288 



THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



from a telephone cable — branch off, divide and sub-divide, until 

 ^^ the whole body, from the tips of the 



toes to the crown of the head, is a com- 

 plete network of nerves. These are the 

 telephone or telegraph wires of the brain. 

 Within the brain, as it were, the intel- 

 ligent operator lives ; the nervous system 

 is his means of communication with the 

 remotest parts of his body. From his 

 dwelling-place within the skull, he can 

 control every part of the human engine 

 to the very smallest detail. 



The world-famous medical author, 

 Dr. J. H. Kellogg, says — 



" The brain is the great centre from 

 which emanates the nerve force which 

 vitalizes and energizes every part of the 

 body. It is the seat of government in 

 the vital domain, the nerves being its 

 servants through which it receives in- 

 formation of the external world, and by 

 means of which it is able to execute its 

 mandates in all parts of its province, 

 even extending beyond itself and the 

 limits of the body, and operating upon 

 external things through the medium of 

 its instruments." 



Snake Venom and the Nerve Cells. 



Every nerve thread, when examined 

 under a microscope, is seen to be com- 

 posed of a number of nerves, all of 



Fig. iiQ. — The human power i • i i , • , , ■, ,. 



house (the brain) and the which are cncIoscd m a sheath. In fact, 



main cable or spinal cord, „_ _ .i j • , -n ■ r 



showing the large telegraph cvcry Hcrve thread IS a bundle of nerves 



wires or main nerves which u^...,,! j. „a1 j r h i ,11 



run out from it, dividing and bouud together and carefully sheathed. 

 b';^dy.'1&2l;Uv/4^ The nerves themselves are composed of 

 ""'"sy-) tiny cells of nervous matter. 



It is these cells which are poisoned when snake venom gets 

 into the blood. The venoms of the different kinds of snakes 



