308 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
If snake venom in solution with water, instead of sulphate 
of copper, is placed in the bottle shown in the illustration, it 
will not ooze out. But if the bottle is placed in a glass of water 
it will begin to ooze through, and vice versa until the water 
inside and outside the bottle will be equally poisonous. 
It can thus clearly be seen that if snake venom has been 
sucked up and has already acted extensively upon the blood 
and nerve cells previous to the injection of an antidote, the latter, 
even if administered copiously, may fail to avert a fatal issue. 
It is obvious that if the nerve cells be extensively poisoned, or 
the blood broken up beyond recovery, there cannot be any other 
result than death. It is practically impossible for us to judge 
whether the patient has passed the border-line or not, unless he 
is actually dying and the fact is patent ; therefore in these cases 
we always recommend injecting three times the ordinary dose 
of anti-venine serum. This serum will be dealt with fully in 
the next chapter. Place no reliance upon any quack so-called 
cure. If the anti-venine will not save the patient from death, 
nothing else will. I wish to impress this fully upon the minds 
of readers, for the majority of people have some kind of 
worthless cure which they have such faith in, that nothing else 
would be used if a case of snake bite should occur. 
In places in this volume there may seem to be unnecessary 
reiteration. Whenever I have dwelt more than once upon the 
same topic it is with the definite purpose of impressing the 
minds of readers with matters which are of grave importance. 
