THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



23 



Venomous snake above and Python (non-venomous) 

 below. 



tube is pressed against the canal in the 

 fang, thus preventing any escape of 

 venom other than through the canal 

 or groove. 



\^enom can be ejected by some of 

 the Cobras in another manner than 

 that of biting, the process being 

 known as spitting. Observation has 

 shown that venom is evidently forced 

 into the mouth and mixed with the 

 saliva, then it is ejected through the 

 lips to a distance of six or eight feet. 

 Several people have been temporarily 

 blinded through it entering their eyes 

 and causing severe inflammation. 



Study and investigation have shown 

 that most snakes possess certain 

 glands which supply their blood with 

 substances antagonistic to venom to 

 render them immune to their own 

 poison and often to that of other 

 snakes. Several animals and birds 

 which are snake killers also have these 

 glands developed, and are therefore 

 immune to the eflr'ects of the poison. 



Although the actions and symptoms 

 wdiich follow the bites of different 

 snakes appear to be identical, it has 

 been found that a serum which brings 

 about immunity against one species 

 has proved a failure in cases of bites 

 caused by other species. Serum pre- 

 pared for use against the Cobra poison 

 has proved futile against that of other 

 species, and the same is perhaps the 

 case between any two species of 

 snakes throughout the world. Many 

 instances, of wdiich the following are 

 several, might be given to prove this. 

 A man who was well known around 

 Sydney went to India, taking with him 

 an antidote which he had used suc- 



cessfully against the venoms of Aus- 

 tralian snakes. 1 le was of the opinion 

 that this same antidote would secure 

 immunitv from the poisons of the 

 Indian species. He was bitten by a 

 Krait, however, the venom of which 

 acted upon his blood and nervous sys- 

 tems in a manner so different to what 

 he had been us'.'d to in Australia, that 

 the antidote failed to take eff'ect, and 

 he died. xAnother man, who had be- 

 come immune to the poison of the 

 Tiger Snake, was bitten by a Copper- 

 head or Superb Snake, and the bite 

 proved fatal. Others, who have be- 

 come immune to the venom of Vipers 

 have died when bitten by Cobras. 



The immunity of the Indian snake- 

 charmer is brought about by his hav- 

 ing submitted himself to a graduated 

 series of injections of the venom of 

 the species of snake with which he in- 

 tends to play ; this process of innocu- 

 lation takes a considerable time to 

 mature before the man becomes quite 

 immune, and it is not without its risks. 



Recent investigation has shown that 

 the venom of the Cobras, Sea Snakes, 

 and our Australian species acts mainly 

 upon the nerve centres which con- 

 trol the heart and respiration, eventu- 

 alh- bringing about respiratory paraly- 

 sis. At the same time, however, there 

 mav also be a clotting of the blood, 

 but in the X'ipers and Rattlesnakes 

 this eff'ect seems to be reversed, the 

 main action being the clotting of the 

 blood. Doctors Feyrer and Brunton, 

 two famous workers on snake venoms, 

 hold the opinion that no special law 

 can be laid down relating to the eff'ect 

 of venom, as it is dependent upon the 

 species, state, and size of the snake, 

 the quality and quantity of its poison, 

 and the circumstances under which it 

 inflicts the bite ; secondly, the species, 

 size and vigour of the victim, and the 

 circumstances under which it is bitten. 



In India in 191 1 there were over 

 24.000 lives lost through snake bite, 

 but when the size of the population is 

 taken into account, together with the 

 fact that the majority of the people go 

 about in the bush and jungle bare- 

 footed, it is a wonder that there are 

 not v-iRuy more deaths from bites than 

 the number stated. 



