396 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



poisonous properties of the venom therein, in proportion to the 

 amount injected. 



It is quite apparent that if the nerve centres have been 

 poisoned and benumbed beyond the possibihty of recovery, 

 or if the blood corpuscles be broken up, and extensive haemorrhage 

 into the tissues has taken place, the injection of anti-venene 

 would be useless. However, it is practically impossible to 

 know for certain if the venom has acted upon the nervous 

 system, brain and blood, sufficiently to make death a cer- 

 tainty, therefore while life remains the anti-venene should be. 

 injected. 



In all cases where serious symptoms of poisoning have 

 developed, the anti-venene should be injected direct into a vein 

 so that it may enter the circulation with the least possible delay, 

 for at such a critical time every moment is precious. When 

 life's forces are slowing down, the absorbent or sucking-up 

 power of the small blood vessels {capillaries) and lymphatics is 

 sluggish, and in some cases suspended. 



If the fangs of a venomous snake should puncture a vein 

 and venom be discharged therein, the poisonous effects are 

 so rapid that death takes place in spite of the injection of anti- 

 venene. In fact in these cases the patient is usually dead 

 before the serum can be injected, even if it be at hand. Fortu- 

 nately such cases are not common. 



Anti-venene, if injected, will render a man more or less immune 

 to snake bite for several days. Its antidotal power, however, 

 grows less daily. In no case does it confer any degree of 

 immunity for more than three weeks. If a man has at some 

 previous time been injected with serum, a subsequent dose may 

 cause pains in the jomts, swellings, constriction of the throat, 

 and some degree of fever (Anaphylaxis). 



Anti-venene is a watery fluid, and when injected, is absorbed 

 and mingles with the natural serum of the blood. Many have 

 expressed fear lest its injection might do harm if introduced 

 into a person and it happened that the snake which bit him was 

 a harmless one. It does no harm at all. 



Many also imagine that so large a quantity of serum as a dose 

 of 25 c.c, viz. f ounce, cannot possibly get absorbed into the blood 

 from under the skin. On the contrary, large quantities of fluids 

 are capable of absorption into the blood in this way. In serious 



