118 SERPENTS 



Even if fangs were pulled out, the poison sac would re- 

 main, and a scratch from the jaw teeth, duly poisoned, would 

 endanger the life of the patient. 



In striking to do mischief, the function of the lower jaw- 

 is to get under the part to be bitten,' and press it up firmly 

 against the attack of the fangs. The mechanism by which 

 the fangs are thrown forward consists of a series of levers, 

 and the special student will be greatly interested in the pub- 

 lished drawings which illustrate its details. It is admirably 

 shown in "Amphibia and Reptilia," by Dr. H. Gadow. 



Effect of the Poison. — It is obviously impossible in a 

 work of this nature to enter into this subject at length. In 

 lieu of this, we will offer a very brief digest of what we believe 

 to be absolute facts. These have been gleaned with care 

 from several sources, but I make special acknowledgment to 

 Dr. Leonhard Stejneger's presentation of the subject in his 

 admirable monograph on 'The Poisonous Snakes of North 

 America." 1 



There are two ways for the introduction of snake-poison 

 into the system of a warm-blooded animal: (1) through the 

 blood, by direct connection with a vein or artery, and (2) 

 through the skin and muscles, one or both. 



Although some of the great investigators differ somewhat 

 on this point, it now seems reasonably certain that the man- 

 ner in which snake poison acts is by paralyzing the circula- 

 tion of the blood, the breathing organs, the nerves, and even 

 the digestive organs. The effect on the blood is a decrease 



1 Government Publication. For sale by the Bureau of Public Documents, 

 Washington, D. C. 



