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Snakes—An essay in interpretation
SNAKES
AN ESSAY IN INTERPRETATION
B y H. H. ENGEL, M.D. (Tiibingen) I HARDLY any other animal is looked upon with such conflicting feelings as the snake. Horror, boundless fear, disgust--and at the same time admiration and wonder--are the emotions observed in oneself when confronted with a snake, even a non-venomous one. As a young boy I never walked through the thick forests, with their wonderful hidden lakes and secret hide-outs, without keeping a careful look-out for snakes, as there were m a n y about and m y childhood was filled with stories of snakes and their fateful dealings with men. I had once an encounter with a common adder, which was a great experience for me, and I proudly carried m y trophy home. The story of the Fall of Man and its consequences for the tempter, in the form of the snake, always impressed me deeply. Thus a certain image already was woven in childhood. The final touch was given to this when I was a very young and enthusiastic but still fairly inexperienced homceopathic doctor, and could save the life of a very dear one with the help of Laches/s. Then I felt t h a t the snakes could now redeem what they have brought about, and m y fear and disgust finally changed into admiration and acceptance. I t is one of the most noble tasks of the physician to find in nature the elements corresponding to the physiology, functions and pathology I of Man. This task is especially fascinating and interesting with regard to the snakes. The investigations of Spiritual Science showed clearly t h a t in the development of manbind certain phases had to be gone through. Out of the state of hi-sexuality m a n developed, through the division into sexes, into the unisexual man, as Man and Woman, and it is this moment which is referred to in the Old Testament. 2 This gave Man quite new possibilities for his further development. R. Steiner describes it as follows: " H e r e is an important point for the development of man. Previously the spirit, the power of thought, had no possibility for working in man. There was no organ through which this faculty could act. The soul had used up all its strength outwardly to build up a b o d y . . . Now, however, man could use part of t h a t force which until then he had used to create his body, for the further development of his own being. The force through which mankind forms itself a thinking brain is the very same through which in older times man fructified himself. Thinking is achieved b y taking up unisexuality. As human beings can no longer fructify themselves but only each other, they can now turn part of their productive power inward and become thinking beings. The male and the female bodies are therefore incomplete external products of the soul; but through this they become more perfect beings in their inner life . . .,,s Into this same time now falls the interesting fact t h a t the first snakes are discovered. Although other reptiles are found already much earlier, in the beginnings of the Mesozoic period, lizards were not found before the Jurassic, and the snakes do not appear until the Creteaceous period. 4 These animals therefore make their appearance at the very time when this decisive evolutionary step is taken by man. Further development then leads to what is called the Fall of Man. Something which is regarded as the main characteristic of the s n a k e - - n a m e l y curiosity, greed, and the desire for satisfaction--entered Man. 221
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H e started to crave for wisdom, and his desire for knowledge had to wake u p in his soul. With this, senses and organs for thought-activities could be developed. Thus unfold in Man on the one hand the power of speech and thinking, and on the other hand the sphere of nutrition and reproduction. Looking at the snakes one can experience, strangely enough, that they have life habits which are exclusively connected with this second sphere unfolding in man: nutrition and sex. A snake seems to live for the purpose solely of feeding itself and reproducing the species. Furthermore, does not the appearance, the outer impression, remind one immediately of the intestinal tract in its entirety? Man developed his thought-functions more and more apart from the intestinal functions on the one hand, and the movements of the limbs and speech on the other. As the counter-picture for these happenings in nature, the early reptiles developed on the one hand into birds, but regressed on the other hand into hmbless creatures. Hence the snakes are the only ones of the higher animals which cannot bring forth any sound from their air-organization, from lung and l a r y n x - - a p a r t from the "whispering hiss" of the tongue. We find thus, in the animal kingdom, a kind of mirror-image which, in t h e development of the snakes, reflects the estabhshment of nutrition and reproduction, whilst the toothed birds appear at the time when thought and speech gradually begin to create their organs. II The order Ophidia includes some 2,500 genera, about 200 of which are venomous. These are grouped in five families. 5 These snakes are distributed all over the world, but mainly in the tropical belt (the sphere of the earth corresponding to digestion and reproduction)--no farther north t h a n 55 ~ and in Europe the northern polar circle. The distribution of the venomous snakes over the earth is very interesting. I n Europe one finds only vipers, whereas in Austraha the main group of poisonous snakes are the Elapidae. I n the Americas the Crotahdae and Elapidae are at home, whereas in Africa and Asia there are Vipers and Elapidae plus some Opistoglyphae. I n addition to this, one finds the sea snakes still in the waters of the Indian Ocean and in the tropical regions of the Pacific, near the shores. This distribution is very interesting, as it shows t h a t vipers are only to be found in the large continental areas of Africa, Europe and Asia, whereas America and Australia are free from them. Crotalidae are only in the West, and Australia only shows Elapidae. The a n a t o m y and physiology of the snakes is very revealing. I n its general form this animal is only a rib-creature. Up to 400 vertebrae with corresponding ribs build up such a snake skeleton, and even the head and tail are structurally metamorphoses of this tendency. The lower jaws are not joined together as ia other animals; they are just two ribs serving a different function. All the bones forming the pharynx are movable against each other. 6 The head, which in all other vertebrates is the pole of solid immobility, has become a hmb-organization in a similar way as even the hundreds of pairs of ribs of the trunk have turned into concealed inner limbs. And although the snakes creep, they have not lost the faculty of walking: it has turned inward. The movements 7 are always reciprocal left-right movements of the muscles of the ribs. This not only gives rise to the characteristic winding mode of propulsion (called "schli~ngeln" in German, which in translation means "snaking"), but the process of swallowing and devouring is in fact nothing else but a walking right-left-right over the victim. 6 With its disjointed mandibles and maxillary bones, the snake can hold its prey with the teeth of one side, while the other side grips anew, and so in small steps "walk" the food into the intestinal region where the strong juices
