CHAPTER X. 



Alleged Snake Bite Cures — Results of Experiments. 



In all countries where venomous snakes abound, so-called anti- 

 dotes to snake bite spring up like crops of weeds upon a rank 

 soil. In India at least a score of alleged antidotes were largely 

 advertised and otherwise advocated. Each " cure " had its 

 adherents, many of whom testified to its power to cure snake 

 bite. Doctors Fayrer, Brunton, Rogers, and other eminent 

 experimenters exhaustively tested the alleged antidotes in use 

 in India, and found them one and all to be of little or no value. 

 Colonists in South Africa invariably attach much importance 

 to the assertions of the natives in regard to alleged snake 

 bite remedies. This faith has, doubtless, been considerably 

 strengthened by the crafty " Kafir doctors' " tactics. 



How Beliefs are Spread. 



These " doctors " tell of the wonderful virtues of some 

 favourite remedy for snake bite, and when urged to divulge its 

 nature, make a profound mystery of it, declaring that fabulous 

 sums would not tempt them to disclose the secret. Naturally 

 the inquirer is impressed, more or less. Many of these " doctors " 

 have accomplices, who pretend to be suffering seriously from snake 

 bite. With much mystery and fuss, the doctor appears upon the 

 scene and applies his remedy. The man makes an apparent 

 rapid recovery, and the " cure " is heralded all over the neigh- 

 bourhood. I have, however, met many of these native doctors 

 who, I have every reason to believe, had firm faith in the anti- 

 dotal properties of their snake bite " mooti" (medicine). 

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