DEADLY SERPENTS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 95, 5 April 1934, Page 5

DEADLY SERPENTS

Venom Made Into Vaccines Snakes are reported to be increasing rapidly in the State of Sao Paulo, owing to extensive clearing of the ground for cultivation purposes, says the “Observer’s" Rio de Janeiro correspondent. The burning of the forests destroys, or frightens away, the many hereditary enemies of the snake, including the dainty looking, white-backed Cangainba, whose favourite diet is the large, aggressive Jararaca. The spread of agriculture also stimulates the increase of rodents, on which the serpents largely feed. The Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo, usually referred to as the Snake Fann, formerly received about 12,000 snakes annually. Last year it took m nearly 30,000. Over fifty per cent, of these were Jararacas, which cause more deaths than any other serpent in Brazil. Next in order of numbers came the Crotallus terrifleus, the second most deadly Brazilian snake, followed by the Bothropg jararacassu, the terror of the river fishermen, and the Bothrops alternate, which infests the coffee plantations. The snakes are kept in gardens enclosed by low walls and surrounded by ditches. Trees are provided for the climbing varieties and dark hutches, shaped like beehives, for the others. The poison is extracted twice monthly from the adults, and the serum is made up with the blood of immunised horses. In addition, the institute prepares vaccines against a variety of animal and vegetable poisons, .against spider and scorpion bites, tetanus, gangrene, typhoid, smallpox, hooping-cough, etcetera

These products are supplied free to the National Health Department, and distributed amongst the planters and municipalities in exchange for venomous animals and others required fo»’ medical and experimental purposes. A hypodermic syringe is sent in exchange for six adult serpents; an ampoule of any serum is given away for four snakes, six “crab” spiders, two dozen small ones, or for a similar number of scorpions and centipedes. Last year the institute distributed over 100,000 ampoules and 1,000,000 tubes of vaccine. With these are sent pamphlets, explaining the various forms of poisoning to which the rural population is liable, the symptoms and the methods of treatment. Twenty years ago snakes were responsible for killing more than 5()(N) people annually in Brazil; 25 per cent, of bites proved fatal. The mortality from this cause has since dropped from 2.6 to 1 I per thousand of the population, and less than 4 per cent, of the cases treated with the Rntantan serum end fatally. Where death occurs it is generally due to delay in injecting, to insufficient doses, or to intoxication from kerosene or alcohol, administered before the injection.