-=> JIM HOLSONBACK wrote to CURTIS JOHNSON <=-
 
 -=> Quoting Wayne Chirnside to Charles Angelich <=-

 WC> BTW, there is a legitimate use of atropine outside of nerve
 WC> agents and that's interrum treatment of poisonous snake bite.
 WC> I'd forgotten about that one and that is odd as Florida has
 WC> three of four poisonous snakes to be found in the U.S.
 WC> and I'm allergic to atropine.

 JH> Listings which indicate four types in the USA include the rattlesnakes,
 JH> cottonmouth moccasins, coral snakes, and copperhead moccasins.  All
 JH> four types are found in Florida, but copperheads don't live in Wayne's
 JH> part of the state.

 Absolutely correct and I've seen three of the four up close and
 personal and not in a zoo either.

 JH> Florida has six species of venemous snakes.  Four of the species can be
 JH> found in Wayne's county (Pinellas) - cottonmouth (water) moccasin,
 
Killed 2 on a job site, one stomped with boot as I only saw it 
at the last instant and one terminated when I dropped 
a three hundred pound gas powered pump on it. 
First job actually.
 
 JH> eastern diamondback rattlesnake, 
 
Killed one again with boot when it threatened the family dog
a Basset hound.

 JH> pygmy rattlesnake, 
 
I've not seen one.

 JH> and coral snake.

 Well it was either a coral or one just like it but 
 non-poisonous with differing color band sequence.
 Got that one installing cable T.V. in Saint Pete.
 Too close to take a chance on it being the benign
 variety that resembles the coral snake.

 JH> The two others, the timber (canebrake) rattlesnake and the copperhead
 JH> (highland) moccasin live farther north, and in the FL panhandle area,
 JH> respectively.

Explains why I've seen neither.

 CJ>  Another legitimate use is for opthamologists to drop into
 CJ> the eyes to dilate the pupil.   The herb belladonna has a bit of
 CJ> atropine in it, so despite the dangers of dosage it was used
 CJ> cosmetically to dilate the pupils, hence the name for the herb--
 CJ> "beautiful lady."

 JH> (Moan) - oh, that reminds me - I need to make an appointment for an
 JH> eye exam and to get some new specs.  I thoroughly dislike the aftermath
 JH> of having eyes dilated. I'd rather stay old and ugly.  [:-D.

I'm not having any problems in that regard ;-)
Oh yeah I have nothing against snakes and avoid killing them 
unless in close proximity due to my allergy to atropine.
Total snakes killed 4 with the one possible innocent 
in the case of the coral snake that has a non-poisonous
look alike.
Oh yeah we have also have scorpions and brown recluse spiders
the smaller species of the former are really nasty and the
latter are just plain nasty.
I've seen scorpians, no kills, and seen brown recluse spiders,
three kills. The unnerving brown recluse was the one I
saw perched on my arm upon awaking one morning. Made a supreme
effort to smack the wall with my arm smashing the spider
without telegraphing the manuver by drawing my arm back
first. Success leaving brown recluse goo instead of 
the nasty bite which causes one's flesh to rot at the site of
the bite, possible paralysis and possible death.
In a rural cattle farm area with lots of trees and few clearings
I had the rather rare opportunity to see the nearly extinct Florida
Panther in it's natural habitat.
Actually I walked under a large branch it was perched on 
no less than three times before I heard a thump as it hit
the ground and turned to see it regain the cover at the other side
of the clearing in two leaps.
Moved so fast I really only got a glimpse but that was OK
by me as a more intimate encounter was not on my wish list ;-)
Yes that last encounter left me a tad shaken for a few minutes.
 
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