336 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
otherwise pay Ios. for, with the additional advantage of getting 
the stuff in concentrated form and the exact dose. 
THE SNAKE BLOOD AND GALL CURE. 
There is a widespread belief in South Africa that if the snake 
which inflicted the bite can be killed, and its blood or gall obtained, 
that either of these will prove antidotes to the venom. The 
natives are strong believers in the snake gall cure. The contents 
of the gall are swallowed. Usually the gall bladder, with its 
contents is swallowed entire. It is regarded as a certain cure. 
If a little of the blood of the snake which inflicted the bite, or 
even of the same species, be swallowed, it is also reckoned to 
be a sure cure. I have given animals the blood and gall, both 
internally and rubbed it into the scarified sites of the fang 
punctures, but in no case did it have any curative effect. 
I have mixed the contents of a snake’s gall bladder with 
three drops of its own venom, and injected it into a fowl. I 
repeated this. In each case the fowl died. I did the same with 
the blood. Drawing the venom from a Puff Adder I then killed 
the reptile and collected an ounce of its blood in a wineglass. 
To this I added six drops of the venom, taken from the same 
snake, and mixed it thoroughly with the blood. The mixture 
was allowed to stand for several minutes. It was equally divided, 
and injected under the skin of the thighs of two fowls. The 
fowls died as rapidly as if the pure venom had been injected. 
SNAKE STONES. 
Snake stones for the cure of snake bite have, for centuries, 
been in great demand. They are regarded by millions of Indians 
with awe and reverence. To them it is blasphemy to doubt the 
efficacy of a Snake stone. Of all snake bite “‘ cures”’ the Snake 
stone is regarded as the most effective. Its power of drawing 
the poison out of the wound does not admit of a doubt. The 
man who expresses disbelief in its wonderful powers is regarded 
with contempt. Such is the belief which has fastened itself 
upon millions of minds. 
Professor Faraday examined a famous Indian Snake stone 
and said: ‘‘ It is a piece of charred bone which has been filled 