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are working. The snakes do not chew: they swallow, b y steadily walking over their prey. Here we are already coming close to one of the significant characteristics of the snakes: their peculiar relationship to left- and right-sidedness. On the whole, only sideways movements are possible; movement in dorsal or ventral direction is rather limited. The peculiar relation to sidedness becomes still more obvious if one studies the internal organs. The main organs are the oesophagus, a long wide stomach, a very substantial small and large intestine, and huge kidneys. All the other organs have to squeeze themselves into the remaining space. The heart is fourfold, but the septum is not fully established. Two arches form the aorta, and there are m a n y intercommunications between the venous and arterial bloodstreams. The lymphatic system is very strongly developed; it has a few collecting centres which usually lie in the region of the stomach, and in addition two or four so-called lymphatic hearts which pulsate rhythmically. The lung is only fully developed on one side. I n the grass-snakes the left lung is still developed to haft the size of the right one; in the other snakes the left lung is either completely underdeveloped or even obliterated. The two kidneys are rather elongated organs which are connected with a special venous blood system, similar to the vena porta system in mammals. The glandular system is greatly developed; everything is orientated around the digestive process. Next to the very large pancreas and other abdominal glands we find the glands situated in the head region which are mostly of the type of salivary glands. Parotid, submaxillary, and mandibular glands also provide poisonous secretions, whereas the actual poison gland lies in the maxilla in front of the parotid, or in the upper lip. These glands are usually in some way or other connected with the teeth, which work either as hypodermic injection needles, or prepare a wound into which the venom is smeared. Of greatest interest are the sense organs of the snakes. Usually it is said t h a t the most outstanding sense is the sense of touch. 7 This is developed in quite a special way. The tongue is the main organ for this sense. I n rapid succession the double-pointed tongue, with its slightly horny tips, is ejected from its vagina, often through a tiny aperture in the lower lip, and it is said t h a t the snakes easily perceive with their tongue what is around them to a distance of up to one yard, and thus find their way. Everything has to be touched b y the tongue before it is dealt with, or is spit at from a distance of one yard. One m a y of course ask oneself if this touching replaces tasting, and the question is justified whether snakes have at all developed taste. On the other hand, it is difficult to understand how snakes can be gnawed at by rats and hardly notice it, or if they do notice will not hinder the rats and die from loss of blood. I t seems as though in the realm of the tongue the taste-experience has been amalgamated with the touch experience. This touch-taste function appears to be combined with a good faculty of smell. Similar difficulties are encountered when we turn to the sense-activities of hearing and seeing. The hearing-organization is amazingly primitive. No external opening gives access to the meatus externus, which is short. There is no drum, no middle ear, nor Eustachian tube. But the spiral is formed out in a way similar to that of the birds. I t is doubted whether snakes can really hear. Considering the disappearance of the limbs, and the transformation of the movement into digestive movement only, it seems likely t h a t they cannot hear. But there is no doubt t h a t sight is well developed in the snakes, though it is not as good as in other reptiles. The interesting fact is that the eye is formed in the same way as the eyes of higher animals, but the lids are grown together. The outer skin covers the cornea, and the space between the cornea and the transparent upper layer of skin is filled with lacrimal fluid. Each eye can look independently to its side. I t has been observed
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that the snake has difficulties in perceiving objects sharply, but perceives exactly all the movements of the objects concerned. That would explain why snakes have to wait so often, when the victim remains motionless during the attack, and try b y hissing or rattling to induce the victim to move, to make further attack possible. The sense of smell seems to be good.-The nose is developed and equipped with erectile bodies acting in a similar way to those of the genital organs. In considering all these facts it becomes clear that actually only the lower senses are developed as sensory functions, although higher sensory organs may be used for it. That means, for instance, that in the eyes sight is rather diminished, but the perception of movement through the sense of movement inthe eye is highly developed. Hearing is reduced to the perception of the vibrations, i.e., touch. There is a well-developed sense of equilibrium, which has also taken over the perception of warmth and cold. The sense of life, which is predominantly developed as a sense for well-being or unwell-being, hunger and thirst, etc., is strong enough to wipe out the actual taste functions, which are taken over by the sense of touch, yet using the sensory organ of the tongue. The sense of touch is strengthened by its higher metamorphosis, the sense of smell. There are two more interesting facts to be described. The phallus of the male snake is two-pointed like the tongue, and horny at the ends. A functional similarity and metamorphosis becomes evident. Of great importance is the following detail: active digestion is directed towards one end, namely the production of uric acid. It is of interest that among all the vertebrate animals only the birds produce uric acid too, whereas all other vertebrates produce urea. I n this fact we can again find a sign for the relationship between the birds on the one hand and the snakes on the other. III The pharmacology and toxicology of the snake venoms is very manifold and contradictory. However, it has been found that the venoms work in a threefold way5: (a) toxins with effects similar to curare, (b) toxins with effects on the circulation, (c) toxins with local effects and which coagulate the blood. The interesting fact is that in none of the toxins or poisons is the nervous tissue directly affected. The actual nerve remains unharmed, but the organ withdraws from the nerve so that the nerve can no longer act as a perceptive agent. The organ becomes too independent. I t is thought that the erythrocytecholinesterase is responsible for this effect. This is found in the venoms of Elapidae (Naja), Colubridae, but not in the Vipera. This principle is also found in Echis, Crotalns, and Bothrops. The venoms of Elapidae, Viperidae and Crotahdae are directed at the heart and circulation. Shock and stopping of the heart in systole are the consequences. Enzymes like phospholipase A, protease, adenosintriphosphatase create a chaotic condition by freeing histamine, adenyl derivates, and polypeptide with pituitary hormone functions. The third group of effects is mainly the consequence of poisoning through Crotalidae. Here again ferments work through complexity. The local necrosis cannot very easily be influenced therapeutically. Apart from these local effects and those on the circulatory system, giddiness, vomiting, hypothermia, breathing difficulties, and low blood pressure have been observed. I t is thought that all these symptoms originate centrally. Furthermore, the blood corpuscles are affected through lysis, and the blood sugar rises.
