398 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



milky and flaky in appearance, it is a certain sign that it is 

 deteriorating. It must then be thrown away as it is useless, and 

 a fresh supply obtained. If kept cool and in a dark place, it 

 will keep good for two or three years. I have had a bottle for 

 five years, and it is still in good condition.* 



When kept for some time and not moved, a flaky sedi- 

 ment forms at the bottom of the bottle. This is not a sign 

 of deterioration. The sediment will partially re-dissolve if the 

 bottle be shaken. If the cork be withdrawn or tampered with 

 in any way the content of the bottle must be thrown away as 

 it will not keep if air gets to it, for it contains no chemical 

 preservatives. 



The anti-venene is sterilized and, provided no bacteria gain 

 entry, there is no reason why it should not keep for years. 

 But, although it may not actually go bad, it deteriorates in 

 strength the longer it is kept, as is the case with the anti- 

 toxin serums in use in the treatment of various diseases. The 

 fresher the anti-venene is the better, therefore it is advisable 

 to obtain a fresh supply every eighteen months or two years. 

 If the previous supply should still appear to be sound, then 

 do not throw it away. Keep it also for use, as you cannot 

 have too much of it. You may need three or four doses at 

 any time. A valuable human life, or stock costing large sums 

 of money, may be saved by a liberal injection of the anti- 

 venene, even if bitten fully by the deadliest South African 

 serpent. 



Valuable stock, and a considerable number of human lives 

 are annually lost in South Africa from snake bite. It is there- 

 fore a necessity to have some means at hand by which this 

 mortality may be checked. Hardly a farmer in the country 

 has not had serious losses in stock from the bites of venomous 

 snakes. 



The universal faith in one or more of the many popular, 

 so-called cures, prevents reliable measures being taken to combat 

 the effects of snake venom. Elsewhere in this volume the 

 results of experiments with most of those remedies have been 

 given. He who pins his faith to any of them is unwise. His 



* An anti-venomous serum in dry form is now prepared for the treat- 

 ment of bites b^' African snakes, but it is ratlier troublesome to dissolve. 



