Brazilian Authority on Snake-Bite Antitoxin Discusses Serums--Hindus Prefer Death to Harming Sacred Cobra

"Despite the numerous species of poisonous snakes in North and South America, there is now an antivenin for every kind of snake poison in the western hemisphere," stated Dr. Afranio do Amaral, noted ophiologist and director of the Instituto Butantan at Sao Paulo, Brazil, in an interview yesterday.

Dr. do Amaral, who is giving a series of lectures this week at the Harvard School of Public Health and is doing research study at the University Museum of Comparative Zoology, is regarded as the world's foremost authority on snakebites. Although the Instituto Bustantan was founded almost 30 years ago, almost all the serums have been produced within the last few years since the young director took over the duties of research and production. Within recent years the Brazilian institution has expanded so that a North American antivenin research institute is now working in conjunction with it.

In discussing the danger of snake bites. Dr. do Amaral said. "The most poisonous snake in the western world is the bush master of Central America but the Florida rattlesnake is almost as deadly. Now that serums have been produced to safeguard against all snakebites, people must be educated to capture the poisonous reptiles and send them to the central institute where they can be made to give up their venom. Nonpoisonous snakes should not be killed but should be left alone as they are valuable in their combat against rodents."

He took from his pocket several tubes which contained small yellow grains of crystal-like appearance, but which he explained as amorphous forms of the dried venom, which is an albuminous substance, whose chemical composition is about five to 12 times as complex as the tetanus toxin. These dried venoms, he explained, are sent to the central institute, are dissolved in brine and glycerine and the solution is injected into horses in successive increments. The reaction of this poison with the cells of the horse produces antibodies. After a lapse of time the horse is bled and the serum proteins are separated and purified. When this serum is injected into a person suffering from snake-bite it goes to the poison because it has a peculiar affinity for it. Then neutralization of the poison takes place but the injection of the antivenin must take place within 12 hours in order to insure safety.

Dr. do Amaral sketched a diagram showing the entire development and distribution of the serum and emphasized the fact that the serum produced is a mixture of antivenin produced from all species of snakes in the country, so that a single product can be shipped to all parts of North America. The institute at Glenolden, Pennsylvania, is the central one for the United States and Canada, but the snake farm in Brazil produces the largest amount of the serum.

In India where the king cobra, largest and most poisonous of snakes, takes a toll of thousands of lives a year, no progress has been made because the snake to held to be sacred. Since snakes die after a certain amount of venom has been extracted, the natives will not permit the development of any such protective measures, according to Dr. do Amaral. He added, "The natives of India would rather die than have a colbra die. The number of times their preference is fulfilled is amazing.