<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Thanks John,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I have often wondered about this breakdown of venoms but when I worked at the NHM in London before nitrile gloves were around, I noted that venomous snakes had their mouths filled with cotton wool to prevent accidental pricking and slight, ensuing envenomation. This always puzzled me as these venoms are protein-based but I had to follow orders being a junior back then!</div><div class=""><br class=""><div class="">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">With all good wishes, Simon.</div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR<br class="">Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian, </div></div></div></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><span><img apple-inline="yes" id="DBF983DF-E12E-4DDB-9CA0-89AC828FC9D2" src="cid:C1E34A64-2782-4C13-9542-0187237C0047@home" class=""></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.natural-2Dhistory-2Dconservation.com&d=DwMFAg&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=cJhJOJGOOiO2p3efVxg0QqZ0vVypLzJqWS7kfJmcWn8&s=dpzNUUwEAm7Inf6sfK3z90S1PxRvJjQBc2npw6rd-D8&e=" class="">www.natural-history-conservation.com</a> </div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><br class=""><br class=""></div>
</span></div>
<div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On 30 Apr 2018, at 15:19, John E Simmons <<a href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com" class="">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Esther,<br class=""></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I can't answer for stonefish or mollusks, but snake venom is effectively neutralized with preservation in formaldehyde or alcohol. Snake venoms are complex proteins which break down fairly rapidly unless they are dried, and and are denatured in fluid preservatives. Other than the possibility of being scratched by the teeth or fangs, preserved venomous snakes do not present a hazard. The fangs of dry skulls may contain a bit of dry venom and should be handled carefully. The toxins in amphibian skins are also effectively neutralized in preservatives.<br class=""><br class=""></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As a general rule, I strongly recommend wearing nitrile or neoprene gloves when handling any fluid-preserved specimen, not because of the animal's toxins but because of trace amounts of formaldehyde and other chemicals that may be in the alcohol.<br class=""><br class=""></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family: tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: small;">--John<br class=""><br class=""></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all" class=""><div class=""><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class="">John E. Simmons<br class="">Museologica<br class="">128 E. Burnside Street<br class="">Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010<br class=""><a href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com" target="_blank" class="">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a><br class="">303-681-5708<br class=""><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.museologica.com&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=JWokvFOW6L_YotfSapr1WXxZG7N2aoZOcjBF_wiQYGE&s=S615PE6OxAjDJkFI8zLRfrRTbyhaK4FOlSlVfTJuQLM&e=" target="_blank" class="">www.museologica.com</a><br class="">and<br class="">Adjunct Curator of Collections<br class="">Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br class="">Penn State University<br class="">University Park, Pennsylvania<br class="">and<br class="">Instructor, Museum Studies<br class="">School of Library and Information Science<br class="">Kent State University<br class=""></div></div></div></div></div>
<br class=""><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Apr 30, 2018 at 10:09 AM, Esther Dondorp <span dir="ltr" class=""><<a href="mailto:esther.dondorp@naturalis.nl" target="_blank" class="">esther.dondorp@naturalis.nl</a>></span> wrote:<br class=""><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr" class="">
<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;float:none;display:inline" class="">For new health and safety procedures we are tying to find out if specimens in collections that are intrinsically poisonous can still be a hazard to work with. Think about venomous snakes in ethanol or formalin, stone fish, mollusks. Does anyone has experience with this? Do you have special safety procedures for working with these type of specimens or is there really nothing to worry about after fixation/preservation. </span> <br clear="all" class=""><div class=""><div class="m_6562086089790282265gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class=""> <div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Many thanks!</div><div class=""> <br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Esther Dondorp</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><font size="1" class="">Collection manager Reptiles and Amphibians</font></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" class="">T
+31 (0)71 751 9313, M +31 (0)6 4870 4107</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" class="">Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden, The Netherlands</span><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="mailto:estherdondorp@naturalis.nl" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:x-small" target="_blank" class=""><span style="text-decoration: none;" class="">E
estherdondorp@naturalis.nl</span></a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;" class="">, </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-decoration: none;" class=""><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.naturalis.nl&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=8dWh4XH9sXsq0jpP3x0OPRXxCWHKNU5xtE2cZ-WBh-w&s=WEqJZwADm_b0Z-HAjiiZ102nJHUumGPMSperdYApJxk&e=" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:x-small" target="_blank" class="">I </a></span><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.naturalis.nl_&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=8dWh4XH9sXsq0jpP3x0OPRXxCWHKNU5xtE2cZ-WBh-w&s=JyKhdpI_1md8D5QDxflW33VXlUf9JglXTfz9fAXSOY0&e=" style="color:rgb(17,85,204);font-size:x-small;line-height:13.8000001907349px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank" class=""><span style="font-family:Calibri;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent" class="">www.naturalis.n</span></a></div></div><p class=""><span style="" class=""><font size="1" face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" class=""><br class=""></font></span></p><div style="font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" class=""><font size="2" color="#ff0000" class=""><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;line-height:16.8px" class="">Due to the construction of new public museum facilities, depots, labs and offices, the zoological, geological and paleontological collections of Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden will be closed to all visitors</span></font><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(255,0,0);font-size:small" class=""> </span><u style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(255,0,0)" class="">till at least December 2018</u><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(255,0,0);font-size:small" class="">.</span></div><div style="font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" class=""><span style="font-family:Calibri;font-weight:bold;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:transparent;color:rgb(255,0,0);font-size:small" class="">We apologize for this inconvenience.</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
</div>
<br class="">______________________________<wbr class="">_________________<br class="">
Nhcoll-l mailing list<br class="">
<a href="mailto:Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu" class="">Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a><br class="">
<a href="https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank" class="">https://mailman.yale.edu/<wbr class="">mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l</a><br class="">
<br class="">
______________________________<wbr class="">_________________<br class="">
NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<br class="">
Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose<br class="">
mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of<br class="">
natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to<br class="">
society. See <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.spnhc.org&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=JWokvFOW6L_YotfSapr1WXxZG7N2aoZOcjBF_wiQYGE&s=UurLLLE3CZo1zhmRylHKMSxDZex7B35QXiKw3lF6OmM&e=" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank" class="">http://www.spnhc.org</a> for membership information.<br class="">
Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.<br class="">
<br class=""></blockquote></div><br class=""></div>
_______________________________________________<br class="">Nhcoll-l mailing list<br class=""><a href="mailto:Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu" class="">Nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a><br class="">https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l<br class=""><br class="">_______________________________________________<br class="">NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<br class="">Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose<br class="">mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of<br class="">natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to<br class="">society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.<br class="">Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.<br class=""></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>