134 INTRODUCTION 



the only effective antidote for snake-venom intoxica- 

 tion : the serotherapic treatment. An animal that 

 has been treated over a length of time with the 

 venom of a poisonous snake, such as a Cobra, yields 

 a serum which is antitoxic towards that venom ; but 

 the great difficulty resides in the specificity of the 

 different poisons, which often renders the use of the 

 serum ineffective in countries like India and Australia, 

 where several kinds of poisonous snakes occur in the 

 same district (see above, p. 67). In India, where a 

 special laboratory has been established for the supply 

 of antivenine, at the Central Institute of Kasauli, it 

 has been found impossible to obtain any venoms but 

 those of the Cobra and Russell's Viper in sufficient 

 quantity to immunize animals, and thus produce the 

 serum necessary for dealing with the bite of the 

 King Cobra, the Krait, and the Echis Viper. 



In Pondicherry the French Government places 

 annually a sum of 200 rupees at the disposal of the 

 director of the hospital for obtaining Cobra poison, 

 the snakes, to be brought alive, being paid for to the 

 natives at the rate of half a rupee to one rupee each, 

 according to size and condition. Six hundred and 

 fifty-three specimens were thus purchased in less 

 than two years (1901-1903). The poison is utilized 

 for the preparation of Calmette's antivenine, which, 

 as we have said above, is only effective against cobra 

 poison, and, unfortunately, useless for the cure of 

 bites from other species. 