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So we find a great number of factors made responsible for the multiple effects of the venoms: enzymes, proteins, various toxins.* I t is very interesting t h a t up to 20 per cent. of zinc oxide is found in the ash of snake venoms, s This has given rise to a great m a n y speculations. The real reason will still have to be discovered. Comparing these pharmacological and toxicological facts with the symptoms of the provings and clinical experiences with the snake venoms as used in Homceopathy, one can find there, too, an order which superficially m a y coincide with the one stated for the poisons 9, 1% Yet it seems t h a t a different order reveals itseff if one goes through the symptoms carefully. I t shows t h a t one organ in particular is attacked by the venoms of the various snakes to a greater or lesser extent, and t h a t organ is the Blood in its totality. This is the more understandable the more one takes into account the nature of the snakes, namely to transform everything into a kind of chyme that immediately transforms itself into chyle. The decomposition of blood follows only the one aim, to h u r r y up the metamorphosis into Lymph. Other authors have stated t h a t the snake poisons are additional aids for the process of digestion. I t becomes understandable t h a t it is mainly the organ which regulates the metabolic functions and which buffers and harmonizes these activities--the B l o o d - which is destroyed. Out of this, most of the symptoms in the Encyclopcedia become understandable and find their explanation, including those of circulatory dysfunction, as in ~Vaja, for instance. Against this stands the fact t h a t time and again symptoms are described which are attributed to the nervous system. This is mainly so in the case of !Vaja which is sometimes compared to Curare or even Gelsemium in its paralytic symptoms. The question arises: W h a t is attacked and what is really happening there? So far there has been no evidence t h a t the nervous substance would be in any way directly involved in the pathological processes following a poisoning. On the contrary: it has been shown t h a t even in the cases with strongest nerve symptoms the nerves themselves remain intact and withstand the digestive impact. So what are the neuro-toxins, and how could one explain the nervous symptoms? I t seems t h a t under the influence of poison the organs withdraw from the nervous system, and become too independent. Muscles, for instance, no longer lie under the controlling arms of the nerves; they either insert themselves into the entity of movement (similar to, for instance, a spastic child this would explain such symptoms as convulsions, spasms when touched, and so on), or they withdraw completely from it, as we know in the flaccid paralysis when the muscles cease to be receptive organs for any movement at all, and then the well-known paralytic symptoms of the motor system can occur. I t seems t h a t here the blood itself in its dissolution blockades the inter-relationship between muscles and nerves. The comparison with Curare seems only justified nominalistically, as in Curare more the nervous system and the nerve-end-plates in the muscles are affected, t An analysis of the provings and systoms of Lachesis or Naja, for instance, shows rather clearly the specific nature of the involvement of blood and lymph, and on the other hand the predominance of the experiences in the realm of the sense of touch. We find the hypersensitivity against the slightest touch or * O. L e e s e r has given a n e x a c t d e s c r i p t i o n o f these problems in this J O m ~ A L . 8 $ Here it may be pointed out that animal poisons have relatively little direct relationship towards the nervous system, but rather to the blood and through this perhaps secondarily to certain parts of the nervous system through hypersemia (as Tarantula, Apis, etc.). Plant poisons have a much more direct influence on the nervous system, as Conium, Gelsemium, Curare, Hyoscyamus, and o t h e r s .
