1894-95,] Antivcnene and Immunization against Venom. 449 
to venture on the credit of their assertions, because I have 
observed that the gods themselves are not proof against these 
venomous serpents, much less can they protect us against their bite.” 
Drummond Hay, in his work on Western Barbary, gives a 
description of the performances of four members of a sect of snake- 
charmers, called the Eisowy (Aissaivi), who freely handled, and 
allowed themselves to be bitten by serpents proved to be venomous 
by a rapidly fatal experiment performed on a fowl. At the ter- 
mination of the exhibition, the Eisowy, apparently as a usual per- 
formance, “commenced eating or rather chewing” a poisonous 
snake, “which, writhing with pain (to quote Mr Hay’s words) 
bit him in the neck and hands until it was actually destroyed 
by the Eisowy’s teeth.” He states that, on another occasion, 
at Tangier, a young Moor, who was witnessing the perform- 
ances of a snake-charmer, ridiculed his exhibition as a delusion, 
and having been dared by the Eisowy to touch one of the serpents 
the lad did so, was bitten by one of them, and shortly afterwards 
expired. In connection with my subject, a special interest is 
attached to the account given by Mr Drummond Hay, and repeated 
in its main features by Quedenfeldt in the Zeitsclirift fur Ethnologie 
of 1886, of the origin of this Eisowy (Aissaivi) sect, and of the 
immunity which they claim. The founder, Seedna Eiser, was being 
followed through the desert of Soos by a great multitude, who, 
becoming hungry, clamoured for bread. On this, Seedna Eiser 
became enraged, and turning upon them he uttered a common Arabic 
curse, “ kool sim,” which means “ eat poison.” So great was their 
faith in the teaching of the saint, that they acted upon the literal 
interpretation of his words, and thereafter ate venomous snakes and 
reptiles ; and from that time they themselves and their descendants 
have been immune against serpents’ bites. 
In the writings of many other travellers similar evidences may 
be found of a belief in the possession of a power successfully to 
resist the poisonous effects of serpents’ bites. The same belief pre- 
sents itself in the conviction, prevailing in several parts of the 
world, that a non-fatal bite by a poisonous serpent, provided 
marked symptoms have followed, confers protection against subse- 
quent bites ; and in the tales of the performances by the snake- 
charmers of the present time. These performances have been 
VOL. XX. 10/6/95 2 F 
