6984 Reptiles, 



few seconds, as if unable to retract its fangs. The blood flowed, and 

 intense pain appeared to follow almost immediately ; but with all 

 expedition , the friend of the sufferer undid his waistcloth, and took 

 from it two snake stones, each of the size of a small almond, intensely 

 black' and highly polished, though of an extremely light substance. 

 Then he applied one to each wound inflicted by the teeth of the ser- 

 pent, to which the stones attached themselves closely, the blood that 

 oozed from the bites being rapidly imbibed by the porous texture of 

 the article applied. The stones adhered tenaciously for three or four 

 minutes, the wounded man's companion in the meantime rubbing his 

 arm downwards from the shoulder towards the fingers. At length 

 the snake stones dropped off of their own accord ; the suffering 

 appeared to have subsided ; he twisted his fingers till the joints 

 cracked, and went on his way without concern." Here follows a 

 similar instance, which there is no need of quoting : the question 

 occurs. What is this snake stone ? and does it perform the cure 

 which it appeared to perform ? There may be some difference of 

 opinion on this second point ; it may therefore be left an open one, 

 but What is the snake stone ? here is Sir Emerson Tennanl's 

 reply. 



" As to the snake stone itself, I submitted one, the application of 

 which I have been describing, to Mr. Faraday, and he has communi- 

 cated to me, as the result of his analysis, his belief that it is a piece 

 of charred bone which has been filled with blood, perhaps several 

 times, and then carefully charred again. Evidence of this is afforded, 

 as well by the apertures of cells or tubes on its surface, as by the fact 

 that it yields and breaks under pressure and exhibits an organic 

 structure within. When healed slightly, water rises in it, and also a 

 little ammonia; and if heated still more highly in the air, carbon 

 burns away, and a bulky white ash is left, retaining the shape and size 

 of the stone. This ash, as is evident from inspection, cannot have 

 belonged to any vegetable substance, for it is almost entirely composed 

 of phosphate of lime." Mr. Faraday adds that "if the piece of 

 matter has ever been employed as a spongy absorbent, it seems hardly 

 fit for that purpose in its presen.t state ; but who can say to what 

 treatment it has been subjected since it was fit for use, or to what 

 treatment the natives may submit it when expecting to have occasion 

 tonseit?"— Vol. i. p. 200. 



" The probability is that the animal charcoal, when instantaneously 

 applied, may be sufficiently porous and absorbent to extract the 

 venom from the recent wound, together with a portion of the blood. 



