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 MEDICAL AND SURGICAL 
 JOURNAL. 
 
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 Vol. 9.] NEW SERIES.—NOVEMBER, 1858. [No. 11. 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 ©riginal (Eommunuattons. 
 
 ARTICLE XXXV. 
 
 ON THE ENOMOUS SERPENTS OF GEORGIA. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 Natural History and Physiology. By John Le Conte, M. D., 
 l o Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry in the Uni- 
 ^ versity of Georgia. 
 
 ^ No class of animals has enjoyed so large a share of the 
 D marvellous as the snake, which, from the earliest times, excited 
 4 the wonder, the respect, or the abhorrence of mankind. In 
 ' antiquity, the Serpent played an important part in the systems 
 <of cosmogony and mythology. The facility and rapidity of 
 ' ‘its motions, although destitute of any external organs of lo- 
 ^ comotion;—the insidious stealthiness and noiselessness of its 
 i movements, as well as its voiceless character;—the remarkable 
 ^ brilliancy and beauty of some species, as contrasted with the 
 £ dingy hideousness of others:—its extreme tenacity of life, 
 ^frequently exhibiting signs of vitality after the most serious 
 .^mutilations;—the extraordinary fecundity of many species;— 
 j the very striking phenomenon of a periodical exuviation of the 
 - entire skin, typifying a complete renovation of the animal sys- 
 |4 tem ;—and, above all, the wonderful and truly incomprehensible 
 lethiferous powers of some kinds, which enabled them to 
 destroy the largest animals, by means of weapons which seem- 
 N. S.-VOL. IX. NO. XI. 41 
 
646 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 ed to be absolutely insignificant, and with a certainty and 
 rapidity which appeared to be supernatural as well as super¬ 
 human :—constitute a combination of qualities and powers, 
 well calculated to produce a powerful and vivid impression 
 upon the imagination of primitive races of men. They would 
 naturally look upon a class of creatures endowed with such 
 extraordinary powers, as, in many respects, superior to man, 
 and, consequently, as the appropriate type of some of the attri¬ 
 butes of exalted beings. 
 
 Hence it is, that Serpent-worship (Ophiolatreia) is found to 
 be a primitive form of idolatry, either actually or symbolically 
 celebrated in the religious systems of almost every nation of 
 the ancient world. From Babylonia, we may trace it East 
 and West through Persia, Hindostan, China, Mexico and Peru, 
 Britain and Gaul, Scandinavia, Italy, Illyricum and Thrace, 
 Greece, Asia Minor and Phoenicia; and North and South 
 through Scythia on the one hand, and Africa on the other. 
 Some venerated it with unbounded horrors:—many of their 
 Gods were accompanied by it as a type of wisdom; and sev¬ 
 eral religions considered it emblematical both of a good and 
 bad Deity. In the mythology of Egypt, Greece and Italy, the 
 mystic Serpent consecrated almost every temple, attended 
 upon almost every Deity; was imaged in the heavens, was 
 stamped upon the earth, and characteristically appeared in 
 every thing belonging to Tartarus. By some nations, as the 
 Hebrews and Persians, it was the emblem of cunning, deceit, 
 and wickedness ; by others, such as the Egyptians and Phoene- 
 cians, it was looked upon in a double point of view,—as em¬ 
 blematic of the invincible power of royalty,—and likewise as 
 a good genius (Agathodemon), and worshipped as the symbol 
 of fertility and healing; while among the Greeks and Romans, 
 it appeared under a variety of symbolic representations. As 
 an accompaniment of Aesculapius, the Serpent was the well- 
 known emblem of the healing art; and at the present time, a 
 snake with its tail in its mouth is regarded as a symbol of eter¬ 
 nity. The Serpent appears also to have held a place in the 
 Hindoo, Mexican, and Scandinavian mythologies, where it 
 was considered as the type of an evil Deity; and the tempter 
 of mankind was represented under the same form. Even in 
 
1853.] 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 647 
 
 the early ages of the Christian church, a sect of the Gnostics 
 called Ophites, worshipped the Serpent which tempted Eve as 
 the father of all sciences. 
 
 At the present day, throughout the whole Christian as well 
 as the Mohammedan world, snakes are looked upon with un¬ 
 mixed feelings of horror and detestation. The distinction 
 between the venomous and non-venomous species—so well 
 known to the Egyptians and other nations of antiquity—is 
 almost universally disregarded ;—fear and prejudice have com¬ 
 bined to throw obliquy upon the whole order of Ophidian 
 reptiles; and, by the general consent of society, every child is 
 invested with the powers of indiscriminate destruction, to the 
 great detriment of many really useful and harmless kinds of 
 Serpents. It is in the highest degree desirable, that every 
 intelligent person, and, especially every Physician, should be 
 able to distinguish the dangerous from the innocuous species, 
 in order to warn mankind against the real danger, and preserve 
 them from groundless terrors. Ignorance on the part of the 
 members of the medical profession in relation to this subject, 
 is still more lamentable in another point of view:—it tends to 
 foster and perpetuate error in regard to the treatment of snake¬ 
 bites. A person receives a slight scratch on the leg from the 
 bite of a harmless Serpent; he screams with fright;—his com¬ 
 panions pronounce the snake poisonous, and it is destroyed ;— 
 the limb is ligatured, and, of course, swells and becomes edema¬ 
 tous ;—the physician is called in, administers some reputed 
 antidote, removes the ligature, and the patient recovers;—and, 
 finally, the case is published, forms an integral part of the 
 medical experience of the day, and is cited as a valuable con¬ 
 tribution to therapeutics. It is to be feared, that such instances 
 are neither imaginary nor uncommon. 
 
 Without going into minuteness of detail, the following are a 
 few of the most general physiological characteristics of the 
 Ophidian reptiles. In common with many other members of 
 the Class Reptilia, the heart consists of two auricles and one 
 ventricle. The venous blood, collected from all parts of the 
 body, accumulates in the vena cava, and thence passes into the 
 right auricle. From the right auricle it passes into the single 
 ventriclo, and by it is impelled through the aorta into all parts 
 
648 
 
 LeConte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 of the body. A small branch leads to the lung, and the blood, 
 when purified, is returned to the left auricle, which drives it 
 into the ventricle. This ventricle thus receives venous blood 
 from one auricle, arterial from the other, and it is a mixture of 
 this kind which is distributed through the body. In conse¬ 
 quence of this incomplete circulation, the blood is imperfectly 
 aerated, and the animal is cold-blooded. 
 
