THE VENOMS AND THEIR REMEDIES. 557 



that neither masticate nor take exercise otherwise to promote 

 digestion ; and there are those among us who, not lacking 

 energy so much as time, and whose busy brains permit them 

 but little leisure for either exercise or the unhurried meal, 

 may be glad by and by to resort to a poison pill to cure 

 the ' dyspepsia' they thus bring upon themselves. Our 

 American cousins will hail with joy such a discovery. 

 Perhaps even now they are anticipating a prize medal at the 

 next Great International Exhibition, for a newly-invented 

 * Extract of Bushmaster' as the infallible remedy. 

 American BotJiropine. — 'One drop of this extract in a wine- 

 glassful of water taken immediately after dinner ensures 

 that meal being swallowed in three minutes with impunity.' 

 Would not this deserve a gold medal in these days when one 

 man tries to do the work of three } 



Drs. Lacerda and Netto of Brazil have proved that 

 crotaline venom acts as a solvent on hard-boiled ^^g and 

 other albuminous substances, — that it can, as it were, digest 

 living tissues ; and Dr. Stradling thinks that this solvent or 

 disintegrating power w^ill in some measure account for the 

 intense local severity of a venomous snake-bite, 'so dis- 

 proportionately wide-spread to the tiny punctures made by 

 the needle-like tooth.' 



The excision of the fang does not check the function of 

 the poison gland any more than the extraction of a tooth 

 will check the salivary secretions in a human mouth, because 

 (as was described in the chapter on 'Dentition') there are 

 other fangs coming forward and requiring similar supplies. 



One great value in experimental snake-bites by sub- 

 cutaneous injection is knowing which specific venom, or 



