304 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
and larger lymphatic vessels, until at last it is poured through 
two big tubes in the neck into two large veins, and thence to 
the heart to be pumped, along with the venous or impure blood, 
into the lungs to get rid of its load of poison. 
How SNAKE VENOM IS SUCKED UP. 
This vast network of absorbent lymphatic vessels and capil- 
laries, which spread out under the skin, and in all directions 
Fic. 127.—This drawing serves to show how an artery breaks up into 
small channels which are called capillaries. They are so small that 
they cannot be seen except with a powerful microscope. After nourish- 
ing the cells, they run together again, and form what is known as a vein. 
The little bodies in the spaces are the cells of the tissues. They are sur- 
rounded bylymph. The black lines are the Lymphatics which have open 
mouths to suck up the lymph and all it might contain, and carry it away 
to the blood. 
A. Artery. V. Vein. L. Lymphatics. 
through the tissues of the body, sucks up any fluid which may be 
injected, or otherwise find its way under the skin, or into 
the muscles. Drugs are frequently administered thus. They 
find their way more rapidly and efficiently into the general 
circulation when hypodermically injected, than if swallowed. 
Ordinary cases of blood poisoning occur in this manner. The 
poison is sucked up from the wound. Microbes of various 
diseases gain an entry into the blood also in this manner, hence 
the reason why all wounds, and even slight abrasions of the 