 The Serpents are especially characterized among Reptilia 
 by having no sternum nor any vestige of a shoulder-blade, but 
 whose ribs still surround a great part of the circumference of 
 the trunk, and are only wanting at the tail. The vertebrae are 
 curiously arranged :—the body of one is articulated by a con¬ 
 vex surface to a cavity in front of the succeeding vertebra. 
 This structure of ball-and-socket allows of free lateral motion; 
 but the spinous processes of the back prevent motion, up and 
 down , to any great extent. The third eye-lid and the tympan¬ 
 um are deficient; but the malleus of the ear exists under the 
 skin, and its handle or shaft passes behind the tympanic bone. 
 The left lung is generally abortive or rudimentary; and the 
 respiratory motion is unassisted by a diaphragm, and is princi¬ 
 pally effected by the ribs and abdominal muscles. 
 
 The bones of the head, excepting in a few species, possess a 
 great deal of mobility. The lower jaw, instead of a direct 
 articulation with the upper, is brought into connection with it, 
 through the medium of two bones, moveable on each other; 
 and, in fact, the whole maxillary apparatus is conformably and 
 peculiarly modified to permit the requisite distention of the soft 
 parts surrounding the mouth, and the transmission of the undi¬ 
 vided prey to the digestive cavity. But the mechanism by 
 which this distention is accomplished,—and which is, in truth, 
 a dislocation of the adapted parts, which return to their original 
 positions after the act of deglutition is performed,—requires, 
 to be well understood, a more particular description. The fol¬ 
 lowing is an abstract of the very clear account given by Prof. 
 Richard Owen in his great work on “Odontography.” ‘-'The 
 two superior maxillary bones have their anterior extremities 
 joined by an elastic and yielding fibrous tissue with the small 
 and single intermaxillary bone. The symphysial extremities 
 of the lower maxillary rami are connected together by a simi- 
 
1853.] 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 649 
 
 lar tissue, allowing of a still wider lateral separation. The 
 opposite or posterior extremity of each ramus is articulated to 
 a long and movable vertical pedicle, formed by the tympanic or 
 quadrate bone, which is itself attached to the extremity of a 
 horizontal pedicle formed by the mastoid bone, so connected as 
 also to allow of a certain yielding movement upon the cranium. 
 The palatine and pterygoid bones have similar loose and mova¬ 
 ble articulations, and concur, with the other dentigerous bones 
 of the mouth, in yielding to the pressure of large bodies with 
 which the teeth may have grappled.” 
 
 In Serpents, the male organs of generation are usually con¬ 
 cealed within the cloaca: they are bifurcated and armed with 
 recurved spines. The two penises are protruded from the two 
 lateral commissures of the lips which bound the transverse 
 opening of the cloaca. In the rattle-snake, the intromittent 
 organs appear to be double on each side, from the great devel¬ 
 opment of the bifurcations of the glans penis. It was this 
 structure which led Dr. Edward Tyson to announce, that this 
 snake had four penises. (Phil. Trans., vol. 13, p. 25.) 
 
 But the most obvious as well as the most striking character¬ 
 istic of Ophidian reptiles, is the total absence of any external 
 members of locomotion. It is true, that in some genera (Boidse) 
 the hinder limbs are developed under the skin, formed of sev¬ 
 eral bones, and ending in a short exserted spur or hook, placed 
 one on each side of the vent; but they are so rudimentary as 
 to be discoverable only on dissection or very close examina¬ 
 tion, and are used as organs of prehension rather than pro¬ 
 gression. Not a single species belonging to the Boidae is found 
 in the United States: our Serpents are, therefore, destitute of 
 even rudimentary limbs. The popular idea that our common 
 snakes possess distinct feet, which they may be made to exhibit 
 under certain circumstances, especially when thrown into the 
 fire alive,—has, doubtless, originated from the fact, that the 
 bifurcated and thickened penis is protruded from the cloaca in 
 such cases. 
 
 Although destitute of limbs, the usual organs of motion, yet 
 some Serpents are capable of very rapid progression. This 
 progression may take place in several ways :—thus, the body 
 may be straightened out entirely in contact with the ground, 
 
650 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 and a slow motion produced by the action of the scales and 
 ribs, somewhat similar to that of the earthworm with its setae. 
 This mode of locomotion has been fully established by the 
 observations of Sir Everard Home. (Phil. Trans, for 1812, 
 p. 163.) Again, the body may be thrown into several undula¬ 
 tions in a horizontal plane, the posterior of which is used as a 
 fulcrum, or point d'appui, the straightening of the anterior 
 must result in the advance of the head, which in turn is fixed, 
 while the rest of the body is again flexed. This is the ordinary 
 mode of progression. The opinion that, Serpents sometimes 
 gather up the whole body into one vertical arch or hoop like 
 a bent spring, the head and tail alone in contact with the 
 ground and more or less approximated; and that by a sudden 
 straightening of the hoop, they can progress with great rapidi¬ 
 ty :—is probably erroneous. We have already seen, that the 
 arrangement of the spinous processes of the vertebral column 
 limits the vertical flexion, and seems to forbid their progression 
 by vertical undulations, as they are often represented in the 
 older books of Natural History, and frequently on the stages 
 of theatres. Snakes frequently spring upon their prey by 
 throwing themselves into a coil,—which is done by contracting 
 all the muscles on one side of the body,—and then, suddenly 
 calling into, violent action all the muscles on the opposite side, 
 the whole animal is propelled, as if by the release and unwind¬ 
 ing of a powerful spring, with an impulse which raises it to 
 some height from the ground, and projects it to a considerable 
 distance. But, assuredly, the Kangaroo performances of the 
 rattle-snake,—reported from hear-say testimony by Prof. Ben¬ 
 jamin Silliman,—which raised itself upon the extremity of its 
 tail, and in this position, executed a series of extraordinary 
 leaps, with sufficient rapidity to overtake a man running at full 
 speed,—must lose its credibility in the same proportion as such 
 a feat is perceived to be mechanically impossible. (Vide. Sil¬ 
 liman's Journal , 1st series, vol. 2, p. 229.) 
 
 Before proceeding to an enumeration of the characteristic 
 marks which distinguish the Venomous from the Non-venom- 
 ous Serpents, it will be necessary for us to present our readers 
 with an accurate Catalogue of all the Snakes which are known 
 to inhabit the State of Georgia. This is rendered more impera- 
 
1853.] 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 651 
 
 live from the fact, that the confusion of terms in the popular 
 names is so inextricable, that, otherwise, I should find it diffi¬ 
 cult to designate the several species of Serpents. The presence 
 or absence of noxious properties, leads to a very natural divis¬ 
 ion of this tribe of reptiles into two great groups—viz: Venom¬ 
 ous and Non-venomous Serpents. In the following Catalogue, 
 we have appended the popular appellations as far as they are 
 known. 
 
 Catalogue of Serpents inhabiting the State of Georgia. 
 
 VENOMOUS SERPENTS. 
 
 Crotalus. — Linnceus. 
 
 1. durissus.— Lin. Banded Rattlesnake. 
 
