SNAKE-POISON LITERATURE. 77 



and, taking this as a basis of calculation, he 

 concluded that not less than twelve grains 

 would kill an ox, and two and a half grains a 

 man. As a fact, three grains are fatal to an 

 ox, and one grain to one grain and a half 

 would, I believe, be sufficient to kill a man, 

 though six grains are sometimes shed at one 

 bite of a cobra. I do not think that the 

 poison of the larger vipers and that of the 

 Colubrine snakes, differ much in strength, quan- 

 tity for quantity ; the difference, if any, would, 

 of course, be in favour of that of the Colubrine 

 snakes. 



While the average amount of poison possessed 

 by a cobra is about two and a half to three 

 grains, though it may be either more or less, 

 the average amount possessed by many other 

 snakes is not more than half a grain, sufficient 

 to prove fatal to a child, and to give rise to 

 serious, though, perhaps, not fatal, symptoms 

 in a man. Here, then, we have one of the 

 reasons of the favourable reputation of so many 

 useless remedies. 



It must now be acknowledged that the only ''^^™'/ **"■ 

 fair test of any antidote to snake-poisoning in a^iwdote. 



