194 A COLLBCTOE'S EXPERIENCES 



There was scarcely time to cut away the diseased 

 tissue, flush out the wound with the syringe, and 

 quickly close the cage door when the cobra prep9.red 

 to disgorge the snake and fight. !^or a moment after 

 it was over, the big serpent looked surprised, then, 

 after due consideration, the coachwhip was swallowed. 

 The operator is not ashamed to acknowledge that 

 when the iron door rolled to and shut off the dan- 

 ger his pulse had quickened to a substantial degree. 



Avoiding technicalities, the poison of all snakes 

 may be said to be composed of the same elements ; 

 but in different species these elements vary in their 

 proportions, and there are different symptoms after a 

 bite. The viperine snakes are provided with a venom 

 which is composed of about ninety per cent of a 

 product which acts upon the blood and ten per cent 

 of a nerve poison. The bite of these snakes pro- 

 duces great local effect. There is the destruction of 

 the blood itself and of its vessels, with great attend- 

 ant swelling of the bitten parts. In the cobras and 

 coral snakes these proportions are exactly reversed, 

 for the venom is a deadly nerve poison, and causes 

 but little local effect. This poison tends to paralyze 

 the nerves, the walls of the chest collapse, and there 

 is inability to breathe, followed by speedy death un- 

 less immediate and proper remedies be applied. 



As all snake-poisons tend to paralyze the heart's 

 action, a stimulant is necessary and beneficial ; hence 

 the use of strychnine as a valuable alterative, owing 

 to its action as an excitant. Whisky is also a good 

 stimulant, but the practise of taking it in great quan- 



