3o8 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



H snake venom in solution with water, instead of sulphate 

 of copper, is placed in the bottle shown in the illustration, it 

 will not ooze out. But if the bottle is placed in a glass of water 

 it will begin to ooze through, and vice versa until the water 

 inside and outside the bottle will be equally poisonous. 



It can thus clearly be seen that if snake venom has been 

 sucked up and has already acted extensively upon the blood 

 and nerve cells previous to the injection of an antidote, the latter, 

 even if administered copiously, may fail to avert a fatal issue. 

 It is obvious that if the nerve cells be extensively poisoned, or 

 the blood broken up beyond recovery, there cannot be any other 

 result than death. It is well-nigh impossible for us to judge 

 whether the patient has passed the border-line or not, unless he 

 is actually dying and the fact is patent ; therefore in these cases 

 we always recommend injecting two or three times the ordinary 

 dose of anti-venom serum. Place no reliance upon any quack 

 so-called cure. If the snake serum will not save the patient 

 from death, nothing else will. I wish to impress this fully upon 

 the minds of readers, for the majority of people have some kind 

 of worthless cure which they have such faith in, that nothing else 

 would be used if a case of snake bite should occur. 



In places in this volume there may seem to be unnecessary 

 reiteration. Whenever I have dwelt more than once upon the 

 same topic it is with the definite purpose of impressing the 

 n.inds of readers with matters which are of grave importance. 



In this chapter a few paragraphs touching on general hygiene 

 have been introduced. To some readers these may seem out of 

 place in this volume, but it must be borne in mind that 

 physiology or hygiene are often not taught in our public schools, 

 and that, knowing little or nothing of these subjects, it is difficult 

 to endeavour to destroy faith in the many absurd methods 

 of treatment of snake bite, or to get a man to follow a rational 

 method of treatment. Remember, too, that the chances of 

 recovery from snake venom poisoning are largely determined by 

 the victim's condition of health at the time he was bitten. 



