Page Eight
CLOUDBUSTER
Saturday, May 22, 1943
Sound Advice on Snakes
Given to Pre-Flight Personnel
®
CftOtT tACGV)C1f^\«
‘What’s the matter, no guts?”
Reprinted from the Cloudbuster, Sept. 19, 19Jf2
Along with spring in Carolina
comes the end of hibernation for
Nature’s limbless reptiles—and
advice herewith for all hands re
garding snakes.
While Pre-Flight personnel were
fortunate last year in that there
was not a single case of snake
bitp occurring here, it is well to
be on the alert for the danger,
know how to recognize the poison
ous species and how to render first
aid should an emergency occur.
The common poisonous snakes
in this area are three members
of the pit viper family—copper
heads, water moccasins, and rat
tlers.
So that everyone may become
familiar with these reptiles on
sight, Lieut. George D. Kepler,
USNR, officer in charge of hiking
here and an expert hunting guide
in civilian life, has been assigned
the task of capturing alive one
each of these three varieties for
display in a wooden box on this
station where all may view them
in safety.
Samples of poison oak and
poison ivy will also be displayed,
so they may be recognized and
avoided.
“Although about 95% of all
snake bites occur on the legs from
the knee down and on the arms
from the elbow to the finger tips,
most fatal bites are received on
the head or parts of the body
where it is difficult to render first
aid treatment,” Lieut. Kepler
states. “It is well to be particu
larly careful along the banks of
streams where water moccasins
lurk, and near old bark and rub
bish piles where copperheads of
ten are to be found. Rattlers are
not as restricted in their roam
ings as the other two and may be
found most anywhere.
“The bite of a poisonous snake
may be distinguished from that
of a non-poisonous variety in that
the former leaves two punctures
and the latter leaves a set of
teeth marks. Also, poisonous
bites are accompanied by sting
ing—as that of a bee—about one
minute after the bite. It is best
though to treat all snake bites,
just to play safe.”
Valuable information for rec
ognizing copperheads, water moc
casins, and rattlers, and for
treating their bite should one oc
cur, was issued during the past
week by the Medical Department,
as follows:
The most important identify
ing features of these snakes are;
1. The presence of a very defi
nite pit or depression situated in
the head between the eye and nos
tril on each side.
2. One row of teeth on each side
of the jaw and fangs in the up
per jaw. Non-poisonous snakes
have three rows of teeth on each
side and no fangs.
3. A triangular head»
4. The copper head has a defi
nite copper colored head, rattle*-
snakes have a conical rattle on
the tip of the tail, and water moc
casins are brightly colored.
These snakes are armed with
two highly specialized teeth called
fangs, located in the front of the
upper jaws. Ordinarily the fangs
are folded back against the roof
of the mouth but are extended
when the snake strikes. Each
fang is hollow like a hypodermic
needle and is connected to a ven
om or poison sac.
When the snake bites the fangs
are driven into the body of the
victim, the venom sac contracts
forcing the poison through the
fang and out into the tissues. The
venom is then picked up by the
blood vessels and distributed all
through the body where it effects
its lethal action.
As in all illness the best treat
ment is prevention, which in this
case is primarily alertness. Snakes
ordinarily do not attack unless
molested. The important rule is
to look where you are stepping
and before you reach out vnth
your hand. If available high
leather boots or canvas leggings
should be worn while walking in
open country. Be particularly
careful of rocky areas that are
sunny.
Once a man is bitten proper
first aid is life saving. Don’t get
panicky. Snake bite is never fatal
sooner than eight or twelve hours.
The following things should be
done in this order:
1. If the wound is on an extrem
ity place a tourniquet tightly on
the single-bone part of the limb
between the wound and the heart
to prevent the poison from being
distributed throughout the body.
Loosen the tourniquet about every
half hour for one or two min
utes to restore circulation but if
symptoms of general poisoning
occur tighten it up immediately.
2. After the tourniquet is ap
plied cut through the tissues with
any available sharp instrument
(remember glasses, watch crys
tal, etc. if no knife is handy) so
that free, active bleeding is es
tablished. The incisions should be
in the form of a cross so that
one cut goes through both punc
ture wounds. The bleeding washes
the poison out.
3. Apply suction either with the
mouth or by some mechanical
means but remember if you have
a cut or sore in your mouth you
may absorb the poison into your
own system through the cut. Spit
out the fluid in your mouth after
such a procedure and if possible
gargle with water.
4. If the bite is on the face or
body, of course, a tourniquet can
not be applied, but incision and
suction must be done.
5. Try to get a look at the
snake for identification purposes.
6. Keep the injured man quiet.
Activity increases blood flow and
favors distribution of the poison.
7. Get the patient to a medical
officer as soon as possible.
8. The above outlined treatment
is the only safe first aid. Despite
what you have heard do not use
cauterization, tobacco juice, gun
powder or any other such so^
called remedies.
SPORTS RECORD
(Continued from page seven)
points against N. C. State.
The officers’ basketball team
won 6 and lost 1, and the track
team just completed a successful
season, winning four of five meets.
Victories were recorded over N.
C. State twice, Duke and Catawba
once. The lone defeat was to Duke
in a return meet, the score being
65 to 61.
Coaching the various sports
were Lieut. Earle C. Waters,
USNR, Soccer; Lieut. Charles
Speidel, USNR, Wrestling; Lieut.
Alfred WolfF, USNR, Boxing; Lt.
Comdr. James A. Crowley, USNR,
Football; Lieut. Richard Raese,
USNR, Cadet Basketball; Lieut.
Forrest Kendall, USNR, Officer
Basketball; Lieut. W. G. Killinger,
U SNR, Baseball, and Lieut. Char
les Werner, USNR, Track.
TRACK
(Continued from page seven)
Gary (N), Chipley (N), 44 ft.
8% In.
120-yard high hurdles: J. C.
Jones (S), Underwood (N), Miller
(S), 16.2. ,
High jump: Trentham (S),
Falls (N) and McAllister (N) tied
for second, 5 ft. 11 in.
880-yard run: Farley (N), Neu-
fer (S), Freeman (N), 2:05.9.
220-yard dash: Holloman (S),
Pease (S), J. H. Jones (S), 22.3.
Pole Vault: Mauger (N) and
Lannon (N) tied for first, Kel-
liher (N), 11 ft.
Two-mile: Gregory (N), Tier-
laey (N), Jennison (N), 9:38.9.
Discus: Leichner (N), McGary
(N), Lantz (N), 121 ft. 7 in.
Broad jump: Underwood (N)»
Callaway (S), Beauchesne (N)>
20 ft. 6 in.
220-yard low hurdles: J. C. Jones
(S), Underwood (N), Oddo (N),
25.08.
Javelin: Miller (S), Stuckey
(N), Trentham (S), 153 ft. 10 in.
Softball Games
Again Postponed
The four games postponed in
the Pre-Flight Softball League
last week are now scheduled to be
played next Wednesday.