340 TlMEHRI. 
a really harmless, but a thick and large, green snake ; the 
loose term " parrot snake " maybe given to it ; the snake 
may even bite the inoculated operator, of course with 
impunity ; and the onlooker may with all good faith, but 
with all perfeft ignorance, stake his belief in the efficacy of 
inoculation — for has he not seen with his own eyes, that 
a parrot snake was not only handled by the inoculated, 
but that its bite was rendered innocuous ! This is no 
overdrawn example ; it is based on sober fa6l ! And 
though it assumes a want of knowledge in the observer, 
it is no far-fetched assumption, since it is necessarily a 
general condition ; and unless an individual sele6ls snakes 
somewhat as a subject of study, for which the generality 
of people have neither the inclination nor the conveniences 
for pra6lical application, he must of necessity be ignorant 
on the matter. Rather than knowledge, it is an unreason- 
ing dislike or dread of snakes, which seems to chara6lerise 
people generally, and this feeling is often present even 
where there is knowledge. To any one who by expe- 
rience has become familiar with the loose and ignorant 
application of such names of poisonous snakes as 
bushmaster, labarria, etc., to such snakes as the different 
species of camoodies — snakes quite harmless as regards 
poisoning power — there is no difficulty in accounting 
for the commonly prevailing idea of the efficacy of inocu- 
lation against snake-bite. 
So much for the general circumstances of the case : 
it may be as well now to glance at the special features 
involved. Attempts have been made to compare the 
inoculation against snake-bite with inoculation against 
small-pox or the virus of rabies etc. ; and to argue that 
immunity from disease in the latter cases lends credence 
