288 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH. AFRICA. 
from a telephone cable branch off, divide and sub-divide, until 
Fic. 117.—The human _ power 
house (the brain) and the 
main cable or spinal cord, 
showing the large telegraph 
wires or main nerves which 
run out from it, dividing and 
sub-dividing all over the 
body. (From Blackie’s Phy- 
stology). 
the whole body, from the tips of the 
toes to the crown of the head, is a com- 
plete network of nerves. These are the 
telephone or telegraph wires of the brain. 
Within the brain, as it were, the intel- 
ligent operator lives ; the nervous system 
is his means of communication with the 
remotest parts of his body. From his 
dwelling-place within the skull, he can 
control every part of the human engine 
to the very smallest detail. 
The world-famous medical author, 
Dr. J. H. Kellogg, says— 
“The brain is the great centre from 
which emanates the nerve force which 
vitallizes and energizes every part of the 
body. It is the seat of government in 
the vital domain, the nerves being its 
servants through which it receives in- 
formation of the external world, and by 
means of which it is able to execute its 
mandates in all parts of its province, 
even extending beyond itself and the 
limits of the body, and operating upon 
external things through the medium of 
its instruments.” 
SNAKE VENOM AND THE NERVE CELLS. 
Every nerve thread, when examined 
under a microscope, is seen to be com- 
posed of a number of nerves, all of 
which are enclosed in a sheath. In fact, 
every nerve thread is a bundle of nerves 
bound together and carefully sheathed. 
The nerves themselves are composed of 
tiny cells of nervous matter. 
It is these cells which are poisoned when snake venom gets 
into the blood. The venoms of the different kinds of snakes 