 2. adamanteus.— P.de Beauvais. Water Rattlesnake. Diamond Rattlesnake. 
 Crotalophorus.— Gray. 
 
 3. miliarius.— Lin. Ground Rattlesnake. 
 
 Trigonocephalus. — Oppel . 
 
 4. piscivorus.— Lacepede. Water Moccasin. Cotton Mouth. 
 
 5. contortrix.— Lin. Copper-head. Highland Moccasin. Rattle-snake’s Pilot. 
 Elaps. — Schneider. 
 
 6. fulvius.— Lin , Bead-snake. 
 
 NON-VENOMOUS SERPENTS. 
 
 Coluber. — Linnceus. 
 
 7. constrictor.— Lin. Black-snake. 
 
 8. guttatus.— Lin. Corn-snake. Red Chicken-snake. 
 
 9. couperi.— Holb. Indigo-snake. Gopher-snake. 
 
 10. punctatus.— Lin. Ringed-snake. 
 
 11. alleghaniensis.— Holb. Pilot Black-snake. 
 
 12. quadrivittatus.— Holb. Chicken-snake. 
 
 Coronella. — Laurentius. 
 
 13. getula.— Lin. Chain-snake. Thunder-snake. King-snake. 
 
 14. rhombo-maculata.— Holb. 
 
 15. doliata.— Lin. Bead-snake. 
 
 Helicops. — Wagler. 
 
 16. erythrogrammus.— Daudin. 
 
 17. abacurus.— Holb. 
 
 Brachyorrhos.— Kuhl. 
 
 18. amaenus.— Say. Red-snake. 
 
 Calamaria. — Boie. 
 
 19. elapsoidea.— Holb. Bead-snake. 
 
 20. striatula.— Lin. Brown-snake. 
 
 Rhinostoma. — Fitzinger. 
 
 21. coccinea.— Blum. Scarlet-snake. Bead-snake. 
 
 Pituophis. — Holbrook. 
 
 22. melanoleucus.— Daudin. Pine-snake. Bull-snake. Horn-snake, 
 
 Ps AMMO PHIS.— Boie. 
 
 23. flagelliformis.— Catesby. Coachwhip-snake. 
 
652 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 Leptophis. — Bell. 
 
 24. aestivus.— Lin. Green-snake. Grass-snake. 
 
 25. sauritns.— Lin. Ribbon-snake. Garter-snake. 
 
 Tropidonotus. — Kuhl. 
 
 26. fasciatus.— Lin. Water-snake. Water-moecasin. 
 
 27. erythrogaster.— Shaw. Copper-belly. Water-moccasin. 
 
 28. taxispilotus.— Holb. Water-snake. Water-moccasin. 
 
 29. rigidus.—Sa?/. 
 
 30. sirtalis.— Lin Striped-snake. Garter-snake. 
 
 31. ordinatus.— Lin. Grass-snake. Garter-snake. 
 
 Hsterodon.— Palisot de Beauvois. 
 
 32. simus.— Lin. Hog-nose-snake. 
 
 33. niger.— Catesby. Black-viper. Spreading-adder. 
 
 34. platyrhinos.— Latreille. Hog-nose-viper. 
 
 Ophisaurus. — Daudin. (Not properly a Serpent.') ventralis.— Lin. Glass- 
 snake. 
 
 The foregoing Catalogue shows, that our Fauna is compara¬ 
 tively rich in this order of reptiles. Omitting the Ophisaurus,— 
 which can scarcely be considered a Serpent,—Prof. J. E. Hol¬ 
 brook has described, in his “North American Herpetology,” 
 47 species of Ophidian reptiles as inhabiting the United States; 
 and of these, 10 belong to the Venomous group. Dr. J. E. 
 De Kay found but 16 species inhabiting the State of New 
 York; of which, 2 are Venomous. It will be perceived, that 
 there are 34 species of Serpents inhabiting the State of Geor¬ 
 gia; and of these, 6 kinds come under the Venomous division. 
 It is, therefore, sufficiently obvious, that we enjoy the company 
 of a large share of the species composing this order of verte- 
 brata. It is proper to observe, however, that, of the 6 species 
 classed among the Venomous, two of them,—Crotalophorus 
 miliarius and Elaps fulvius,—can scarcely be considered dan¬ 
 gerous to man. The former, is greatly dreaded by the common 
 people, as it gives but a very slight warning with its diminutive 
 rattle, and is frequently the aggressor. Its bite is very poison¬ 
 ous, is generally followed by violent local inflammation, and 
 even by gangrene and sphacelus; nevertheless, as the snake is 
 small, the quantity of venom is insufficient to produce death in 
 large animals. As for the Elaps fulvius, although it is furnish¬ 
 ed with an immovable fang on either side of the upper jaw, 
 yet th q poison gland is probably in a rudimentary condition. 
 It is almost universally considered perfectly harmless, and is 
 constantly handled with impunity. It seems to have been 
 
J853] 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 653 
 
 placed among the venomous snakes, more from the fact, that 
 it is the Northern representative of the dreaded Eiaps lemnis- 
 catus of South America, than the possession of any noxious 
 qualities. According to the best observations, it cannot be 
 induced to bite under any provocation whatever. 
 
 There are, consequently, but 4 species of our Serpents, 
 which can be considered dangerous to man. Moreover, from 
 the well-ascertained fact, that the venomous snakes are en¬ 
 dowed with powers of fecundity, far inferior to the harmless 
 ones, they are nothing like so numerous. The rattle-snakes 
 rarely produce over 9 or 10 at a birth, while 81 living garter- 
 snakes (Tropidonotus sirtalis) have been taken from a single 
 individual. From this fact, it is comparatively seldom , that the 
 poisonous Serpents fall under observation. The universal 
 dread in which they are held, has enormously exaggerated the 
 number and abundance of these reptiles. Every one who has 
 resided many years on the sea-coast of Georgia, has, doubtless, 
 seen a great number of Rattle-snakes; but it would be very 
 erroneous to make this a measure of their comparative abund¬ 
 ance. Every specimen which falls a victim to man, is brought 
 home in triumph, and all the neighbors must see the dreaded 
 monster. In this manner, I have had numerous opportunities 
 of seeing them :—nevertheless, during many years rambling— 
 at all seasons—through the woods on the sea-coast of our State, 
 I have never met with but one Rattle-snake. Other persons 
 may have been more fortunate; but 1 apprehend, that the 
 number furnished by each man’s personal experience, would 
 be comparatively small. 
 
 Again, the relative abundance of our Venomous snakes has 
 been vastly multiplied, from the fact, that several of our most 
 common harmless Serpents, have been, almost universally, 
 confounded with their dangerous congeners. The dread of the 
 fatal Trigonocephalus piscivorus has brought into suspicion 
 and disrepute several other snakes that live in the same locali¬ 
 ties and possess a greater or less similarity of appearance and 
 habits,—as the Tropidonotus fasciatus, T. erythrogaster, and 
 T. taxispilotus, (constituting our most abundant water-snakes), 
 which are not only harmless, but really useful in destroying 
 vermin. They are ail called “Water Moccasins,” and are 
 indiscriminately dreaded and detested. 
 
