File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (18161785541).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo16amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Hy courtesy New York Zoological Society John Toomey, of the New \ ork Zoological I'urk. who, owing to the use of antivenomous serum. M has recently recovered from the bite of a rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox. reptile house at the park Mr. Toomey has charge of a section of the Hospital, and Dr. Gustav Langman, an authority on snake poison, besides Mr. Dit- mars and Dr. William T. Hornaday, Director of the New York Zoological Park, to witness the dressing of the wound by the attending physician and also to pass on the measures to follow. After thoroughl)' examining the bitten limb Dr. Brazil concluded that Mr. Toomey was on the road to speedy recovery and that an injection of another tube of serum was unnecessary. Speaking of the case later, Mr. Ditmars said, "I attribute the marvelous recovery to this truly specific serum which marks the crowning point of years of imtiring research on the part of Dr. Brazil." It was noted at the time how re- markable it was that from the bite of so large a snake as this Texas rattlesnake, no neurotoxic effects whatever were in evidence. This ab.sence was the direct result of the early administration of Dr. Calmctte's serum which is more valuable in combating the bites of elapine snakes, who.se virus attacks the nervous sy.stem, than it is for counteracting the effects of rattlesnake poison. Two weeks after the accident Mr. Toomey left the hospital. It is expected that he will be wholly recovered in a short time and that he will suffer no recurrence of symp- toms in the future. In the United States, where records of snake bite are of rare occurrence, one hears very little of the results achieved by use of the various reliable antivenomous serums. In countries infested with deadly snakes, how- ever, and where the natives are superstitious and reverence the serpent, and also walk about barelegged, thus exposing themselves to the lurking danger, deaths resulting from snake bite are a matter of daily occurrence. In India alone, over twenty thousand deaths a year are attributed to the various poisonous snakes, especially the cobras, which are diabolical in their temper, bold and aggres- sive, and at times actually inhabit the native dwelling places. It is from these countries that we hear of the remarkable efficacy of tlie.se antitoxins, which will, no doubt, go down in history as one of the great medical gifts to maiikiiid.

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