
call it suicide--which occurred in Melbourne shortly before my arrival
in the colonies. About a year previous to the time of which I am now
writing, a gentleman of birth and education, a Cambridge B. A., a
barrister by profession and a literary man by choice, with his wife and
three children emigrated to Victoria. He arrived in Melbourne with one
hundred and fifty pounds in his pocket, and hope unlimited in his heart.
Poor man! He, like many another man, quickly discovered that muscles
in Australia are more marketable than brains. His little store of money
began to melt under the necessities of his wife and family. To make
matters worse he was visited by a severe illness. He was confined to
his bed for some weeks, and during his convalescence his wife presented
him with another of those "blessings to the poor man," a son.
It was Christmas time, his health was thoroughly restored, he naturally
possessed a vigorous constitution; but his heart was beginning to fail
him, and his funds were sinking lower and lower.
At last one day, returning from a long and solitary walk, he sat down
with pen and paper and made a calculation by which he found he had
sufficient money left to pay the insurance upon his life for one year,
which, in the case of his death occurring within that time, would bring
to his widow the sum of three thousand pounds. He went to the
insurance office, and made his application--was examined by the
doctor--the policy was made out, his life was insured. From that day
he grew moody and morose, despair had conquered hope.
At this time a snake-charmer came to Melbourne, who advertised a
wonderful cure for snake-bites. This charmer took one of the halls in
the town, and there displayed his live stock, which consisted of a
great number of the most deadly and venomous snakes which were to be
found in India and Australia.
This man had certainly some most wonderful antidote to the poison of a
snake's fangs. In his exhibitions he would allow a cobra to bite a dog
or a rabbit, and, in a short time after he had applied his nostrum the
animal would thoroughly revive; he advertised his desire to perform
upon humanity, but, of course, he could find no one would be fool
enough to risk his life so unnecessarily.
The advertisement caught the eye of the unfortunate emigrant, who at
once proceeded to the hall where the snake charmer was holding his
exhibition. He offered himself to be experimented upon; the fanatic
snake-charmer was delighted, and an appointment was made for the same
evening as soon as the "show" should be over.
The evening came; the unfortunate man kept his appointment, and, in the
presence of several witnesses, who tried to dissuade him from the
trial, bared his arm and placed it in the cage of an enraged cobra and
was quickly bitten. The nostrum was applied apparently in the same
manner as it had been to the lower animals which had that evening been
experimented upon, but whether it was that the poor fellow wilfully did
something to prevent its taking effect--or whatever the reason--he soon
became insensible, and in a couple of hours he was taken home to his
wife and family--a corpse. The next morning the snake-charmer had
flown, and left his snakes behind him.
The insurance company at first refused payment of the policy, asserting
that the death was suicide; the case was tried and the company lost it,
and the widow received the three thousand pounds. The snake-charmer
was sought in vain; he had the good fortune and good sense to be seen
no more in the Australian colonies.
As several methods of combating the effects of poisons have been
mentioned in the foregoing pages, I feel in duty bound to carry the
subject a little farther and present a list of antidotes. I shall not
attempt to educate my readers in the art of medicine, but simply to
give a list of such ordinary materials as are to be found in
practically every household, materials cited as antidotes for the more
common poisons. I have taken them from the best authorities obtainable
and they are offered in the way of first aid, to keep the patient alive
till the doctor arrives; and if they should do no good, they can hardly
do harm.
The first great rule to be adopted is SEND FOR THE DOCTOR AT ONCE and
give him all possible information about the case without delay. Use
every possible means to keep the patient at a normal temperature. When
artificial respiration is necessary, always get hold of the tongue and
pull it well forward in order to keep the throat clear, then turn the
patient over on his face and press the abdomen to force out the air,
then turn him over on the back so that the lungs may fill again,
repeating this again and again till the doctor arrives. The best
stimulants are strong tea or coffee; but when these are not sufficient,
a tablespoon of brandy, whisky, or wine may be added.
Vegetable and mineral poisons, with few exceptions, act as efficiently
in the blood as in the stomach. Animal poisons act only through the
blood, and are inert when introduced into the stomach. Therefore there
is absolutely no danger in sucking the virus from a snake bite, except
that the virus should not be allowed to touch any spot where the skin
is broken.