654 
 
 LeConte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 Nothing can be more ridiculous than a fear of the common 
 Water-snakes, chicken-snake, green-snake, black-snake, and 
 other species. Even should they be forced to bite in self- 
 defence, the wound can never be more serious than a similar 
 scratch of a pin or of a point of a knife. The same may be 
 said of the blowing or hissing snakes of the genus Heterodon, 
 usually termed Viper or Adder in the United States, and which 
 present a formidable appearance from the power they have of 
 flattening the head and anterior part of the body when irritated. 
 Some of the species coil themselves when disturbed, assume a 
 threatening attitude, by flattening the head and neck, which 
 they lift and wave with an undulating motion, hissing loudly 
 at the same time, and projecting the head towards the object 
 of its annoyance ; but they cannot be provoked to bite or even 
 to open the mouth. These snakes are very generally regarded 
 as venomous. This unjust obliquy has, doubtless, been, to some 
 extent, perpetuated, by the fact that some of the species are 
 vulgarly called Vipers or Adders :—thus associating them with 
 the really venomous European Vipers. The common Black- 
 snake is generally known to be perfectly harmless:—neverthe¬ 
 less, it is active, bold, and,sometimes, quite impudent; refusing 
 to give way to man. Numerous stories are current of their 
 pursuing individuals. It is quite possible that, under some 
 circumstances, they may follow after a person who flies in 
 terror before them ; but such is not the experience of the her¬ 
 petologist, with whom the case is exactly reversed :—the snake 
 here being usually the fugitive , and too often escaping by his 
 superior agility, and thus eluding the just claims of science to 
 his body. 
 
 Distinctive Characteristics of our Venomous Serpents. 
 
 It is not my purpose to give detailed scientific descriptions 
 of the dangerous snakes inhabiting our State. To the natural¬ 
 ist and man of science who has access to books on herpetology, 
 this would be a work of supererogation ; while to persons not 
 versed in the technicalities of zoology, it would be as useless 
 as unintelligible. It is my object, to call attention to a few of 
 those general distinctive characteristics, which are readily re¬ 
 cognized by casual observation. 
 
1853.] 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 655 
 
 1. Rattles. —The several species of Crotalus and Crota- 
 lophorus, are readily and most obviously distinguished from 
 all other Serpents, whether dangerous or harmless, by the re¬ 
 markable rattle at the extremity of the tail. This singular 
 appendage is made up of many pieces, from one to 30 or more, 
 which are perfectly similar to each other in their form, and are 
 articulated together by a very beautiful mechanism. The 
 piece of rattle immediately connected with the body seems to 
 be moulded on the last vertebra of the tail, which it encloses, 
 and from which it is only separated by an interposed layer of 
 the dermis or true skin, by which it is secreted. Its surface 
 presents three nearly circular elevations corresponding to three 
 protuberances:—of these, the first, or that nearest to the body 
 of the animal, is the largest; the other two rings are encased in 
 the succeeding piece, which is connected in a similar manner 
 to the next ring, and so on throughout the series ;—the posteri¬ 
 or two-thirds of each piece being embraced by the following, so 
 that of the three prominent rings that project from each piece, 
 only the anterior is visible, the two posterior being contained 
 in the next element of the rattle; excepting the ultimate one, 
 in which all of the three protuberances are exposed to view. 
 The last two rings of each piece thus enclosed in the first two 
 of the succeeding, retain it in its place; but as the diameter of 
 the former is less than that of the latter, each piece is quite 
 loose and plays freely about upon that which it envelopes. 
 None, except the first are connected with the skin of the 
 animal by any muscle, nerve, or vessel. It is, therefore, 
 merely an external appendage of the corneous cuticle, moved, 
 as any foreign body would be, when the end of the tail is agita¬ 
 ted. The pieces of the organ are formed successively on the 
 skin of the tail, receiving from it the materials necessary for 
 its development, and adhering to it until its growth is com¬ 
 plete. A second piece, entirely similar to the first, is formed 
 under it, and detaches it from the end of the tail. It is pushed 
 backwards, leaving between its edge and the skin an interval 
 occupied by the first ring of the new piece. A third piece is 
 formed under the second, pushing it backwards, but retaining 
 it, by its posterior rings being included in the cavity of the 
 second piece. If the vertebrae of the tail continue of uniform 
 
656 
 
 LeConte, on Venomous Serpents. [November 
 
 diameter, all the pieces will be of the same size, and the rattle, 
 consequently, is of one breadth throughout. On the contrary, if 
 the vertebrae grow while the rattle is in process of formation, 
 the pieces increase in size, and thus it tapers to its end. It is 
 very evident, from what has preceded, that the rattle is nothing 
 more than a modification of the corneous epidermis of the tail, 
 and that the only reason why it is not thrown off at each pe¬ 
 riodical moulting, is, that its mechanical connections prevent 
 such a result. It is also obvious, that only one piece can be 
 found at each exuviation of the cuticle. The idea that the 
 number of rattles mark the age of the snake, is unquestionably 
 erroneous. Dr. Holbrook has known two rattles added in one 
 year, and Dr. Bachman has observed four produced in the 
 same length of time. On the other hand, the rattles are liable 
 to be lost. Mr. Peale, of the Philadelphia Museum, kept a 
 living rattlesnake 14 years;—it had, when it came into his 
 possession, eleven rattles; many were lost, and new ones were 
 formed, so that at the end of the time, there were still eleven 
 pieces. 
 
 2. Reproduction.— All of our poisonous snakes are vivipa¬ 
 rous, or rather, ovo-viviparous. Not that their mode of repro¬ 
 duction is really different from that of the oviparous serpents, 
 but that the eggs are developed and hatched in the oviduct be¬ 
 fore exclusion from the body, so that the young animals are ex¬ 
 pelled alive. It is, therefore, essentially oviparous, and must not 
 be mistaken for the viviparous placental reproduction of mam¬ 
 malia. Among Serpents, as with birds, the development of the 
 embryo is complicated by the presence of an allantois, and the 
 amniotic sac with its peculiar liquid. As the period of hatch¬ 
 ing approaches, the yolk bag, or vitelline sac, together with its 
 remaining contents, is gradually taken into the cavity of the ab¬ 
 domen, through the umbilical aperture. Should the young 
 snake be hatched before this sac is completely drawn into the 
 abdominal cavity, its presence externally, might, very naturally, 
 lead to the erroneous conclusion, that it possesses a true pla¬ 
 centa with an umbilical cord attached. 
 
