Venoms; venomous animals and antivenomous serum-therapeutics

An excellent opportunity was thus afforded to me of vi.INTliODlJCTION TO FBENCH EDITION taking up a study which appeared to possess considerable interest on the morrow of the discoveries of E. Roux and Behring, w4th reference to the toxins of diphtheria and tetanus, and I could not allow the chance to escape.For the last fifteen years I have been occupied continuously with this subject, and I have published, or caused to be published by my students, in French, English, or German scientific journals, a fairly large number of memoirs either on venoms and the divers venomous animals, or on anti- venomous serum-therapeutics.The collation ' of these papers is now becoming a matter of some difficulty, and it appeared to me that the time had arrived for the production of a monograph, which ma}^, I hope, be of some service to all who are engaged in biological research.Antivenomo'us seruni-tlierapij, which my studies, sup- plemented by those of Phisalix and Bertrand, Eraser, George Lamb, F. Tidswell, McFarland, and Vital Brazil, have enabled me to establish upon scientific bases, has now entered into current medical practice.In each of the countries in which venomous bites represent an important cause of mortality in the case of human beings and domestic animals, special laboratories have been officially organised for the preparation of anti-venomous serum.All that remains to be done is to teach its use to those who are ignorant of it, especially to the indigenous inhabitants of tropical countries, where snakes are more especially formid- able and deadly.This book will not reach such people as these, but the medical men, naturalists, travellers, and explorers to whom it is addressed will know how to popu- larise and apply the information that it will give them.viii. INTBODUCTION TO FEENCH EDITIONI have experienced at the hands of a large number of our ministers, consuls, or consular agents abroad the most cordial reception on repeatedly addressing myself to them in order to obtain the papers or information of which I was in need.