11. PREFACE. 



The foregoing applies, not to Australia only, but 

 to all other countries infested by venomous snakes. 

 The introduction of the writer's method in every one 

 of these countries is merely a question of time, for 

 snake-poison acts everywhere according to one uniform 

 principle, however different the symptoms it produces 

 may appear to the superficial observer. The antidote, 

 therefore, that cures snakebite in Australia will as 

 surely cure it elsewhere if properly and efficiently 

 applied. 



To his Australian confreres, more especially to 

 those who adopted his method but had to practise it 

 more or less empirically, the writer also owes a more 

 elaborate explanation of his theory of the action of 

 snake-poison in all its bearings on the various nerve 

 centres than is to be found in the scattered writings he 

 has from time to time published in our periodical 

 literature. His warmest thanks are due to them for 

 the records of cases they have furnished to the Austra- 

 lasian Medical Gazette, and to the Hon. J. M. Creed, 

 its able editor, for the ample space he has invariably 

 allotted to the subject, and the valuable support he 

 has given him throughout. By our united efforts we 

 have reared in a dark and hitherto barren field of 

 research a column of solid knowledge, and on this 

 column Australia now occupies the highest and will 

 ever occupy the most prominent place. 



Not the least pleasing feature in the history of 

 this discovery is the fact that it has been made with- 

 out an elaborate series of experiments on animals, that 