 This ovo-viviparous peculiarity appertains to all venomous 
 Serpents, and hence, they have been included under the family 
 
1853.] 
 
 LeConte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 657 
 
 Viperidse. Nevertheless, it is important to bear in mind, that 
 it is not restricted to them. With us, some of the harmless spe¬ 
 cies,—as the different kinds of Tropidonoti, —are likewise ovo- 
 viviparous. With some, it appears to depend, in a measure, 
 upon the latitude, mean temperature, and the greater- or less 
 abundance of food ; so that the same snake may be made ovi¬ 
 parous at one time, and ovo-viviparous at another, merely by 
 altering the circumstances, so as to accelerate or retard the 
 period of extruding the eggs. 
 
 3. H ead. —The head of our venomous Snakes is dispropor¬ 
 tionately large, triangular, rounded or truncated anteriorly, 
 and flattened above. The enormous breadth of the posterior 
 part, as contrasted with the remarkably small and contracted 
 neck, gives a hastate appearance to the head. This peculiar 
 conformation of the head seems to be connected with the won¬ 
 derful distensibility of the several parts composing the cranium, 
 requisite for swallowing the large animals on which these Ser¬ 
 pents prey. To this end, the tympanic bones,—which connect 
 the rami of the lower jaw with the posterior part of the crani¬ 
 um,—are enormously elongated. This gives great width to 
 the posterior region of the head ; which is still farther increased, 
 by the presence of the large poison gland on either side be¬ 
 hind the eye. Armed with the power of destroying compara¬ 
 tively large animals, nature has invested them with a confor¬ 
 mation admirably adapted for transmitting the undivided victim 
 to the digestive cavity. Nothing is more common than for our 
 Rattlesnakes to swallow full-grown rabbits. 
 
 This distinctive mark, founded upon the peculiar shape of 
 the head, does not belong to all poisonous Serpents, but is quite 
 characteristic of those inhabiting our State. The Elapsis the 
 only exception; which, as we have seen, is probably innocuous. 
 Among the harmless snakes, the several species constituting the 
 genus Heterodon, are the only ones in which, the character of 
 the head is liable to produce an erroneous impression. Some 
 of these have the head large, flattened, triangular, and broader 
 behind:—but then, the enormous size of the nech, (as large as 
 the head,) and the pointed snout turned upwards at the tip , will 
 readily distinguish them from their dangerous congeners. 
 
658 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents . [November, 
 
 4. Scales on the Head. —All of our Venomous snakes, 
 excepting the Elaps, have a great portion of the superior re¬ 
 gion of the head covered with scales instead of plates; a me¬ 
 chanism which appears to be conformable to the extreme dila- 
 tability of the parts, to which reference has been made. In the 
 Crotalus, this peculiarity is very conspicuous, inasmuch as the 
 scales cover the vertex as well as the occiput, extending ante¬ 
 riorly as far as the eyes; the front being the only part covered 
 with plates. In the Crotalophorus and Trigonocephalus, the 
 scales do not extend so far forward ; and consequently, this 
 character becomes less striking. In fact, as a similar arrange¬ 
 ment in the anterior extension of the scales of the neck exists, 
 to some extent, in the innocent Heterodon, it looses more or 
 less of its value as a distinguishing mark between this genus, 
 and the Trigonocephalus. 
 
 5. Pit between the Eye and the Nosteil. —In all of our 
 poisonous Serpents,—the Elaps being excepted,-—there is a deep 
 pit or fossa, of considerable size, situated on each side between 
 the eye and the nostril, which penetrates in the direction of the 
 poison apparatus, at the base of the fang. Dr. Tyson first 
 pointed out the fact, that these orifices have no connection with 
 the organs of hearing, and that they led into cup-like cavities 
 formed by the bones of the skull and those of the upper jaw, 
 which were not perforated. {Phil. Trans., vol. 13, p. 26.) 
 Many years later, they were more minutely described by Sir 
 Everard Home. {Phil. Trans., for 1804. p. 72.) It seems 
 that, these pits are found in several different genera of Venom¬ 
 ous snakes, and that, they have never been seen in any of the 
 Non-venomous species. The teleological import of these pits 
 is not understood. They have no direct communication with 
 the cavity containing the poison, but are connected with the 
 lachrymal passages. Dr. Richard Harlan having invariably 
 found an exceedingly delicate transparent membrane over the 
 osseous cavity in the bone at the base of the fang, has suggest¬ 
 ed ; that, “ this membrane, whilst it intercepts any direct com¬ 
 munication between the sack and the external canal, might at 
 the same time permit the action of the atmosphere on the fluid 
 contained in the sack, and thus change its chemical properties.” 
 
1853.] 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 659 
 
 {Trans, of Amer. Phil Society , New Series, vol. 3. p. 311. 
 1830.) This conjecture appears to receive some support from 
 the general opinion, that the activity of the poison is increased 
 by long retention. 
 
 6. Undivided Subcaudal Plates. —All of our Venomous 
 snakes,—the Elaps being excepted,—have broad undivided 
 plates under the tail posterior to the vent, similar to those under 
 the abdomen. Sometimes a few of the plates are bifid near the 
 extremity of the tail. All of our Non-venomous Serpents, 
 without a single exception , have the subcaudal plates bifid or 
 divided as far forward as the transverse slit of the vent. This 
 is not an absolutelydistinctive mark between Venomous 
 and Non-venomous snakes ; but, with respect to those inhabit¬ 
 ing Georgia, it is absolute and highly characteristic. 
 
 The six distinctive external characters as above given, are 
 abundantly sufficient to distinguish the dangerous from the harm¬ 
 less Serpents inhabiting our State. But the arrangement of the 
 teeth and the organization of the mouth, constitute the most 
 important marks of distinction. The character most common¬ 
 ly adduced from the dental system, as distinguishing the Ven¬ 
 omous from the Non-venomous snakes, is, that the former have 
 two, the latter four rows of teeth in the upper jaw ; the two 
 outer or maxillary rows being wanting in the Venomous species, 
 and their place being supplied by a single poison fang. Prof. 
 Owen has shown, that this is not an infallible character; inas¬ 
 much as some poisonous snakes, have large immovable fangs 
 associated with a greater or less number of maxillary teeth. 
 Among our Serpents, the Elaps is the only one thus organized; 
 and we have seen that it is not dangerous. In all of our truly 
 Venomous snakes, the poison-fangs are associated only with 
 their successors; constituting all of the teeth attached to the 
 maxillary bones, which are here shortened to mere tubercles 
 on the anterior and lateral portion of the head. Consequently, 
 only the two rows of palatine teeth are seen in the roof of the 
 mouth ; the arrangement of teeth in the lower jaw, is the same 
 in all Serpents. 
 
