CuAP. m.] SNAKE-STONES. 199 



sioiis are now in my possession. Tlie roots employed 

 by the several parties are not identical. One appears 

 to be a bit of the stem of an Aiistolochia ; the other is 

 so diied as to render it difficult to identify it, but it 

 resembles the quadi-angular stem of a jungle vhie. 

 Some species of Aristolochia, such as the A. serpentaria 

 of N'orth America, are supposed to act as a specific in 

 the cure of snake-bites ; and the A. indica is the plant 

 to which the ichneumon is popularly behoved to resort 

 as an antidote when bitten^; but it is probable that the 

 use of any particular plant by the snake-charmers is a 

 pretence, or rather a delusion, the reptile being over- 

 powered by the resolute action of the operator, and not 

 by the influence of any secondary appliance, the confi- 

 dence inspired by the supposed tahsman enabhng its pos- 

 sessor to address himself fearlessly to his task, and thus to 

 effect, by determmation and will, what is popidarly 

 beheved to be the result of charms and stupefaction. 

 Still it is curious that, amongst the natives of Northern 

 Africa, who lay hold of the Cerastes without fear or 

 hesitation, their unpunity is ascribed to the use of a 

 plant with which they anoint themselves before touching 

 the reptile^; and Bruce says of the people of Sennar 

 that they acquire exemption from the fatal consequences 

 of the bite by chewing a particular root and washing 

 themselves with an infusion of certain plants. He adds 

 that a portion of this root was given him, with a view to 

 test its efficacy in his own person, but that he had not 

 sufficient resolution to undergo the experiment. 



As to the snake-stone itself, I submitted one, the ap- 

 phcation of which I have been describing, to Mx. 

 Faraday, and he has communicated to me, as the result 

 of his analysis, his behef that it is " a piece of charred 

 bone which has been filled with blood perhaps several 

 times, and then carefully charred again. Evidence of 



' For an account of the encounter I nomous snakes of Ceylon, see Pt. II. 

 between the ichneumon and the ve- | ch. i. p. 149. * Ilassellquist. 



o 4 



