The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-02-17
THE SNAKES OF
THE INDIAN EMPIRE.
Major Wallis Valuable Work
in Identifying vene nous Rep
tiles.

If you hear the word snake" Ia
India, cobra" instantly and natur-
ally comes to your mind, as the cobra
is generally supposed to be the o
deadly of all snakes in India. Yet
there are other snakes which are even
more dangerous, and it seems that the
cobra must descend from the high
pedestal on which he has been placed
and do his basking on a back seat.
India offers a limitless field for the
study of snakes-both real and mag
inary-the latter are innumerable-
yet there are few Anglo-Indians who
have made especial study of these in
teresting and important reptiles, or
contributed any original matter on
the subject. Most Of the Indian resi-
dents information about poisonous
. reptiles of the country is derived
from books written by Europeans at
home, whose observations have been
confined to glass-jar or museum speci-
mems.
Recent research and Investigations
have given the medical profession
much more knowledgeo of snake venom
than it possessed formerly, and the
unfortunate sufferer from snake-bite
has a fair chance of recovery nova
days If he has instant and intelligent
treatment, and the medical attendant
knows the species of snake which did
the biting. The poison Of the COM
mon kraft Is twice as virulent as that
of the cobra, while that OF the most
common Of sea snakes is eight times
more deadly. With increased knoWl-
edge of snake venom a more rational
treatment through a%ntivenene has
been introduced into practice, but it
is essential that the attending phys
clan should correctly identify the
snake which caused the trouble, so
that the strength of his poison may
be known and treated accordingly.
The Indian Medical Service has
produced a specialist in %ophiology in
Major F. Wall, the only Anglo-Indian
of note who has made sufficient study
of the subject to be considered a first
hand authority. For several years
Major Wall has contributed to the
pages of the journal Of the Bombay
Natural History Society and else
where a series Of we'll written n
admirably illustrated articles on In
dian snakes, which should tend to in
crease common knowledge of these
enemies of man.
Major Wall has recently collected
these articles, and, with an introduce
tory chapter, has published them in a
brochure. He gives clear descrip-
tions Of the thirty-four species of poi
sonous land snakes of India, Burmah
and Ceylon, in nearly every case sup
plemented by illustrations which give
the chief distinguishing Characters
tics Of each.
illustrations and text are so COM
prehensive that Identification of any
particular species becomes easy, how
ever mutilated the snake may have
been by it's captors. The little VOL
m will doubtless become a text
book among Indian practitioners and
others, who, after mastering Major
Wallis simple system of identification,
may place any poisonous snake in its
proper place, and in a case Of snake
bite prescribe the required treatment
for that particular species. Major
Wall has done a great deal to famil-
iarize the people of India with their
snakes, and it would be we'll were his
example followed in other countries
inhabited by poisonous snakes.-S. S.
M, in the New York Post.