The herald., 1893-08-14
THE FEAR OF SNAKES.
Why Many Children and Some Grown Per-
sons Dislike Them.

"---~S ~~~--~-- -
sons Dislike Them.
There are many authenticated in
stances OF children becoming attached to
snakes and making pets of them. The
solution of question of this kind is
sometimes to be found in the child mind.
My experience Is that when young chill
dren see this creature its strange ap-
pearance and manner Of progression, SO
unlike those of other animals known to
them, affect them with amazement and
q sense of mystery and that they fear it
Just as they would fear any other strange
thing Monkeys are doubtless affected
In. much the same way, although in
state of nature. where they inhabit for
ests abounding with the larger construct
ors and venomous tree snakes, it is high
ly probable that they also possess a ira
ditional fear Of the serpent form. It
would be strange if they did not.
The experiment of presenting q Gagged
monkS with a serpent carefully wrapped
up in newspaper and watching his be-
havior when he gravely opens the par
Gel, expecting to fine nothing more
wonderful than the familiar sponge
cake or succuient banana--well, such
an experiment has been recorded in
half a hundred important scientific
works, and out of respect to ones mas
ters one ought to endeavor not to smile
when reading 1t. A third view might
be taken which would account for our
feeling toward the serpent without eli
ther Instructor tradition. Extreme fear
of all ophidians might simply result from
a vague knowledge of the fact that some
kinds are venomors; that, in some rare
cases, death follows swiftly on their
bite, and that, not being sufficiently in
telligent to distinguish the noxious from
the innocuous--at all events while nm
der the domination of sudden, violent
emotion-we destroy them all alike,
thus adopting Herod's rough and ready
method of ridding his city of one incon-
venient babe by general slaughter of
innocents.
1t might be objected that in Europe,
where animosity to the serpent is great
est, death from snake bite is hardly to be
feared; that Fontana's 5000 experiments
with the viper, showing how small is the
amount of venom possessed by this spe-
cies, how rarely it has the power to de-
stroy human life, have been before the
world for century And although it
must be admitted that Fontana's work
is not in the hand of every peasant, the
fact remains that death from snake bite
is rare thing in Europe. probably not
more than one losing his life from this
cause for every ESQ who perish by hydro
phobia. Of all forms of death the most
terrible Yet while the sight of snake
excites in a majority of persons the most
violent emotions, dogs are universal fa-
vorites, and we have them always with
us and make pets of them in spite of the
knowledge that they may at any time
become rabid and inflict that unspeaka-
bly, dreadful suffering and destruction
on us.
This leads to the following question;
Is it not at least probable that our ex-
cessiye fear of the serpent, so unworthy
of us as rational beings, and the cause of
SO much unnecessary cruelty, is partlp
at all events, result of our superstitious
fear of sudden death? For there exists,
we know. an exceedingly widespread de-
lusion that the bite of venomous SER
pent must kill and kill quickly. Com
pared with such ophidian monarchs as
the bushmaster, fer de lance, hamadry-
ad and tic polonga, the viper of Europe
the poor viper of many experiments
and much (not too readable) literature
may be regarded as almost harmless-at
all events not more harmful than the
hornet. Nevertheless, in this cold, north
ern world, even as In the other worlds
where nature elaborates more potent
juices, the delusion prevails and may be
taken into account here. although its
origin cannot now be discussed. For my
own part am inclined to believe that
we regard serpents witha destructive
hatred purely and simply because we are
80 taught from childhood. .-Macmillan's
Magazine.