278 BIOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS 



In case of accident, the treatment should he as follows: 



1. Cut the wound to promote free bleeding. 



2. Tie a ligature above the wound. 



3. Use anti-venom serum if at hand. 



4. Give alcoholic stimulants in frequent, small doses: an excess 

 may cause death. 



5. If no serum is available, inject either the chromic acid or 

 permanganate. 



6. Inject liquid strychnine (15-20 minims) every twenty minutes 

 until spasms begin. 



7. Ligature must be loosened at times to allow the circulation 

 of enough blood to prevent mortification. 



8. Summon a doctor if possible, but it is the treatment of the 

 first hour that counts. 



When you realize that only about two in over 100,000,000 

 persons die of snake bite in the United States, that we have 

 few venomous kinds of snakes in this country, and finally, that 

 rational treatment is usually successful, you can see how foolish 

 is the fear and hatred so often shown toward these really useful 

 and handsome animals. 



Solomon selects as one of the mysteries of nature, " the way of 

 the serpent upon the rock " and surely their adaptations for loco- 

 motion are peculiar enough to warrant this distinction. They 

 have no legs, yet they travel, climb, and swim with ease and 

 rapidity. They accomplish these feats by means of the broad plates 

 on their ventral surface. These plates have their free edge toward 

 the rear, so will catch against the slightest roughness. To each 

 plate is attached a pair of ribs which operate somewhat as legs, 

 with each plate as a foot. To allow free motion of the ribs, the 

 vertebrae have a very flexible ball-and-socket joint, and the whole 

 body is provided with exceedingly strong muscles, so that a snake 

 really travels on hundreds of muscular legs (ribs). 



This is a good example of analogy, the ribs and plates perform- 

 ing the same function as legs, but being of entirely different origin 

 and structure. 



