Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 March 1877 — Snake-Charmers' Humbugs. [ARTICLE]

Snake-Charmers' Humbugs.

One by one science is annihilating every notion which ascribes to any person or class of persons phenomenal powers. Dr. Fayrer, in his splendid and valuable work “The Thanatophida of India,” says that the famous East Indian snake-charm-ers are impostors, and that he bap repeatedly detected them in attempting, by subtle impositions and olevor acting, to delude looltera-on into the belief that they were dealing with veritable wild Snakes, when all the time the dancing cobras that made their appearance at the sound of the pipe were some of their own tame snakes, placed in certain spots beforehand. These professional snake-catchers are many of them, in addition to their regular vocation, most expert Jugglers, and exceeding adroit at al? kinds of sleigbt-of. hand tricks. It is their constant practice to “ turn down ” a few tame snakes in a garden hedge or somewhere close in the vicinity of a house they intend paying a visit to, ere they present themselves before the sahib, the owner of the premises; and then, with every appearance of good faith, the rascals request permission to be allowed to clear the compound of snakes; at the same time stipulating for a reward, perhaps one rupee a head for every snake they succeed in catching. If the gentleman of the house should happen to be a griffin, or new-comer, likely enough he ?yill be induced to lend an ear to so plausible a request, and at length promise these crafty rogues so' much for epch snake they succeed in catching. Boon, to his horror and amazement, hideous ser. pents of various dimensions are produced, one from the straw in an empty stall in the stables, another frdm the'garden hedge, and so on; till at last, perhaps, the fraud is carried too far and discovered.

Dr. Fayrer states that certain' descriptions of serpents—chiefly of the genus nqja —most undoubtedly are susceptible to, and in a measure become fascinated on hearing, musical sounds. “ I have constantly seen,” he says, “ tame snakes in the possession of snake-catchers, on hearing the sound of the pipe, erect themselves and sway their heads from side to side, and beyond a doubt show pleasure at the strain; but I have never once seen a wild snake go through the same performance; and 1 believe that only tame reptiles carried about in baskets and ‘ broken in’ for such an exhibition so conduct themselves. I have repeatedly offered snake charmers five rupees to bring out from its sanctuary, by means of music, a cobra known by me to be ‘ at home,’ but invariably all their efforts have been in vain.” There are many who actually believe in the efficaey of stones which, when applied to a snake bite, are supposed to withdraw the poison; but if such a very simple remedy were really effectual, and a genuine specific, the snake-stone cure would speedily be brougbt into universal use. “It would appear, however, that these people really prize these so-called stones, tor I have been present when money has been offered to them to part with one, but declined.”

Perhaps the strongest argument against this snake-stone cure is that these very men often themselves fall victims to the bite of the cobra, though at the time in possession of a stone which they assert to be capable of working a cure. Moreover, when these professional snakecatchers have to deal with an undoubtedly wild cobra in full vigor—although as a rale they display extraordinary pluck, skill and resolution in capturing it, and, on the first favorable opportunity-, will with wonderful quickness seize hold of and secure it—an attentive beholder cannot fail to remark the extreme caution and watchful management they display on first clutching hold of the animal, their whole demeanor and action differing unmistakably from the off-hand, careless manner which they assume when grasping one of their own harmless specimens; and it is an undoubted fact that these men really dread the consequences of a chance bite from a wild cobra quite as much as other mortals do, and are well aware that nothing can withdraw the deadly venom from a wound, or save life, when once the poison has mingled with the blood. But, even with all the remedies as vet known, including copious doses of brandy and ammonia, ana the immediate efforts of skilled surgeons, it is said to be told by men such as Dr. Fayrer, and others who have devoted time and energy to the subject, that there is almost no hope of saving life if the bite has been inflicted by one of the most venomous snakes in full health and vigor. —Scientific American.