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turn pale and are subjected to intense mental 
perturbation when even small specimens of the 
snake family come in contact with their person. 
Herein lies the whole secret of the prevailing 
erroneous belief that ‘snakes do charm.’ So 
we conclude it must be accepted as a scientific 
verity that the power to ‘charm,’ so generally 
granted to the snake, does not exist ; but rather, 
animate Nature, in its highest and most sensi- 
tive forms, entertains such strong feelings of 
fear and repulsion towards the snake as to fre- 
quently suffer temporary paralysis of their 
powers when suddenly meeting a terror-inspir- 
ing snake.” 
“ Your intelligent consideration of this much 
mooted question, certainly goes far toward dis- 
sipating the general belief that ‘snakes do 
charm.’ I remember distinctly an instance in 
my own family, when a highly sensitive young 
lady relative was so overpowered by fear on 
suddenly meeting a large bleck snake ready for 
fight, that assistance was necessary to remove 
her from the spot, when she fainted and after- 
wards became seriously hysterical. For weeks 
after her terrifying experience she was visibly 
affected when the event was mentioned. Now 
my dear Count, I have long entertained an 
honest conviction that but for the timely ar- 
rival of aid, so intense was her terror as to have 
resulted in dementia or even death, especially 
would her terrible experience have resulted 
fatally if the snake in its assaults had fastened 
