116 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



THE VENOM OF SNAKES. 

 By Dr. G. Bobeau, 



Prcparateur in Histology to the Faculty of Medicine, Paris. 



^ I ^HIS article makes no pretence of containing anything new 

 -^ concerning venoms and their physiological action. It is 

 merely a general review of the knowledge acquired on the subject 

 up to the present day. Later on I intend to give the histological 

 results obtained by me from the material (poison glands and 

 organs of animals bitten by snakes) that I brought back from 

 my recent travels in Ceylon and India. I here take the opportunity 

 of offering my best thanks to Dr. J. Pearson, Director of the 

 Colombo Museum, for his kind reception. 



Setting apart for future studies the anatomical and histological 

 structure of the poison gland, I will briefly indicate the physical and 

 physiological characters of venoms. Afterwards I will examine the 

 63rmptom8 which result from the bites of venomous serpents 

 ( Viperidse and Colubridse) , and indicate what lesions they determine 

 in the principal organs. Lastly, I will consider the question of the 

 treatment of snake bites. 



Physical Characters and Physiological Properties of Venoms. 



It is possible to obtain fresh venom either by compressing the 

 poison glands dissected from a freshly-killed serpent, or by inciting 

 a living snake, which is securely fixed, to eject the contents of its 

 glands into a vessel placed under the poison fangs. 



The hquid obtained in this way is of oily consistency ; its colour 

 is light yellow and its taste is very bitter. When rapidly dried, it 

 concretes into glittering lamellas of a colour varying between gold- 

 yellow and light brown. In this state it may be preserved for 

 some time, provided it is sheltered from light and moisture. 



When wanted for physiological experiments, dry venom has to 

 be dissolved in about four times its weight of normal saline solution. 

 In fact, the dry residuum is from 20 to 38 per cent. (Calmette). 

 Its abundance is proportionate to the period which has elapsed 

 since the animal had last partaken of food or had used its poison- 

 fangs. The approximate quantity of liquid venom that can be 

 gathered (for the two glands) is as follows : — A large sized cobra 

 (1-60 metre) gives about I'lO gramme; a Russell's viper, 1'80 

 metre long, furnished 1 "40 gramme. 



