452 
H. C. YARROW. 
States of Colombia, entitled “ Ophidians; zoological arrange¬ 
ment of the different genera, including varieties known in North 
and South America, the East Indies, South Africa and Australia. 
Their poisons and all that is known of their nature. Their galls 
as antidotes to the snake venom. Pathological, toxicological and 
microscopical facts, together with much interesting matter hith 
erto not published.” The entire raison d'etre for the work seems 
to be a desire to prove the correctness of the following corollary 
of the author: “ Every animal poison has its perfect and specific 
antidote in the gall of the animal or reptile in which that poison 
is secreted.” After mentioning a number of different methods 
of cure in vogue in South America he states the following, which 
may be taken as evidence of the charlantanry of the so-called 
curers: “For the bite of the sierpe (python) [a harmless snakej 
open a hen alive and put half of it upon the wounded part, bind¬ 
ing it fast with a bandage. Diet—the first day of the cure give 
the patient fowl; when better beef and salt fish may be permitted. 
Absolutely prohibited—fish, eggs, bananas, aquacates (alligator 
pear), cheese, anything acid or flatulent. Great care must be 
taken not to go barefooted, and on no account to step in fowl’s 
excrement (this is mortal), total abstinence from any carnal act; 
and he must not allow any woman, pregnant or menstruating, to 
come near him while being cured.” 
Of his own method of cure he states as follows: “ It must 
alwavs be borne in mind that the gall of a snake has its virtues 
most fully developed shortly after the skin has been cast and 
when its poison is most venomous, provided, however, that the 
reptile has not eaten any food in the meantime, in which case the 
gall-bladder will be found nearly or quite empty. Many experi¬ 
ments with this subject, combined with alcohol in widely differ- 
ent proportions of each ingredient, have led me to adopt the fol¬ 
lowing, as the method of preparation which has proven itself 
most efficacious in a great number of cases. Proportion, one 
drop of pure gall to ten drops of as pure alcohol, or high wines, 
or spirits of wine, as can be procured. The mixture must be 
thoroughly shaken and allowed to stand for a couple of days, 
when a lead-colored sediment will have deposited itself, the super- 
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