Venoms; venomous animals and antivenomous serum-therapeutics . ead. The hd or trap-door is half closedwith the left hand, and, with a quick forward thrust, the right handreleases its grasp of the reptile and is immediately withdrawn ;at the same time the left hand completes the closure of the snake is temporarily dazed, as though stunned, and it is onlyafter the lapse of a moment that it thinks of darting open-mouthedat the walls of its prison. When it is desired to procure large quantities of venom, as isindispensable in laboratories where antivenomous serum is j)re-pared, the endeav
Venoms; venomous animals and antivenomous serum-therapeutics . ead. The hd or trap-door is half closedwith the left hand, and, with a quick forward thrust, the right handreleases its grasp of the reptile and is immediately withdrawn ;at the same time the left hand completes the closure of the snake is temporarily dazed, as though stunned, and it is onlyafter the lapse of a moment that it thinks of darting open-mouthedat the walls of its prison. When it is desired to procure large quantities of venom, as isindispensable in laboratories where antivenomous serum is j)re-pared, the endeavour must be made to keep the snakes alive forthe longest possible time. It then becomes necessary to resort SliCRETION AND COLLECTION OF VENOM IX SNAKES 157 to artificial feeding in the manner previously described (see p. 17),for they very often refuse to feed themselves. Except when a snake is moulting, the venom can be extractedfrom its glands about every fortnight ; and it is better that theextraction be not performed concurrently with artificial feeding,. Fig. S7.—Chloroforming a Cobra in order to Collect Venom, at the FrenchSettlement of Pondicherry, in India (Stage II.). since, owing to the fact that the venom serves the animal asdigestive juice, the reptile will soon perish if deprived of the meansof digesting the food that it is obliged to receive. It is best,therefore, to select one day of the week for artificial feeding, andthe corresponding day of the following week for the extraction ofthe venom. When the venom has been collected, it must immediately be 158 VENOMS placed in a desiccator over calciam chloride or sulphuric acid, inorder to dry it rapidly. In hot countries, and where no laboratoryspecially equipped for the purpose exists, it will suffice to dry thevenom in a current of air, or even in the sun. It then concretes inscales of a citrin colour, more or less dark, according to the concen-
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