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pressure, burning pains in hands and feet. I n the realm of heart and circulation, feeling of oppression, congestion; the larynx becomes very sensitive to touch, and so on. I t is very characteristically described that all nerves of a sensory nature are more activated and irritated, whereas those of the pyramidal tract are rather more withdrawn, dull and paretic. I n connection with this we find numerous symptoms which show how the blood becomes at first rather irritated, over-active (erysipelas, exanthema, red swelling of mucous membranes), and then starts to disintegrate, to change in the a t t e m p t to become l y m p h - - i n t o pus. Small or large bleedings, purpura, wounds, ulcers in their characteristic form and colour, phlebitis, phlegmona, icterus, pneumonia, etc., appear. The lymphatic nature and activity in man is pushed on violently. Wherever the blood has trespassed over its boundaries, or is going to do so, the pathological production of lymph as a result of metabolic transformation takes place--leading, however, usually to the formation of pus or mucus. This holds good especially for all conditions of meningitis, all conditions of the nose and sinuses, the diphtheroid conditions of the throat and larynx, pancreatitis, gingivitis, and especially gangrenous tonsillitis, necrosis. I n the intestine and kidneys the balance between the within and the without of the organ wall is disturbed. The destructive powers of the metabolism overcome the blood, and storm forward beyond their boundaries, creating nephritis, typhoid, and similar conditions. The metabolism has overrun the organism. Septic conditions of the whole body are the inevitable consequence. One m a y now be permitted to arrange the symptoms as follows: (a) Movement ceases and experiences of touch are increased instead. (b) Deterioration of the blood as an organ; loss of its identity, and (c) Transition into pure metabolic conditions, as chyme, chyle, lymph, which at the wrong place turn into pus. This order m a y be more true and to the point than the usual one given. All the circulatory symptoms of Naja, for instance, are due to the fact t h a t movement comes to a halt, and movement and flow within all the fluids of the organism stagnate and turn into sensory experience of touch or life. There remain still the modalities and symptoms of the mind to be discussed. Worsening in spring and summer and heat, through warm baths, sleep and rest, wine and tobacco, suppressed secretions; improvement in fresh air and when moving, and with the onset of the flow of all secretions. Heat, rest, sleep, alcohol are all conditions which foster metabolic processes; hence everything must become worse. Fresh air and movement on the other hand permit the flow of blood to improve; the blood can remain an entity of its own. Irritation and depression, logorrhcea, delirium, cowardice, fear, sorrow, tears, are easily to be understood--also the suicidal ideas--
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The problem of the sidedness has often been positively described and has been denied as often. My own experience is t h a t in any case with Lachesis the left-sidedaess of the symptoms is marked and outspoken. Naja and Vipera also showed preferences for the left, at least to begin with. I t seems as ff the obliteration and weakness of the left lung in the snake* has to do with this problem. Strangely enough, Zincum has a marked inclination towards the left side, too. I t might well be t h a t through the absence of zinc in crotoxin the Crotalus poison can act more violently on the fiver and the blood (the physical vessel of the h u m a n Ego) t h a n the zinc-inhibited poisons. IV So far we have looked at the snake and its place in the evolution of the world, at the snake itself in its physiognomy and physiology, and finally at the pharmacology, toxicology and drug picture. One more thing to do is to look at the snake in its place and doings in man. No doubt one will be able to find in certain forms and functions---even certain emotions--the seal of the snake imprinted. The form and movement of the small intestine m a y be taken as an example for this. Both ureters raise their heads like multi-headed snakes and bite into the descending kidneys. 11 Functionally, the glandular activities connected with the digestive tract, especially the parotid and connected glands and the pancreatic gland, have their archetype in the snake, and the protein-decomposition is largely connected with it. Related with this we also find the uric acid process. And here we could find one more indication for the working of the snake in man. All t h a t which is of a lymphatic nature belongs to the realm of the snake. The snake in us is the great foe of the blood; it protects the brain and the nerves; it creates the lymph and the milk, the tears and the sperma (prostate fluid). I t guards the cerebrospinal fluid from the blood, and stands behind the urine-production in the kidneys. The snake in us is at work under the guidance of Mercury or Hermes, and his winged staff t h a t rules and holds the snakes reaches from the process of fructification up to the process of thinking, and comprises the entirety of the three-fold nervous system; one might wonder ff this staff is not made out of zinc. This would explain why the poison never turns against the master, the nervous system, itself; always only against the blood, and through it against the organs. Yet one cannot think of the snake in m a n without remembering its counterpart, t h a t which rose up when the snake fell, the birds. When the snake formed out the digestive and urogenital system in form and function, the birds formed the head organization of man and the lungs. The snake has no limbs and but little of a lung. The birds have a mighty lung extending all over their limborganization. So the h u m a n head with the lungs would correspond to the birds with their wings. Both animal species have similar organs of equilibrium. Both produce