INDIA. 275 



vented a recoil, lowered it to the floor. With the stick, 

 the neck was pressed against the floor, the right 

 hand, quickly substituted for the stick, grasped the 

 neck firmly and with the left hand made traction on 

 the tail, thus straightening out the squirming body. A 

 small goblet, covered drum-like with American adhesive 

 plaster with adhesive side directed outward, was placed 

 near enough for the snake to strike it. The fangs 

 penetrated the plaster and by pressure against the poison 

 sacs about half a dram of viscid opaque fluid escaped 

 into the sterilized goblet. The cobra was returned into 

 the cage with the same expertness as characterized its 

 liberation. The whole procedure did not occupy more, 

 than ten minutes. Snakes refuse all food during con- 

 finement, hence they are fed each time the poison is 

 removed, which is done every 10 days. The long tip 

 of a small funnel is inserted into the throat and about 

 two ounces of a mixture of egg and milk is poured into 

 the funnel, which enters the alimentary canal without 

 meeting any obstruction. The vipers were then handled 

 in a similar manner, only that in their case the poison 

 was received direct from the fangs into an open goblet 

 by opening the mouth widely with a pair of forceps 

 and steadying the fangs with a thread passed around 

 them and on which traction was made by an assistant, 

 who at the same time held the goblet. I could see dis- 

 tinctly the drops of poison escape through the tiny open- 

 ing at the very tip of the enormous fangs, which looked 

 like fish hooks without a barb. 



The poison is desiccated in the laboratory under 

 aseptic precautions, and is later sent to another labora- 

 tory, where it is used in the preparation of Calmette's 

 antivenen. There is no lack of an adequate supply 

 of cobras and vipers for this laboratory as they are 

 bought from the natives at from a few annas to one 

 rupee each. 



