THE VENOM OF THE AUSTRALIAN BLACK SNAKE. 241 
which no doubt accounts for the fact that whereas the venom 
of American and Indian species have received the attention of 
many observers the chemistry of Australian snake poison is almost 
an unopened book. 
There is the initial difficulty of obtaining the snakes in sufficient 
number and of sufficient size. Further one is unable here to com- 
mand the services of a professional snake catcher to manipulate 
the creatures, so that it is necessary to overcome that dislike and 
dread of the serpent which is instilled into the youthful intelli- 
gence at an early age in every Christian land. 
Again, the quantity voided at one time by the Black snake is 
insignificant compared with that obtained from a decent-sized 
Cobra or Rattle-snake, which latter discharges at a single bite five 
to ten times the amount of venom that we have been able to pro- 
cure at any one time, under the most favourable circumstances, 
from the largest of our specimens, a snake six feet long. 
But although the yield of poison is so small, we find that the 
virulence of our Black snake compares very favourably with that 
of the Cobra. That is to say, the minimal fatal dose per pound 
weight is in our hands considerably less than that given for the 
Cobra by the Indian Snake Commission, and not very considerably 
greater as has been previously stated.* Some idea of this virulence 
may be gathered from the fact that 755 grain invariably kills a 
rabbit of 5ibs. weight, when injected into a vein, in about one 
hundred seconds. 
‘The following experiments illustrate the toxic power of the 
poison :— 
+s grain of the dried Black snake poison was dissolved in 5 c. 
em. of 1°/ Na Cl solution, 0:05 c. em. would accordingly equal 
seco of a grain. 
Four rabbits, each weighing 5ibs., were taken and the poison 
injected into the median vein of the ear. The first two received 
* Sidney Martin—Proc. Royal Soc. Lond., Vol. xtvi1. Halliburton— 
Text Book of Chem. Physiol. pp. 138,and Rep. Comm. Med. Soe. Vict. on 
Snake Poison, 1876. The Australian snake mentioned is the Tiger snake. 
P—Sept. 7, 1892. 
