The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-30
SNAKE POISON AS A MEDICINE.
A Man Who Considers Cobra Venom
an Antidote for Cholera.
From the 81. Louis Repu5lit

FROM Ite 81. LOUIS heDUOtE
An editorial on the experiments made in
the United States with the venom of cobras
and rattlesnakes appeared i'll the Republic
last year, and it is followed by the receipt
of a letter from +. A. Perroux of No. 8
Cooper's lane, Calcutta. East India. Mr..
Perroux writes that he has called the posi-
BILE therapeutic effects of cobra venom to
the attention of American and European
governments, some of which, including the
United States, are now conducolng expert
meuts in accordance with his sug-
gestions. He incloses a copy of a
letter addressed to the surgeon general at
Washington informing him that cobra
venom has been used in India as an anti
dots to cholera through hypodermic injec-
ton in small quantities. lie believes that
death in cholera is due to coaguiatlon of
the blood that ''ptomaine," or venom
similar to that OF poisonous snakes, is
normal constituent of the human blood,
necessary to keep it firm, and that in
cholera this constituent is separated and
| LOCALIZED" causing death, which could be
prevented by the injection of the venom of
such snakes as the cobra. His education,
he adds, is entirely lay" He Is not
biologist, aud "the theory advanced is the
outcome Of purely synthetic processes,
suggested by what he states as fact-that
cobra venom properly injected Is an anti
| dote in cholera.
Even if this is a fact, it is too extraordi-
| nary to be accepted before it has been DEM
| onstrated beyond question, but, aside from
| it, there are points of great interest IN con
| nection with Mr.. Perrouxs theory OF animal
| venom. Experiments made in the United
States, and heretofore noticed in the Re
| public show that snake venom, when In
troduced In the human blood, acts as a
most powerful solvent. 1t liqueGes. or de-
| compoSes, the integumentS IN the veins and
| arteries wherever it remains in contact
with them in its undated state. This
poison-or, if we accept the theory thus de-
duced, this powerful solvents certainly
secreted from the blood In the snake, III
which it may have existed in minute guam
titles in the same chemical form in which
it appears-after secretion into the poison
glands. This is not necessary inference,
however, as the secretion itself may be a
process OF decomposition and recombina-
tion. changing altogether the character OF
the substance itself.
If this is what really takes place Mr.. Per
roux's theory of venom naturally existing
as a necessary solvent for the blood remains
undemOnstrated and probably undemon-
strable. But if the venom is secreted with
out decomposition and reconciliation, he
| has suggested a long line of most important
discoveries The actual basis of observed
fact for the suggestion is as yet very small
| First, we have the alleged IacI tnaU Unt
venom of the crobra will prevent death
from cholera; and, supporting this. the fact
that a substance called ''ptomaine,n resem
bling serpent blood, has been found in hu-
man blood by analysis. This proves nothing
for the first inference is that the substance
when so found is result of dis
ease, fermentation or putrefaction
and not of normal animal chemistry
SO little is known of ANNA
chemistry and the possibility of astonishing
discovery in it is so great that it would b
absurd for anyone, "layman" or biologist
to make an assertion of probability or i'm
probability in advance. 1t is not anteced
emily probable or improbable that a MAJ
will die if poison or solvent correspondent
to the poison of the cobra or rattlesnake
withdrawn from his blood. Such poiso
NAV exist in the blood as result of til
| healtHful chemical combination which per
petuates life. 1t may exist only as eau:
S of death, or it may not exist at all in "iN
ing" blood, but appear oaly after putrefaC
ton. Where SO little is known. probabilit
or improbability scarcely figures at all c
| any question Of unknown fact. For a
t science knows to the contrary, such poisc
z as that found in the glands of the rattl
/ snake may be an essential element of all al
| imal life