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SNAKE VENOMS AND THEIR ANTIDOTES : AN 

 ACCOUNT OF RECENT RESEARCH. 



BY 



Captain George Lamb, M.D., I. M.S. 



(Head before the Bombay Natural History Society on 'lord 

 November 1905.) 



On two previous occasions within recent years yon have had to listen 

 to papers which had as their subject matter an account of the physio- 

 logical actions of snake venoms and of the anti-bodies which scientists 

 have given us to combat intoxication from these poisons. And now 

 I have been asked by our Honorary Secretary to bring this fascinating 

 subject again before you, so that you may be thoroughly abreast of 

 the times and know exactly what progress has been made, and in what 

 directions we have still to seek knowledge, in order that we may be in a 

 better position to turn to therapeutic use all the resources of science. 



Let me, in the first place, carry you back to the 21st January 1902, 

 when I placed before you a short resume of the position of the subject 

 as it stood at that time. I, then, gave you a description of the methods 

 of scientific research and of the procuring of venoms ; I indicated a 

 few of the important physical and chemical properties of venoms and 

 of the effect of heat upon these poisons. Further, we considered 

 the physiological actions of two venoms, namely, those of the 

 Cobra (Naia tripudians) and of the Daboia ( Vipera BusseUii), and 

 saw the great and broad differences which exist between these 

 two poisons as far as their effects on the animal organism are con- 

 cerned. Finally, I told you of the scientific antidote which had been 

 prepared for one of these poisons, viz., that of the Cobra, by the French 

 savant, Dr. Calmette. I stated that while Calmette claimed that his serum 

 was equally effective against every kind of snake venom, we had good 

 reasons, both a priori and experimental, for combating this claim. In fact, 

 this serum, even at that date, had been shown to be practically specific 

 for cobra venom, that is to say, that it neutralised cobra venom but no 

 other poison. Nearly two years later, namely, on Guy Fawke's day 

 of 1903, Colonel Bannerman, I. M.S.. took up the wondrous tale and 

 brought your knowledge of the subject well up to date. He tabulated 

 in three parallel columns the physiological actions of the venoms of 

 the Cobra, of Russell's Viper and of the Banded Krait (Bungarus 