 These isolated fangs are usually said to be movable ; but, as 
 M. Cuvier remarks, it is, properly speaking, the exceedingly 
 
660 
 
 LeConte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 short maxillary bone that moves. The structure of the venom- 
 fangs of Serpents, and the machinery by which their deadly 
 agency is brought to bear against those who are so unfor¬ 
 tunate as to be the objects of their attacks, are so interesting, 
 that, with the assistance of Prof. Owen, we will endeavor to lay 
 before our readers as clear a description of them as possible. _ 
 
 1. Machinery for Erecting the Fang. —The superior 
 maxillary bone diminishes in length with the decreasing num¬ 
 ber of teeth which it supports. The transverse or external 
 pterygoid bone elongates in the same ratio, so as to retain its 
 position as an abutment against the shortened maxillary, and 
 the muscles implanted into this external pterygoid style com¬ 
 municate, through it, to the maxillary bone the hinge-like move¬ 
 ments backwards and forwards upon the ginglymoid articula¬ 
 tions connecting that bone with the anterior frontal and pala¬ 
 tine bones. As the fully-developed poison fangs are attached 
 by the same firm basal anchylosis to shallow maxillary sockets, 
 which forms the characteristic mode of attachment of the sim¬ 
 ple or solid teeth, they necessarily follow all of the movements 
 of the superior maxillary bone. When the external pterygoid 
 is retracted, the superior maxillary rotates backwards, and the 
 poison fang is concealed in the lax mucous gum, with its point 
 turned backwards. When the muscles draw forward the ex¬ 
 ternal pterygoid, the superior maxillary bone is pushed for¬ 
 wards, and the recumbent fang withdrawn from its conceal¬ 
 ment and erected. 
 
 In this power of changing the direction of a large tooth, so 
 that it may not impede the passage of food through the mouth, 
 we may perceive an analogy between the typical genera of ven¬ 
 omous snakes and the Lophius ; but in the fish, the movement 
 is confined to the tooth alone and is dependent on the mere 
 physical property of the elastic medium of attachment; in the 
 Serpent, the tooth has no independent motion but rotates with 
 the jaw, whose movements are governed by muscular actions. 
 In the fish, the great teeth are erect, except when pressed down 
 by some extraneous force. In the Serpent, the habitual posi¬ 
 tion of the fang is the recumbent one, and its erection takes 
 place only when the envenomed blow is to be struck. 
 
1853.] LeConte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 661 
 
 2. Structure of the Fang. —‘That the poison fangs of 
 venomous snakes are perforated, with the view of injecting the 
 venom into the wound, was very well known to the ancients :—* 
 Galen tells us, that the mountebanks of his day used to stop 
 these perforations with some kind of paste ; after which, they 
 would publicly expose themselves to be bitten without danger. 
 But the peculiar structure of these organs was first described 
 by Redi and Fontana. A true idea of the structure of a poison- 
 fang will be formed by supposing a simple conical tooth to be 
 pressed flat, and its edges to be then bent towards each other, 
 and soldered together so as to form a hollow cylinder, or rather 
 cone, open at both ends. The flattening of the fang and its in¬ 
 flection around the poison-duct commences immediately above 
 the base, and the suture of the inflected margins runs along the 
 anterior and convex side of the recurved fang : the poison-canal 
 is thus in front of the pulp-cavity. The basal aperture of the 
 poison-canal is oblique, and its opposite outlet is still more so, 
 presenting the form of a narrow elliptical longitudinal fissure 
 terminating at a short distance from the apex of the fang. It is 
 more strongly curved backwards than the ordinary teeth, but 
 its acute and slender apex is frequently bent slightly in the con¬ 
 trary direction, as in the rattlesnake. 
 
 The duct which conveys the poison, although it runs through 
 the centre of a great part of the tooth, is nevertheless, as we 
 have seen, really on the outside of the tooth ; the canal in 
 which it is lodged and protected being formed by a longitudinal 
 inflection of the parietes of the pulp-cavity or true internal canal 
 of the tooth. This inflection commences a little beyond the 
 base of the tooth, where its real nature is readily appreciated, 
 as the poison-canal there rests in a slight groove or longitudinal 
 indentation on the convex side of the fangas it proceeds, it 
 sinks deeper into the substance of the tooth, and the sides of 
 the groove meet and coalesce, so that the trace of the inflected 
 fold ceases, in some species, to be perceptible to the naked 
 eye; and the fang appears, as it is commonly described, to be 
 perforated by the poison-duct. 
 
 3. Poison Glands. —According to Prof. Muller, the poison 
 glands occupy the sides of the posterior half of the head ; each 
 
 n. s. —VOL. IX. no. xi. 42 
 
662 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 consists of a number of narrow elongated lobes, extending from 
 the main duct which runs along the lower border of the gland 
 upwards, and slightly backwards. Each lobe gives offlobules 
 throughout its extent, thus presenting a pinnatifid structure; and 
 each lobule is subdivided into smaller secerning cseca,which con¬ 
 stitute the ultimate structure of the gland. The whole gland is 
 surrounded by a double aponeurotic capsule, of which the outer¬ 
 most and strongest layer is in connection with the muscles, by 
 whose contraction the several cseca and lobes of the gland are 
 compressed and emptied of their secretion. This is then con¬ 
 veyed by the duct to the basal aperture of the poison-canal of 
 the fang. We may reasonably suppose that the rage which 
 stimulates the venom-snake to use its deadly vreapon must be 
 accompanied with an increased secretion and great distention 
 of the poison glands ; and as the action of the compressing mus¬ 
 cles is contemporaneous with the blow by which the Serpent 
 inflicts its wound, the poison is, at the same moment, injected 
 with force into the wound from the apiciai outlet of the perfora¬ 
 ted fang. 
 
 4. Replacement of Fangs. —fn the typical and most dead¬ 
 ly venom-snakes—such as the Crotalus and Trigonocephalus,— 
 the poison-fangs acquire their largest size, and are associated 
 only with their successors, destined to replace them should 
 these be destroyed by accident. These are clustered in great¬ 
 er or less number behind the fully-developed fang, presenting 
 the same structure, but of a size proportionate to their degree 
 of development, and further differing in being loosely imbed¬ 
 ded in the thick and wide mucous gum, which likewise con¬ 
 ceals the fixed and functional fang in its ordinary position of 
 retraction and repose. It thus appears, that in the posterior 
 part of the large mucous sheath of the poison fang, the succes¬ 
 sors of this tooth are always to be found in different stages of 
 development. The pulp is at first a simple papilla, and when 
 it has sunk into the gum the succeeding portion presents a de¬ 
 pression along its inferior surface, as it lies horizontally, with 
 the apex directed backwards : the capsule adheres to this inflec¬ 
 ted surface of the pulp. But how the cylindrical cavity of the 
 dilated fold is occupied in the loose growing poison-fang, and by 
 
