1894 - 95 .] Antivcnenc and ImmvMization against Venom. 463 
ments with the larger of the lethal doses of venom as yet adminis- 
tered, and, it may he, to employ still larger doses j although, for 
practical application, the larger of the doses that have already been 
used, as they produce death in about an hour, need not he increased. 
To these purposes I hope to apply the antivenene soon to he 
prepared from the rabbits which have already reeeived fifty times 
the minimum-lethal dose of venom. 
For the actual application of the antivenene to the treatment of 
snake-poisoning in man, an endeavour is being made to obtain the 
large quantity that is requisite, from a horse now receiving con- 
siderable lethal doses of cobra venom. From this source, also, it is 
hoped that a sufficient quantity will be obtained to allow of the 
examination of the chemical properties of the antivenene to be 
continued, with the object of discovering the constituent or con- 
stituents by which the antidotal effects are produced. If the 
isolation of the antidotal constituent or constituents can be effected, 
an antivenene of greatly increased power will be obtained, and the 
range of efficient application will be increased. For these objects, 
however, it will be necessary to administer to the horse much larger 
doses than it has yet received ; and the chief difficulty in doing this 
is to obtain a sufficient supply of cobra venom. By the great’ 
kindness of Surgeon-Colonel Cunningham, 9 grms. of dry venom 
have already been obtained, but in order to carry the protec- 
tion to fifty times the minimum-lethal dose, other 30 grms. 
would be required. I have reason to hope that the India Office 
will succeed ini making arrangements for procuring even this large 
quantity. 
The subject is one of practical importance to India, where the 
destruction of human life by venomous serpents is represented by 
an annual mortality of 20,000, and where the failure of all methods 
of treatment* has led to the introduction of a system of extermina- 
tion of venomous serpents — apparently futile in its results — in the 
carrying out of which large sums of money have been expended. 
In considering the probabilities of success by antivenene treat- 
* “After long and repeated observation in India, and subsequently in 
England, I am forced to the conclusion that all the remedies hitherto regarded 
as antidotes are absolutely without any specific effect on the condition pro- 
duced by the poison.” — Sir Joseph Fayrer On the Nature of Snake Poison. 
