224 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



becomes at once infected; an intense irritation, attended 

 with a sloughing of a white, cheesy matter, follows. If 

 the disease is not immediately arrested, it works deeper, 

 attacking the jaw bones; the teeth become loosened and 

 fall out and necrosis of the bone develops. In this 

 latter stage a cure is doubtful. Microscopical examina- 

 tion of the diseased tissues points to the existence of a 

 specific bacillus, a thick, rod-shaped form. However, 

 the disease does not seem to be in the least bit infec- 

 tious. The mouths of all large snakes should be care- 

 fully watched for the appearance of a red spot. It is 

 best to examine a specimen at least once a week — twice 

 a week is better. If the dreaded "canker" spots are 

 seen, the entire mouth should be washed with a mild 

 antiseptic solution by rubbing the gums free of all slimy 

 secretions, best done with a soft cotton wad on the end 

 of a stick and followed by a generous flushing from a 

 hard rubber syringe. One-third of listerine in boiled 

 water gives the best results. If white flakes have 

 formed, they should be removed, care being taken to 

 make the gums bleed as little as possible. The treat- 

 ment should be continued, once a day in mild cases, 

 twice a day where the irritation is severe, until the mouth 

 is perfectly white and clean of all traces of sores. Care 

 should be taken to look for loose teeth; they may be 

 remoA'^ed by means of fine forceps (tweezers). In a 

 very severe case of "canker" in the Zoological Park, this 

 relating to a large Cobra, the writer found it necessary 

 to clip away a large portion of the lower jaw bone. 

 Necrosis had developed and a foul odor was noted. The 

 operation had little effect. Determined to save the life 

 of the valuable specimen — one of the single pair of 

 Cobras on exhibition — the writer made an incision at the 

 back of the head, disjointed the diseased jaw bone and 



