Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-07
VENOM OF SERPENTS
A VACCINE LYMPH MADE FROM
THE VIRUS OF REPTILES.
Deaths From the Poisonous Snakes of
India-The KARAT and
the Cobra.

From the Paris Modern World.
India is the paradise OF snakes. The fact
is that in India snakes are more dangerous
to men than men are to snakes, If We are
to believe the statistics which show that
22, 900 people die yearly in India from snake
bites. AS rule, the natives are the vic
Tins, because they walk barefoot. The
snakes of India may be divided in three
categories; the aspics. the false vipers and
the true vipers. The most dangerous are
the KARAT and the cobra. The venom OF
the cobra is identical with the venom of the
Tattlesnake used by the Indians OF North
America to poison their arrows. This
venom. however. is harmless when ingessed
through the stomach, provided there is no
lesion of the mucous membrane.
Venom as Tonic.
The Hindoo physicians who use the
venom of the cobra in the composition of
their medicines enclose one OF the reptiles
with a banana in an earthen pot. which
they place on the fire. The cobra becomes
enraged and bites the banana. When he is
dead the banana is removed and carefully
dessicated, to be used as a tonic in the
shape OF a powder. DR.. Calmette of the
Paris Institute. who has made a special
study of yenomous snakes, collects the
venom of the cobra on cabbage or lettuce
This venom, when fresh is coiorless or
yelowish it can be kept for a long time
in Theoretically corked bottles. providing
they are not exposed to the sun. in which
case it would lose its toxic properties Des-
sicated, the venom has the appearance of
yellowish gum, and it remains indefinitely
virulent.
Like Albumen.
A queer thing is that the composition of
the venom of the cobra is Identical with
the chemical composition of egg albumen.
We find in albumen from p to % parts Of
oxygen. 7 parts of hydrogen. u TO IL parts
of nitrogen, 81 to 81 parts of carbon, and .
to parts of sulphur. In the venom of the
cobra the proportions are: Carbon, - parts;
hydrogen, 7.05 parts; nitrogen, 1920 parts;
oxygen and sulphur, n. So parts.
The largest snake of India is the hama
dryas. which belongs to the karat and cob
family, and is also venomous. Three
than the cobra; they are the daboia, the
itchfs and the sea snake. which sometimes
ascends the Hoogly and reaches Calcutta.
Inoculated Animals.
There is no animal refractory to the VEN
ON of snakes. DIR. Calmette has discovered
however, that the snake is proof against
its own venom and the venom of other
snakes. Basng his researches on this fact,
he has found in the virus of reptiles
serum which is not only a remedy but a
positive vaccine-lymph. He experimental
at first on cabayas and rabbits, later on
larger animals, with the venom Of snakes
of various countries: the cobra, the aspic of
Egypt, the viper of Europe. the viper of
Gabon. the horned viper of London, the
rattesnake Of America, the black snake and
the tigersnake of Australia.
DR.. Calmette inoculated the animals AMI
exposed them to the biting of snakes
When not treated with his serum they gen
orally died inside of two hours. In inocu-
lating rabbits the doctor prepares a pro-
gressive quantity of pure venom, reaching
a weight of 26 milgrams, or siXty-four
times more than is necessary to cause the
death of the animal. In this way he secures
a series of serums of graduated strength,
the weakest of which cures rabbit twenty
minutes after being bitten and the strong
est an hour and a half. or half an hour be-
fore the time when death should naturally
occur