The following list of antidotes is taken largely from Appleton's
Medical Dictionary, and Sollmann's A Manual of Pharmacology,
Philadelphia, 1917, pages 56 and 57, and has been verified by
comparison with various other authorities at the library of the Medical
Society of the County of New York:
Arsenic Induce vomiting with a dessert-spoonful
of ground mustard in tepid water. Also
put the finger in the throat to induce
retching. When the stomach has been
emptied, give the patient all the milk
he can take.
Aconite Induce vomiting as above. Also give
active purgative. Stimulate with strong
tea or coffee. Keep the patient roused.
Alcohol Same as for aconite.
Belladonna Same as for aconite.
Bitter-sweet Same as for aconite.
Blue vitriol Induce vomiting as in arsenic. Then give
milk, or white of egg, or mucilage.
Cantharides Induce vomiting. Give soothing drinks.
NO OIL. Rub abdomen with camphor,
or camphorated oil.
Chloral Same as for aconite.
Camphor Same as for aconite.
Conium (Hemlock) Same as for aconite.
Carbolic Acid White of egg in water, or olive oil,
followed by a large quantity of milk.
Calomel Give white of egg, followed by milk, or
flour gruel.
Corrosive Sublimate Same as for calomel.
Croton Oil Induce vomiting. Also give strong purgative
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Stimulate with
strong tea or coffee.
Colocynth Same as for croton oil.
Ergot Same as for aconite.
Food cooked in a
copper vessel Same as for blue vitriol.
Fish poison Same as for croton oil.
Gases Plenty of fresh air. Inhale ammonia
(not too strong). Artificial
respiration if necessary. Stimulate
with strong tea or coffee.
Green coloring
matter Same as for arsenic.
Hellebore Same as for aconite.
Hyoscyamus Same as for aconite.
Iodine Give starch.
Lobelia Same as for aconite.
Lead Same as for calomel.
Matches Induce vomiting. Give magnesia and
mucilage. NO OIL.
Mercury Same as for calomel.
Morphine Spasms may be quieted by inhaling ether.
Nitric Acid Induce vomiting. Give Carbonate of
Magnesia, or lime-water.
Nitrate of Silver Give common salt in water, or carbonate
of soda in solution, followed by milk,
or white of egg.
Nux Vomica Same as for aconite.
Oxalic Acid Same as for nitric acid.
Opium Same as for morphine.
Prussic Acid Not much can be done, as fatal dose kills
in from three to five minutes. Dilute
ammonia given instantly might save life.
Paris Green Same as for arsenic.
Phosphorus Same as for matches.
Rough on Rats Same as for arsenic.
Strychnin Same as for morphine.
Sulphuric Acid Strong soap-suds.
Toadstool Same as for morphine.
Turpentine Same as for morphine.
Tin Same as for nitrate of silver.
Verdigris Same as for arsenic.
Vermilion Same as for calomel.
White vitriol Same as for nitrate of silver.
Zinc Same as for nitrate of silver.
For Snake-bite The best general treatment for snake-bite
is to tie a ligature tightly ABOVE the
wound, then suck out as much of the
virus as possible. Give the patient
large quantities of whisky or brandy,
to induce intoxication. Incise the
wound with a red-hot nail, or knitting
needle. Keep the patient intoxicated
till the doctor arrives.
For Burns All burns are more painful when exposed
to the air. For lesser burns a cloth
saturated with a strong solution of
bicarbonate of soda (common cooking
soda) laid on the burn is probably best.
This is soothing and keeps out the air.
For burning clothes Do not allow the victim to run about, for
that increases the flames. Throw her--
these accidents usually occur to women--on
the floor and smother the flames
with a blanket, rug, or large garment.
Then, if the burns are severe, place
her in a bath at a temperature of 100
degrees or over, keeping her there till
the doctor arrives. Give stimulants.
Do not touch the burns more than is
absolutely unavoidable.
For Burns of Acids Dash cold water on the burns, then cover
with lime-water and sweet oil, or
linseed oil.
For Burns of
Caustic Alkalies Apply vinegar.
Glass, coarse or Give the patient large quantities of bread
powdered crumbs, and then induce vomiting.
Ivy poison Wash at once with soap and water; using
scrubbing brush. Then lay on cloths
saturated with strong solution bicarbonate
of soda. Give cooling drinks.
Keep the patient quiet and on a low diet.