uric acid as their digestive end-product. I t is not difficult to imagine the birds related to our thought-activity, but it m a y also be possible now to see the snake related to the thought-activity. I n the time of the Fall of m a n the bite of death gave to man the organ of knowledge; m a n became a reproducing being--to know and to fructify are the same concepts and words in the Genesis. The snake has made m a n learn to think, t Man's eyes were opened, his lung developed. The eyes of the snake were not opened; they became only transparent: just as the snake also did not develop limbs. Both these * H e r e it m a y be i n t e r e s t i n g to n o t e t h a t Elaps cor. affects m a i n l y t h e r i g h t l u n g a n d jus~ t h e t o p o f t h e left, w h i c h c o m p a r e s to t~he r u d i m e n t o f t h e left l u n g . t Small dosages o f cobra-poison m a y increase for a while intellectual tt~h~king, s
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were left to the birds. The functions of knowing and reproducing are both bound up with the nucleotide metabolism. I f this metabolism is disturbed in m a n it leads to gout. Gout can be a displaced thought or reproductive process, or any of the other digestive processes. The lithmmie condition is always described as intimately related to most of the snake-poison drug pictures. All this could lead us to a certain understanding of the being of the snake and its functions in man. Yet one could not conclude these deliberations on the snake without making mention of a most unusual and interesting description which the German poet Goethe (1749-1832) gave in his Fairy Tale of the Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily. 1~ I n a most gentle, tender and yet true way the snake is depicted and carries the main burden and responsibility of the story. I f one follows the course of events in as much as the snake is concerned, the snake appears on the one hand greedy, full of curiosity and vanity, yet on the other hand she is not only able to shed certain light into the darkness but also to give answers of astonishing wisdom. She knows t h a t the light is more glorious t h a n gold, and t h a t the speech (Gespri~ch) is more quickening than the light. She also knows the "fourth" secret, which is known to none else. All the time, despite of vanity and curiosity and greed, she knows, and carries light in her, which was given to her b y others. She also can at Midnight and Midday build a bridge over the River t h a t separates two countries. But then at the moment of greatest need, when there is confusion, the green snake acts to lorevent decomposition, and finally we hear to our greatest astonishment the green snake speak: I have decided to sacrifice myself before I shall be sacrificed. And when the princess Lily touches the snake with the L E F T hand, all life flees from the snake and revives the young prince. And now the snake disintegrates into thousands of glittering crystals and precious stones, which are thrown into the river and out of it the permanent Bridge is built, so t h a t all folk can pass from one land into the other. The old m a n (the initiate and guide throughout this Fairy Tale) reminds the prince: " R e m e m b e r and honour the snake, you owe her your life, your people owe her the Bridge. The shining precious stones became the pillars of the Bridge; on these the Bridge could build itself and will sustain itself." Could the being and function of the snake in m a n be expressed more clearly and beautifully? The Snake does not only carry the wisdom of the Tree of Knowledge. The Snake also knows about the Tree of Life. The Snake is the arch t h a t spans from the one tree to the other and thereby builds the bridge, first in a t e m p o r a r y way, then in a permanent way, so t h a t mankind can pass over it safely. The Snake does not only know the fourth secret but also acts accordingly: Death is the well of all life---so the sacrifice is brought. The crystals (all t h a t appears in those processes t h a t lead outwardly to uric acid, lymph, chyle) help to build the Bridge in the river Blood. But this only works through the sacrifice. The snake gives up its own life. The step can be made from the pure knowledge born b y passions and drives to the new and real life of inner freedom and morality b y the higher being of man. The bridge is built from abstract thinking to true living thinking, as depicted in the fairy tale b y the hawk with the mirror reflecting the sun!--where again we meet the bird in connection with the snake. The snake in us tries to help m a n to get over the consequences of the Fall, if m a n wishes to lend an ear to the hiss and an eye to the light. But we doctors should listen to the words of the old man with the lamp, when we prescribe and administer snake-poisons, and speak to the patient: R e m e m b e r and honour the Snake. You owe her your life, Your people owe her the bridge.
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REFERENCES 1 K. KSnig, The Mysterium of Prescribing. Brit. Horn. Journ., 41, 31, 1951. 2 Genesis, 2nd chapter. 8 R. Stelner, Akasha-Chronie, die Trennung der Geschlechter, Bale, 1955. 4 A. S. Romer, Man and the Vertebrates, I, Harmondsworth, 1954. 5 E. Kaiser and Heribert Michl, Die Biochemie der tierischen Gifte, Vienna, 1958. e H. Poppelbaum, Tierwesenskunde, Dornach, 1954. Brehms, Tierleben, Vol. IV, Leipzig and Vienna, 1912; Vol. V, Leipzig and Vienna, 1913. s O. Leeser, "Actions and Medicinal Use of Snake-venoms," Brit. Horn. Journ., 47, 153, 1958. 9 K. Stauffer, Klinische Horn. Arzneimittellehre, Regensburg, 1955. 10 j . Mezger, Gesich~ete Horn. ArzneimitteUehre, Saulgau, 1950. 11 R. Steiner, Der Menseh als Zusammenklang, chap. VI, Stuttgart, 1949. 12 j . W. v. Goethe, Novelle, Das M~irchen, Bern, 1949. Further Literature used: F. W. Fitz-Simons, Sehlangen, Stuttgart, 1934. O. Riedrich, Giftschlangen, Berlin (without year). G. Wachsmuth, Der Werde~Jang der Menschheit, Dornaeh, 1953. R. Kraus and F. Werner, Giflschlangen, Jena, 1931.
