360 VENOMS 



Chief of the Sanitary Service, " with a view to encourage the 

 catching of poisonous snakes, and to assist the collection of snake- 

 venom by the granting of bounties to natives." 



On the issue of this order, we drew up instructions for the 

 collection of venom, which we caused to be distributed to all 

 posts in the Colony. At the same time an appeal in the 

 vernacniar was posted up in each of our sanitary institutions, 

 inviting the Hindus to commence the campaign forthwith. The 

 notice placarded on the door of the Pondicherry Hospital ran as 

 follows : — 



"Public Notice. 



" For the public good the Governor requests the population 

 to capture poisonous snakes in all places where they are found ; 

 to take them alive if possible ; and to bring them to the Hospital 

 without removing their fangs. 



" One rupee will immediately be paid for each snake brought in. 



" Those who read this notice are requested to communicate it to 

 their acquaintances." 



The Indian snake-charmers at once responded to this appeal, 

 and the harvest of snakes was soon abundant. The first provision 

 of 200 rupees, allotted to us by the Administration in June, 1901, 

 had to be successively renewed in May and October, 1902. Since 

 then, on the proposition of our successor. Dr. Camail, this sum of 

 200 rupees has been included in the local budget, thus definitively 

 sanctioning the principle of the collection of venom in our Indian 

 Settlements. 



The venom forwarded by us to France has been exclusively 

 derived from the cobra, or Naja tripudians. Other venomous 

 serpents are found in the French Settlements in India, especially 

 the species of Hydrophis, or sea-snakes ; but the cobra is by far the 

 commonest species, and our trading stations teem with it. Yanaon 

 is infested by it at all seasons, but especially at the time when the 

 Godavari is in flood ; the reptiles then make their way towards 



