Dr. Karl Schmidt's Journal after Boomslang bite

[Lynn Cremona]

Here is what I found:
excerpt of parts of Dr. Karl Patterson Schmidt's Journal:

http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociet ... n%2021.pdf

"Virginia Herpetological Society"Bulletin #21 Sept - Oct 1960
A 15 hour Ordeal
"September 25

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Strong nausea, but without vomiting, during trip to Homewood on suburban train.

5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Strong chill and shaking, followed by fever of 101.7 degrees, which did not persist. Bleeding of mucus membranes in the mouth began about 5:50, apparently mostly from gums. Blanket or heating pad.

8:30 p.m.

Ate two pieces of milk toast.

9:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Slept well no blood in urine before going to sleep, but very small amount of urine -- at 12:30 a.m. mostly blood, but small in amount. Mouth had bled steadily as shown by dried blood at both angles of mouth.

A good deal of abdominal pain, mainly from gas, continuing to 1 a.m. only inadequately relieved by belching. A little fitful sleep until 4:00 a.m. when I took an enema -- bowel having failed to move the previous day.
Took a glass of water at 4:30 a.m. followed by violent nausea and vomiting. The contents of the stomach being the undigested supper. Felt much better and slept until 6:30 a.m.
September 26

Temperature, 98.2 degrees at 6:30 a.m. Ate cereal and poached egg on toast and applesauce and coffee for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Slight bleeding is now going on in the bowels. No urine, with an ounce or so of blood about every three hours (instead of the several ounces of urine to be expected.) Mouth and nose continuing to bleed, but not excessively."
This was Dr. Schmdit's last entry, made after breakfast on September 26, 1957 -- the morning of the day he died.
Associates say he believed he had recovered and was planning to return to work.

His associates said Dr Schmidt then 67 years old and curator emeritus of Zoology

at the Natural History Museum, made the record with no foreboding that it would be climaxed by death. He and others at the examination felt that he had not gotten a lethal dose from the bite. In fact his associates suggested that he make the record of symptoms that might develop……we believed the bite to be minor without danger. It was from a young snake that had been in captivity for some time…and there was no indication of the violent immediate symptoms that can be expected from a Boomslang bite such as swelling and painful streaks up the arm as in blood poisoning.
His notes were published in Copeia a journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Schmidt’s demise quickly changed the mindset on the dangers of rear-fanged snakes.
Best,
Lynn

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Imagine Peace
http://www.homeopathicsolutions.blogspot.com/
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