AN ESSAY IN INTERPRETATION
B y H. H. ENGEL, M.D. (Tiibingen) I HARDLY any other animal is looked upon with such conflicting feelings as the snake. Horror, boundless fear, disgust--and at the same time admiration and wonder--are the emotions observed in oneself when confronted with a snake, even a non-venomous one. As a young boy I never walked through the thick forests, with their wonderful hidden lakes and secret hide-outs, without keeping a careful look-out for snakes, as there were m a n y about and m y childhood was filled with stories of snakes and their fateful dealings with men. I had once an encounter with a common adder, which was a great experience for me, and I proudly carried m y trophy home. The story of the Fall of Man and its consequences for the tempter, in the form of the snake, always impressed me deeply. Thus a certain image already was woven in childhood. The final touch was given to this when I was a very young and enthusiastic but still fairly inexperienced homceopathic doctor, and could save the life of a very dear one with the help of Laches/s. Then I felt t h a t the snakes could now redeem what they have brought about, and m y fear and disgust finally changed into admiration and acceptance. I t is one of the most noble tasks of the physician to find in nature the elements corresponding to the physiology, functions and pathology I of Man. This task is especially fascinating and interesting with regard to the snakes. The investigations of Spiritual Science showed clearly t h a t in the development of manbind certain phases had to be gone through. Out of the state of hi-sexuality m a n developed, through the division into sexes, into the unisexual man, as Man and Woman, and it is this moment which is referred to in the Old Testament. 2 This gave Man quite new possibilities for his further development. R. Steiner describes it as follows: " H e r e is an important point for the development of man. Previously the spirit, the power of thought, had no possibility for working in man. There was no organ through which this faculty could act. The soul had used up all its strength outwardly to build up a b o d y . . . Now, however, man could use part of t h a t force which until then he had used to create his body, for the further development of his own being. The force through which mankind forms itself a thinking brain is the very same through which in older times man fructified himself. Thinking is achieved b y taking up unisexuality. As human beings can no longer fructify themselves but only each other, they can now turn part of their productive power inward and become thinking beings. The male and the female bodies are therefore incomplete external products of the soul; but through this they become more perfect beings in their inner life . . .,,s Into this same time now falls the interesting fact t h a t the first snakes are discovered. Although other reptiles are found already much earlier, in the beginnings of the Mesozoic period, lizards were not found before the Jurassic, and the snakes do not appear until the Creteaceous period. 4 These animals therefore make their appearance at the very time when this decisive evolutionary step is taken by man. Further development then leads to what is called the Fall of Man. Something which is regarded as the main characteristic of the s n a k e - - n a m e l y curiosity, greed, and the desire for satisfaction--entered Man. 221
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H e started to crave for wisdom, and his desire for knowledge had to wake u p in his soul. With this, senses and organs for thought-activities could be developed. Thus unfold in Man on the one hand the power of speech and thinking, and on the other hand the sphere of nutrition and reproduction. Looking at the snakes one can experience, strangely enough, that they have life habits which are exclusively connected with this second sphere unfolding in man: nutrition and sex. A snake seems to live for the purpose solely of feeding itself and reproducing the species. Furthermore, does not the appearance, the outer impression, remind one immediately of the intestinal tract in its entirety? Man developed his thought-functions more and more apart from the intestinal functions on the one hand, and the movements of the limbs and speech on the other. As the counter-picture for these happenings in nature, the early reptiles developed on the one hand into birds, but regressed on the other hand into hmbless creatures. Hence the snakes are the only ones of the higher animals which cannot bring forth any sound from their air-organization, from lung and l a r y n x - - a p a r t from the "whispering hiss" of the tongue. We find thus, in the animal kingdom, a kind of mirror-image which, in t h e development of the snakes, reflects the estabhshment of nutrition and reproduction, whilst the toothed birds appear at the time when thought and speech gradually begin to create their organs. II The order Ophidia includes some 2,500 genera, about 200 of which are venomous. These are grouped in five families. 5 These snakes are distributed all over the world, but mainly in the tropical belt (the sphere of the earth corresponding to digestion and reproduction)--no farther north t h a n 55 ~ and in Europe the northern polar circle. The distribution of the venomous snakes over the earth is very interesting. I n Europe one finds only vipers, whereas in Austraha the main group of poisonous snakes are the Elapidae. I n the Americas the Crotahdae and Elapidae are at home, whereas in Africa and Asia there are Vipers and Elapidae plus some Opistoglyphae. I n addition to this, one finds the sea snakes still in the waters of the Indian Ocean and in the tropical regions of the Pacific, near the shores. This distribution is very interesting, as it shows t h a t vipers are only to be found in the large continental areas of Africa, Europe and Asia, whereas America and Australia are free from them. Crotalidae are only in the West, and Australia only shows Elapidae. The a n a t o m y and physiology of the snakes is very revealing. I n its general form this animal is only a rib-creature. Up to 400 vertebrae with corresponding ribs build up such a snake skeleton, and even the head and tail are structurally metamorphoses of this tendency. The lower jaws are not joined together as ia other animals; they are just two ribs serving a different function. All the bones forming the pharynx are movable against each other. 6 The head, which in all other vertebrates is the pole of solid immobility, has become a hmb-organization in a similar way as even the hundreds of pairs of ribs of the trunk have turned into concealed inner limbs. And although the snakes creep, they have not lost the faculty of walking: it has turned inward. The movements 7 are always reciprocal left-right movements of the muscles of the ribs. This not only gives rise to the characteristic winding mode of propulsion (called "schli~ngeln" in German, which in translation means "snaking"), but the process of swallowing and devouring is in fact nothing else but a walking right-left-right over the victim. 6 With its disjointed mandibles and maxillary bones, the snake can hold its prey with the teeth of one side, while the other side grips anew, and so in small steps "walk" the food into the intestinal region where the strong juices