1853.] 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 663 
 
 what contrivance it is brought into the same relation with the 
 severed duct of the poison gland as the displaced fang which it 
 succeeds, is not yet clearly understood. (On the foregoing 
 points, vide Owen’s “Odontography,” Passim, and Todd’s 
 “Cyclopedia of Anatomy and Physiology,” Articles, “ Reptilia 
 and Teeth'') 
 
 Habits of our Venomous Serpents. —We. will conclude 
 this Paper with a few observations on the habits of each of the 
 four species of dangerous snakes inhabiting Georgia. On this 
 point,—as well as on many others to be noticed in a future com¬ 
 munication,—I must express my profound obligations to my 
 friend W. E. Dearing, M. D., of Augusta, Georgia. For many 
 years he has studied the habits of our Ophidian reptiles with an 
 assiduity and discrimination beyond all commendation. En¬ 
 dowed by nature with an intuitive power of taming, he has cob 
 lected and domesticated a great number of our snakes, and has, 
 thus, been able to investigate their habits, under the most favor¬ 
 able circumstances. This has been done in the face of popu¬ 
 lar prejudices which were so strong, as to characterize such 
 studies,—so foreign to the spirit of utilitarianism,—as little else 
 than manifestations of mental hallucination. 
 
 1. Crotalus durissus.-- -This snake lives on rabbits, squir¬ 
 rels, rats, etc., and is a remarkably slow and sluggish animal, 
 lying quietly in wait for his prey, and permitting any one to pass 
 within a few feet of him unmolested. When suddenly disturb¬ 
 ed, he generally throws himself into a coil, and warns the 
 aggressor by rapidly vibrating his rattles ; but Dr. DeKay re¬ 
 cords a case in which an Indian was struck without the slightest 
 warning. {Nat. Hist, of New York, “ Zoology.”) It is a very 
 commonly received opinion, that the rattlesnake never strikes 
 unless coiled; so that if once thrown from this position, he may 
 be approached without danger. But Dr. Dearing has seen 
 them strike repeatedly without coiling. 
 
 The Hon. Paul Dudley informs us, that these Serpents rattle 
 most fiercely in clear fair weather. When rainy, they make 
 no noise ; for which reason, he affirms, the Indians do not like 
 to travel in the woods in rainy weather. {Phil. Trans, vol, 32 , 
 
664 
 
 LeConte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 p. 292.) According to the observations of Dr. Dearing, they 
 will rattle in all kinds of weather; but the sound is compara¬ 
 tively feeble when the atmosphere is moist. He assigns a 
 physical cause for this fact, which affords a perfectly satisfac¬ 
 tory explanation of the phenomenon. Owing to the strongly 
 hygroscopic properties of the corneous rattle, it becomes quite 
 soft when the atmosphere is damp, and, consequently, its vibra- 
 tion produces a comparatively feeble sound. 
 
 2. Crotalus adamantetts. —This terrible snake is restrict¬ 
 ed to the Southern States. It chooses for its abode, damp and 
 shady places, keeping constantly near the water, from which 
 circumstance it is sometimes called the “Water-rattle; ” 
 although, as Prof. Holbrook says, there is no evidence of its 
 taking to the water in search of prey. In other respects, its 
 habits are similar to the preceding species. 
 
 3. Trigonocephalus piscivorus. —This snake is found 
 about damp, swampy places, or in water;—far from which it 
 is never observed; and hence, called “ Water Moccasin.” It 
 lives on fish, frogs, toads, tadpoles, and many of the smaller 
 reptiles. This Serpent is very vicious,—attacking every thing 
 that comes within his reach—and its bite is justly dreaded. 
 The tail is terminated by a small horny point , about half an 
 inch in length, which seems to be the homologue of the rattle of 
 the preceding genus. This excrescence, though perfectly 
 harmless, has, according to the older writers, given a dreadful 
 character to its owner, imposing a belief on the credulous, that 
 he is the terrible Horn Snake, armed with death at both ends. 
 Lawson informs us, that he “ heard it credibly reported by 
 those who said they were eye-witnesses, that a small locust tree r 
 about the thickness of a man’s arm, being struck by one of these 
 snakes at 10 o’clock in the morning, then verdant and flourish¬ 
 ing, at four in the afternoon was dead and the leaves red and 
 withered.” ( Lawson’s New Voyage to Carolina, p. 130.) 
 The foregoing story is only surpassed by one recorded by Sir 
 Hans Sloane: Col. James Taylor of Metapony, told Col. Bev¬ 
 erley, that, having found a rattlesnake, they cut off his head 
 with three inches of his body. A green stick, the bark being 
 
1853.] 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. 
 
 665 
 
 peeled off, was put to the head ; it bit it. Small green streaks 
 were observed to rise up along the stick towards the hand. 
 The Col. threw the stick down, and, “ in a quarter of an hour, 
 the stick, of its own accord, split into several pieces, and fell 
 asunder from end to end.” {Phil. Trans., vol. 38, p. 321— cited 
 from Beverley’s Hist, of Virginia , 2d Ed., p. 260.) When such 
 absurd and preposterous notions find a place in grave philoso¬ 
 phical transactions, it is not at all astonishing, that “Snake Sto¬ 
 ries” should have become typical of everything incredible. 
 
 4. Trigonocephalus contortrix.— This reptile chooses 
 dark and shady places for its residence in general, though at 
 times it is found in meadows of high grass. Dr. Dearing has 
 frequently observed it about fallen timber and old deserted 
 houses. Its usual food seems to be field-mice, wood-rats, and 
 small birds. This snake is equally as vicious as the preceding, 
 and its bite is considered very dangerous. 
 
 It has long been a popular belief,—in relation to the Euro¬ 
 pean Viper, as well as our Rattlesnakes,—that, when the female 
 is suddenly surprised, she opens her mouth and permits her 
 young to run down her throa t. The English viper-catchers 
 deny that any such thing ever happens ; and I have been dis¬ 
 posed to ascribe the origin of the opinion to the fact, that, these 
 Serpents being ovo-viviparous, they are sometimes found with 
 the young in the oviduct; which might lead persons to suppose 
 that they were in the stomach. But the following account 
 given by the well-known French naturalist and traveller, M. 
 Palisot De Beauvois, is so direct and positive, that my faith in 
 the above explanation has been shaken. He asserts, “ that he 
 saw a large Rattlesnake, which he happened to disturb in his 
 walks, coil itself up, open its jaws, and instantly receive small 
 ones, which were lying by it, and instinctively rushed into its 
 mouth. M. De Beauvois retired, and watched the snake, and 
 in about a quarter of an hour after, saw her discharge them. 
 He then approached a second time, when the young retired 
 into its mouth with greater celerity than before : and the snake 
 immediately moved off in the grass and escaped.” (Rees’ 
 “Cyclopaedia.” Am. ed., Art. Crotalus; cited from Amer. Phil. 
 Trans.) 
 
