Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

442 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTWhen the animal recovers from the effects of thispreliminary dose, a slightly larger one is injected,and so on, every two or three weeks, for a year ortwo. Finally the serum of the animal's blood hasdeveloped an anti-toxin that makes him immune tosnake venom. Some of his blood is then withdrawn,and the serum is separated, sterilized, and put upeither in liquid or dried form in sealed tubes. Thesemust Ix kept in a cool, dark place, to preserve theserum from deteriorating. A large hypodermicsyringe is used to inject the serum into a patient.This treatment will cure the gravest cases of snakebite, if employed before the victim has collapsed.As it is not toxic, it is safe for even inexperiencedpeople to use.As I have said, there are marked differences Inthe nature and effects of venoms, according to thespecies of snake. Cobra venom, from which theChalmette serum is principally derived, whileeffective in treating such bites as would be receivedin India, is not so sure a remedy Inour country as an anti-venom developed by usingthe poison of rattlesnakes or other species of theCrotalidae. To cure bites Inflicted by the deadlysnakes of South Africa, Fitzslmons employs a mixtureof venoms from various species In that regionwith which to Immunize horses and develop a remedialserum. In South America, Dr. Vital Brazil, ofthe Institute of Serum-Therapy of Sao Paulo hasmade several types of serums that are specific forbites of the rattlesnake, the lance-head snake, thecoral snakes, respectively, and one compounded fromthree venoms, to be used when the Identity of thesnake is unknown.The chief disadvantage of anti-venom serum Isthat Its kit Is too bulky to be carried habitually onthe person. If, however, It Is kept in camp, anda first-aid remedy for snake bite Is always In one'spocket during the snake season, the adventurer needfear no snakes whatever.