The Cairo bulletin., 1913-03-29
MAKE USE OF SNAKES
SCIENTISTS FIND DEADLY REP.
TILES Az AID IN MEDICINE.
Captured al Much nisk. Their Pecu-
mary Value Grcat---Are "Bsited"
to induce The'r to Eject Vstu.
able Poison.

Tho majority OF snakes are not, as
most people suppose, aggressive In
their habits. but, like the British
viper, far more anxious to get out o.
the way OF the human intruder than
into It. But there are a few famous,
or infamous, exceptions, and the NAM
ba- one OF the largest of the cobras.
and a native OF Africa lis said to be
the most dangerous reptile in the
world II will fy al anything and
angbody. goes ont Of It's way TO pick
a anspvcl with ovrry paeser by. and
has even been known to come down
from tree where It was resting. ap-
psreIiily fast asleep, to Try couolu-
sions With man armed with gun
The only snake that at all approaches
the fnamba in ferocity is the great
king cobra, or hamadryad OF the east,
which is larger than the mamba and
generally quite as ready to interfere
with anything creature that comes
within its Ken, II has been known
to chase a man on horseback, and 40
fast can II travel that it is said none
but Q swift.footed animal has any
chance OF escane Tho poison OF both
these snases is so powerful that, as
some one cnce stated in an esamina.
ton paper on reptiles. even a selent-
list when bitten by either of these
tenegi0Gs Creatures, ceases 10 be inter
ested in the matter after the space of
a few minutes" Among the Austria.
Ian cobras, the pitvipefs of America.
and the great West African vipers.
there are certain species that prefer
the offensive to the defensive method
and In most cases 1t is the aggressive
varieties that carry the most poison
Gus fanes.
Snake-baiting is an amusement that
few persons would care to indulge in.
but 1t appears that this hazardous
occupation is an actual business in
certain parts of Australia The poison
is said to be Invaluable in the prepare
ton of particular medicines, and is
also much sought after by scientists
and experimenters. Its value is such
indeed, that the snake poison col.
lected by the natives of New South
Wales has been sold for as much
as q sovereign to twenty-five shillings
a grain, which works out at the amaz.
Ing figure OF $4,000 per pound troy.
The business OF snake-catch:ng ia
naturally exceedingly dangerous. but
some OF the Australian snake hunters
are so expert that they can take their
quarry with no other weapon but their
hands. While one attracts the rem.
tiles attention another creeps up be-
hind and grasps the snake bv the
neck, and SO holds 1t until it can he
transferred to cage or bag. The
reptiles are then taken to their perma.
nent cages, where they are at inter-
walls "baited" with a specially pre-.
pared instrument, upon whose end
is rubber band encircling a small
sheet OF glass, The snake bites
through the rubber and deposits it's
venom on the glass, which is then
scraped into a phial and the cont nts
sealed down. The snake, once cap,
'tured without injury is a constant
source Of revenue, as the poison is
quickly secreted afresh, ready for the
next batting Thus. at last the
snake, whose reputation has hitherto
been mainly earned in its capacity for
destroying life, may now be said 10 be
an important agent in its prcserva.
ton.