ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1363 



CRYSTALLIZED VIPER VENOM AND FANGS FROM THREE VIPERINE SNAKES 



Venom when crystallized is a dark amber color. Beginning at the left, the fangs are. Rattlesnake, Lancehead snake and 

 Bushmaster. A black hair is drawn through the poison duct of one of each pair. 



of the case is prepared ten weeks after the in- 

 jury. The wounds have practically closed. The 

 slower features of the case relate to the wounds 

 in the ball of the hand, which developed per- 

 sistent sloughing. During the second week in 

 the hospital this sloughing involved a super- 

 ficial thumb tendon. Between the two major 

 wounds was a channel permitting free access to 

 a probe. Granulation tissue commenced rapid 

 building up in the sloughed-out area about the 

 fifth week, and we anticipate that the final re- 

 sult will be very satisfactory. Wrist and finger 

 motions are now nearly normal, with the excep- 

 tion of some stiffness in the thumb, which now 

 is receiving massage and mechanical treatment. 



Summing up this case, it is appropriate to 

 again point out the surprising reduction of the 

 swollen arm without recourse to drainage incis- 

 ions, and the pronounced and beneficial effect 

 of a single injection of the *anti-crotalico serum 

 from the laboratory of Dr. Brazil. Also, it is 

 important to point out the absence of marked 

 neuro-toxic symptoms before the injection of 

 Dr. Brazil's serum, which good effect was un- 

 doubtedly produced by the injection of Cal- 

 raette's product, although this apparently failed 

 *This is the name by which this serum is designated by 



to check the developing haemo-toxic symptoms. 

 That a fluid serum is also much preferable to a 

 dessicated form, is pointed out by the delay in 

 fluidifying the Calmette remedy. The Pasteur 

 Laboratories of America, however, now explain 

 to the writer that they are preparing serum in 

 fluid form. 



The treatment of the case of Keeper Toomey 

 demonstrates the fact that Dr. Brazil's method 

 of producing specific anti-venomous serums in 

 fluid form for the bites of different types of 

 poisonous snakes is the radically successful 

 method of snake-bite treatment. Profiting by 

 our experience in this case, through the courtesy 

 of Dr. Brazil we have now stocked our surgical 

 cabinet in the Reptile House with tubes of anti- 

 lachesis and anti-crotalus serums. The former 

 serum, so we believe, would be highly efficacious 

 for the bites of such snakes as the moccasin, 

 copperhead or the Old World tree vipers, be- 

 sides the reptiles of the South American genus 

 lachesis for which it is specifically made. The 

 anti-crotalus serum covers the treatment of 

 bites from the several species of rattlesnakes, 

 and could be used for the larger Old World 

 vipers which have a similar poison. With Cal- 

 Dr. Brazil. 