666 
 
 Le Conte, on Venomous Serpents. [November, 
 
 As regards the “ Fascinating” or “Charming’’ power of 
 snakes, it is now generally considered a fable: a modification, 
 as Prof. Holbrook suggests, of that of the basilisk of the an¬ 
 cients, “ a creature whose deadly glance would alone prove 
 fatal.” The curious behavior of birds and some of the smaller 
 animals, when in the vicinity of these reptiles, is more ration¬ 
 ally explained by supposing that they are victims to maternal 
 solicitude, or, that they are bewildered and paralyzed with 
 terror, in suddenly finding themselves in the presence of an 
 enemy of such threatening aspect,—rather than to imagine them 
 to be endowed with a mysterious and indefinable influence over 
 their weak and defenseless prey. In those cases in which the 
 animal has been observed to struggle and die , under the gaze 
 of the snake distant several yards,—it is probable, that the vic¬ 
 tim had been previously struck , and the serpent was quietly 
 awaiting the result of the envenomed blow. 
 
 Capt. Richard F. Floyd, of Camden county, Georgia, in a 
 very interesting letter to Rev. James H. Linsley, says, “ I 
 have often drawn near the rattlesnake and looked it steadily 
 in the eye until the intensity of my gaze became confused and 
 dim from the most natural cause, without having any strange 
 effect produced upon me.” (vide Silliman’s Journal , 1st series, 
 vol. 46, p. 45, Note. 1844.) Some have imagined that their 
 victims are overpowered by the horrible stench, which they 
 are capable of emitting from their bodies. But it seems to me 
 very doubtful, whether this effluvium is ever thrown off except 
 for purposes of defense, as the polecat does; and even if it 
 was emitted under other circumstances, it is still more proble¬ 
 matical, whether it could, by any possibility, have an intensity 
 so great as instantly to overpower the animal, and prevent its 
 escape. 
 
 It is a popular opinion, that hogs are particularly destructive 
 to these reptiles, and that they are quite invulnerable to snake¬ 
 bites. There can be no doubt, that these pachyderms are very 
 seldom killed by the bite of venomous serpents:—Dr. Bearing 
 has known two instances in which they have been bitten, with¬ 
 out the slightest injury. Doubtless this arises from no special 
 immunity from the effects of the poison ; but from the fact, 
 that the slight vascularity of the skin, and the thick external 
 
1853.] 
 
 Douglass— Soothing Liniment. 
 
 667 
 
 layer of fat , prevent the venom from finding its way into the 
 circulation. If struck under favorable circumstances, they 
 would be killed. Dr. De Kay was informed by a respectable 
 farmer in Dutchess Co., N. Y., that he lost three hogs in one 
 season by the poison either of the copper-head or rattle-snake. 
 (Nat. Hist, of New York.. “Zoology.”) 
 
 It is likewise a popular belief, that the poisonous Serpents 
 are often killed by the common Deer (Cervus virginianus), 
 which leap on them, with all four feet touching each other, and 
 off, so quick, that the snake has no power to bite, and this he 
 repeats until he completely dispatches him. Mr. Linsley says 
 that, “Mr. George Walter assures me that he witnessed this 
 fact this season in Missouri, while secreted in the bushes near 
 the operation.” (Vide, Silliman’s Journal , 1st series, vol. 46, 
 p. 44. Note. 1844.) Dr. Dearing informs me, that he has 
 frequently seen domesticated deer kill various species of the 
 common snakes by leaping on the body or head ; but has nev¬ 
 er seen them perform the operation on the venomous serpents. 
 A few astute lexicographers have been able to discern in the 
 Greek word for the stag, “ Elaphos,” a very early, if not an 
 intuitive , knowledge of this remarkable habit of the cervine 
 tribe. For example, the learned Schrevelius derives this word 
 from “ Elein,” and “ Opheis ,” “ quod serpentes e cavernis tra- 
 hat.” It is true, that to those who are not initiated in the 
 mysteries of philology, it would seem prima facie probable, 
 that the progenitors of the Greeks would have given a name 
 to the stag long before they had observed such a habit in the 
 animal:—but in a science in which vowels have no power and 
 consonants are interchangeable ,—what may we not expect a 
 prolific classical imagination to accomplish ? 
 
 Athens, Georgia , Sept. 20th, 1853. 
 
 ARTICLE XXXVI. 
 
 X Y 
 
 Soothihg ■ Liniment —proposed by Dr. T. DouglaSs^ of Alex- 
 
 der, Burke Co., Ga. N \ 
 
 X* A X, 
 
 Prof. Garvin ’X ' 
 
 My Dear Sir--lJ)eg leave to present you, for examination ^ 
 and trial, a small specimen of a saponaceous compound which, 
 
668 
 
 Ricord's Letters on Syphilis. [November, 
 
 on account of its very prompt and soothing qualities, I have 
 honored with the name of Lethean Liniment. 
 
 It is made by digesting a bar of fresh turpentine soap and 
 four ounces of gum of camphor in a gallon of good alcohol for 
 two weeks in the heat of the sun. It is then bottled up while 
 hot, and one drachm of chloroform added to every four ounces, 
 set in a cool place, and shaken occasionally while coagulating. 
 
 The turpentine affords the best means, in my opinion, of 
 applying chloroform to the skin, because, by its adhesiveness 
 it holds that volatile fluid longer and more firmly in contact 
 with the surface than any other substance could do. 
 
 My mode of applying it, is to coat the part well with the 
 liniment/and cover it immediately with a piece of good paper, 
 which adheres firmly and produces a gentle burning, tingling 
 sensation, which, in neuralgia, rheumatism, irritability of the 
 stomach, cramp colic, &c., is perfectly delightful. 
 
 Did I think more of money than of honor and humanity I 
 might possibly make this compound avail me something. But 
 since I do not wish to become a competitor with all the host 
 of pain-killers and extractors and eradicators in the county, 
 you may, if you think it worthy of a trial by our noble pro¬ 
 fession, hand it over to Professor Dugas for publication in the 
 Southern Med. and Surg. Journal. 
 
 Very respectfully, Tilman Douglass, M. D. 
 
 PART II. 
 
 (KcUctic ®apartment. 
 
 Letters upon Syphilis. Addressed to the Editor of L’Union 
 Medicale, by P. Ricord. Translated from the French, by 
 W. P. Lattimore, M. D. 
 
 TWENTY-SECOND LETTER. 
 
 [Continued from Page 600.] 
 
 My Bear Friend —It would afford me much pleasure to say 
 a word relative to the treatment of chancre; but you know 
 that, according to the plan I have proposed to follow, I can¬ 
 not, in this connection, enter into many details. 
 
 Perhaps you will permit me to say something here in rela¬ 
 tion to prophylaxis. Medical police has advanced much of