ON SERPENT-WORSHIP AND VENOMOUS SNA.KES. 113 



what Dr. Cornish said about the condition of the blood of the 

 person bitten is typical. In the case of tbe cobra it is more of a 

 nerve poison, but both kinds are exceedingly deadly and equally 

 to be dreaded; but the cobra kills his tens of thousands. The 

 herait, perhaps, kills the next largest number. He gets into 

 crevices and open doors and drops on your arm, or 3*011 may put 

 your hand into a box and find one. I remember a gentleman who 

 lost his servant in a very sad way : he sent his man to fetch a 

 bottle of soda-water and he was bitten by a snake ; the man 

 pointed to his hand and said he was bitten, — he died in two hours. 



I am much obliged for the very kind way in which you have 

 received my Paper. (Applause.) 



(The Meeting was then adjourned.) 



REMARKS ON" THE FOREGOING PAPER. 



Surgeon-General C. A. Gordon, M.D., C.B., Q.H.P., &c, 

 writes : — 



The learned author of the Paper on " Serpent Worship, and the 

 Venomous Snakes of India," has dealt with the question with his 

 accustomed ability, and with intimate knowledge in regard to the 

 several phases in which he has discussed it ; but inasmuch as the 

 scope of his remarks had perforce to be compressed within the 

 limits of an address, he was of necessitj- debarred from touching 

 iipon all the points to which otherwise his attention and that of 

 his hearers would have been directed. 



In reference to some of these points I would offer the following 

 remarks : — 



Snake Worship. In the Gold Coast of Africa, the Fantee natives 

 were said to have among them several snake temples, with each of 

 which priests, otherwise fetish-men, Avere connected. To these 



