A 30-inch snake from the Lincoln Park Zoo was taken to the Chicago Natural history Museum in september 1957 in an attempt to identify it. Schmidt consented to inspect the snake since he was well-known in the herpetological community and had numerous species named after him.
Schmidt discovered on september 25 that the snake was African, possessing vivid markings and resembling the form of a boomslang, a poisonous snake native to Sub-Saharan Africa. He wasn't sure if it was a boomslang, though, because the snake's "anal plate was undivided," which isn't typical of that species.
Schmidt looked at the snake and made a crucial choice. When he took it up to examine it more closely, the snake bit him in the left thumb, causing two tiny puncture wounds. Schmidt, ever the devoted scientist, started recording the symptoms of the venom in his diary rather than going for medical attention.
He was going to die in a day.
Schmidt could have misjudged how bad the bite was. He rode a train home and kept a detailed journal of his symptoms:
From 4:30 to 5:30 PM: Severe nausea without vomiting. took a train ride in the suburbs.
Between 5:30 and 6:30 PM: I had a temperature of 101.7°F, chills, and shaking. At about 5:30, the gums started to bleed.
-8:30 PM: Had two pieces of bread with milk.
9:00 PM - 12:20 AM: Restful sleep. around 12:20 AM, mainly bloody urination. drank water around 4:30 in the morning, and then had severe nausea and vomiting. felt better, sleeping through till 6:30 AM.
Schmidt continued his practice the following morning, having breakfast and recording the effects of the venom:
-September 26, 6:30 AM: I had cereal, coffee, applesauce, and poached eggs on toast for breakfast. persistent bleeding from the nose and mouth was observed, however "not excessively."
"Excessively" was Schmidt's final word. He called his wife after lunch, puked, and eventually stopped responding. Schmidt was declared dead at 3 PM, respiratory paralysis being the cause of death despite efforts to resuscitate him.
Boomslang venom is incredibly strong; a bird can be killed in a matter of minutes with just.0006 milligrams. Internal bleeding brought on by the venom results in a painful and gradual death. Schmidt's brain, kidneys, heart, lungs, and eyeballs were all bleeding, according to the results of his autopsy.
Schmidt was recommended to seek medical attention, but he declined, stating, "No, that would upset the symptoms," according to the Chicago Daily Tribune. Some claim Schmidt's passing was a tragic example of curiosity getting the better of prudence. Others think that Schmidt just accepted his fate and carried on with his life's work to the very end, knowing that the antivenom was only accessible in Africa.
Schmidt discovered on september 25 that the snake was African, possessing vivid markings and resembling the form of a boomslang, a poisonous snake native to Sub-Saharan Africa. He wasn't sure if it was a boomslang, though, because the snake's "anal plate was undivided," which isn't typical of that species.
Schmidt looked at the snake and made a crucial choice. When he took it up to examine it more closely, the snake bit him in the left thumb, causing two tiny puncture wounds. Schmidt, ever the devoted scientist, started recording the symptoms of the venom in his diary rather than going for medical attention.
He was going to die in a day.
Schmidt could have misjudged how bad the bite was. He rode a train home and kept a detailed journal of his symptoms:
From 4:30 to 5:30 PM: Severe nausea without vomiting. took a train ride in the suburbs.
Between 5:30 and 6:30 PM: I had a temperature of 101.7°F, chills, and shaking. At about 5:30, the gums started to bleed.
-8:30 PM: Had two pieces of bread with milk.
9:00 PM - 12:20 AM: Restful sleep. around 12:20 AM, mainly bloody urination. drank water around 4:30 in the morning, and then had severe nausea and vomiting. felt better, sleeping through till 6:30 AM.
Schmidt continued his practice the following morning, having breakfast and recording the effects of the venom:
-September 26, 6:30 AM: I had cereal, coffee, applesauce, and poached eggs on toast for breakfast. persistent bleeding from the nose and mouth was observed, however "not excessively."
"Excessively" was Schmidt's final word. He called his wife after lunch, puked, and eventually stopped responding. Schmidt was declared dead at 3 PM, respiratory paralysis being the cause of death despite efforts to resuscitate him.
Boomslang venom is incredibly strong; a bird can be killed in a matter of minutes with just.0006 milligrams. Internal bleeding brought on by the venom results in a painful and gradual death. Schmidt's brain, kidneys, heart, lungs, and eyeballs were all bleeding, according to the results of his autopsy.
Schmidt was recommended to seek medical attention, but he declined, stating, "No, that would upset the symptoms," according to the Chicago Daily Tribune. Some claim Schmidt's passing was a tragic example of curiosity getting the better of prudence. Others think that Schmidt just accepted his fate and carried on with his life's work to the very end, knowing that the antivenom was only accessible in Africa.
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