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are working. The snakes do not chew: they swallow, b y steadily walking over their prey. Here we are already coming close to one of the significant characteristics of the snakes: their peculiar relationship to left- and right-sidedness. On the whole, only sideways movements are possible; movement in dorsal or ventral direction is rather limited. The peculiar relation to sidedness becomes still more obvious if one studies the internal organs. The main organs are the oesophagus, a long wide stomach, a very substantial small and large intestine, and huge kidneys. All the other organs have to squeeze themselves into the remaining space. The heart is fourfold, but the septum is not fully established. Two arches form the aorta, and there are m a n y intercommunications between the venous and arterial bloodstreams. The lymphatic system is very strongly developed; it has a few collecting centres which usually lie in the region of the stomach, and in addition two or four so-called lymphatic hearts which pulsate rhythmically. The lung is only fully developed on one side. I n the grass-snakes the left lung is still developed to haft the size of the right one; in the other snakes the left lung is either completely underdeveloped or even obliterated. The two kidneys are rather elongated organs which are connected with a special venous blood system, similar to the vena porta system in mammals. The glandular system is greatly developed; everything is orientated around the digestive process. Next to the very large pancreas and other abdominal glands we find the glands situated in the head region which are mostly of the type of salivary glands. Parotid, submaxillary, and mandibular glands also provide poisonous secretions, whereas the actual poison gland lies in the maxilla in front of the parotid, or in the upper lip. These glands are usually in some way or other connected with the teeth, which work either as hypodermic injection needles, or prepare a wound into which the venom is smeared. Of greatest interest are the sense organs of the snakes. Usually it is said t h a t the most outstanding sense is the sense of touch. 7 This is developed in quite a special way. The tongue is the main organ for this sense. I n rapid succession the double-pointed tongue, with its slightly horny tips, is ejected from its vagina, often through a tiny aperture in the lower lip, and it is said t h a t the snakes easily perceive with their tongue what is around them to a distance of up to one yard, and thus find their way. Everything has to be touched b y the tongue before it is dealt with, or is spit at from a distance of one yard. One m a y of course ask oneself if this touching replaces tasting, and the question is justified whether snakes have at all developed taste. On the other hand, it is difficult to understand how snakes can be gnawed at by rats and hardly notice it, or if they do notice will not hinder the rats and die from loss of blood. I t seems as though in the realm of the tongue the taste-experience has been amalgamated with the touch experience. This touch-taste function appears to be combined with a good faculty of smell. Similar difficulties are encountered when we turn to the sense-activities of hearing and seeing. The hearing-organization is amazingly primitive. No external opening gives access to the meatus externus, which is short. There is no drum, no middle ear, nor Eustachian tube. But the spiral is formed out in a way similar to that of the birds. I t is doubted whether snakes can really hear. Considering the disappearance of the limbs, and the transformation of the movement into digestive movement only, it seems likely t h a t they cannot hear. But there is no doubt t h a t sight is well developed in the snakes, though it is not as good as in other reptiles. The interesting fact is that the eye is formed in the same way as the eyes of higher animals, but the lids are grown together. The outer skin covers the cornea, and the space between the cornea and the transparent upper layer of skin is filled with lacrimal fluid. Each eye can look independently to its side. I t has been observed
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that the snake has difficulties in perceiving objects sharply, but perceives exactly all the movements of the objects concerned. That would explain why snakes have to wait so often, when the victim remains motionless during the attack, and try b y hissing or rattling to induce the victim to move, to make further attack possible. The sense of smell seems to be good.-The nose is developed and equipped with erectile bodies acting in a similar way to those of the genital organs. In considering all these facts it becomes clear that actually only the lower senses are developed as sensory functions, although higher sensory organs may be used for it. That means, for instance, that in the eyes sight is rather diminished, but the perception of movement through the sense of movement inthe eye is highly developed. Hearing is reduced to the perception of the vibrations, i.e., touch. There is a well-developed sense of equilibrium, which has also taken over the perception of warmth and cold. The sense of life, which is predominantly developed as a sense for well-being or unwell-being, hunger and thirst, etc., is strong enough to wipe out the actual taste functions, which are taken over by the sense of touch, yet using the sensory organ of the tongue. The sense of touch is strengthened by its higher metamorphosis, the sense of smell. There are two more interesting facts to be described. The phallus of the male snake is two-pointed like the tongue, and horny at the ends. A functional similarity and metamorphosis becomes evident. Of great importance is the following detail: active digestion is directed towards one end, namely the production of uric acid. It is of interest that among all the vertebrate animals only the birds produce uric acid too, whereas all other vertebrates produce urea. I n this fact we can again find a sign for the relationship between the birds on the one hand and the snakes on the other. III The pharmacology and toxicology of the snake venoms is very manifold and contradictory. However, it has been found that the venoms work in a threefold way5: (a) toxins with effects similar to curare, (b) toxins with effects on the circulation, (c) toxins with local effects and which coagulate the blood. The interesting fact is that in none of the toxins or poisons is the nervous tissue directly affected. The actual nerve remains unharmed, but the organ withdraws from the nerve so that the nerve can no longer act as a perceptive agent. The organ becomes too independent. I t is thought that the erythrocytecholinesterase is responsible for this effect. This is found in the venoms of Elapidae (Naja), Colubridae, but not in the Vipera. This principle is also found in Echis, Crotalns, and Bothrops. The venoms of Elapidae, Viperidae and Crotahdae are directed at the heart and circulation. Shock and stopping of the heart in systole are the consequences. Enzymes like phospholipase A, protease, adenosintriphosphatase create a chaotic condition by freeing histamine, adenyl derivates, and polypeptide with pituitary hormone functions. The third group of effects is mainly the consequence of poisoning through Crotalidae. Here again ferments work through complexity. The local necrosis cannot very easily be influenced therapeutically. Apart from these local effects and those on the circulatory system, giddiness, vomiting, hypothermia, breathing difficulties, and low blood pressure have been observed. I t is thought that all these symptoms originate centrally. Furthermore, the blood corpuscles are affected through lysis, and the blood sugar rises.
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So we find a great number of factors made responsible for the multiple effects of the venoms: enzymes, proteins, various toxins.* I t is very interesting t h a t up to 20 per cent. of zinc oxide is found in the ash of snake venoms, s This has given rise to a great m a n y speculations. The real reason will still have to be discovered. Comparing these pharmacological and toxicological facts with the symptoms of the provings and clinical experiences with the snake venoms as used in Homceopathy, one can find there, too, an order which superficially m a y coincide with the one stated for the poisons 9, 1% Yet it seems t h a t a different order reveals itseff if one goes through the symptoms carefully. I t shows t h a t one organ in particular is attacked by the venoms of the various snakes to a greater or lesser extent, and t h a t organ is the Blood in its totality. This is the more understandable the more one takes into account the nature of the snakes, namely to transform everything into a kind of chyme that immediately transforms itself into chyle. The decomposition of blood follows only the one aim, to h u r r y up the metamorphosis into Lymph. Other authors have stated t h a t the snake poisons are additional aids for the process of digestion. I t becomes understandable t h a t it is mainly the organ which regulates the metabolic functions and which buffers and harmonizes these activities--the B l o o d - which is destroyed. Out of this, most of the symptoms in the Encyclopcedia become understandable and find their explanation, including those of circulatory dysfunction, as in ~Vaja, for instance. Against this stands the fact t h a t time and again symptoms are described which are attributed to the nervous system. This is mainly so in the case of !Vaja which is sometimes compared to Curare or even Gelsemium in its paralytic symptoms. The question arises: W h a t is attacked and what is really happening there? So far there has been no evidence t h a t the nervous substance would be in any way directly involved in the pathological processes following a poisoning. On the contrary: it has been shown t h a t even in the cases with strongest nerve symptoms the nerves themselves remain intact and withstand the digestive impact. So what are the neuro-toxins, and how could one explain the nervous symptoms? I t seems t h a t under the influence of poison the organs withdraw from the nervous system, and become too independent. Muscles, for instance, no longer lie under the controlling arms of the nerves; they either insert themselves into the entity of movement (similar to, for instance, a spastic child this would explain such symptoms as convulsions, spasms when touched, and so on), or they withdraw completely from it, as we know in the flaccid paralysis when the muscles cease to be receptive organs for any movement at all, and then the well-known paralytic symptoms of the motor system can occur. I t seems t h a t here the blood itself in its dissolution blockades the inter-relationship between muscles and nerves. The comparison with Curare seems only justified nominalistically, as in Curare more the nervous system and the nerve-end-plates in the muscles are affected, t An analysis of the provings and systoms of Lachesis or Naja, for instance, shows rather clearly the specific nature of the involvement of blood and lymph, and on the other hand the predominance of the experiences in the realm of the sense of touch. We find the hypersensitivity against the slightest touch or * O. L e e s e r has given a n e x a c t d e s c r i p t i o n o f these problems in this J O m ~ A L . 8 $ Here it may be pointed out that animal poisons have relatively little direct relationship towards the nervous system, but rather to the blood and through this perhaps secondarily to certain parts of the nervous system through hypersemia (as Tarantula, Apis, etc.). Plant poisons have a much more direct influence on the nervous system, as Conium, Gelsemium, Curare, Hyoscyamus, and o t h e r s .
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pressure, burning pains in hands and feet. I n the realm of heart and circulation, feeling of oppression, congestion; the larynx becomes very sensitive to touch, and so on. I t is very characteristically described that all nerves of a sensory nature are more activated and irritated, whereas those of the pyramidal tract are rather more withdrawn, dull and paretic. I n connection with this we find numerous symptoms which show how the blood becomes at first rather irritated, over-active (erysipelas, exanthema, red swelling of mucous membranes), and then starts to disintegrate, to change in the a t t e m p t to become l y m p h - - i n t o pus. Small or large bleedings, purpura, wounds, ulcers in their characteristic form and colour, phlebitis, phlegmona, icterus, pneumonia, etc., appear. The lymphatic nature and activity in man is pushed on violently. Wherever the blood has trespassed over its boundaries, or is going to do so, the pathological production of lymph as a result of metabolic transformation takes place--leading, however, usually to the formation of pus or mucus. This holds good especially for all conditions of meningitis, all conditions of the nose and sinuses, the diphtheroid conditions of the throat and larynx, pancreatitis, gingivitis, and especially gangrenous tonsillitis, necrosis. I n the intestine and kidneys the balance between the within and the without of the organ wall is disturbed. The destructive powers of the metabolism overcome the blood, and storm forward beyond their boundaries, creating nephritis, typhoid, and similar conditions. The metabolism has overrun the organism. Septic conditions of the whole body are the inevitable consequence. One m a y now be permitted to arrange the symptoms as follows: (a) Movement ceases and experiences of touch are increased instead. (b) Deterioration of the blood as an organ; loss of its identity, and (c) Transition into pure metabolic conditions, as chyme, chyle, lymph, which at the wrong place turn into pus. This order m a y be more true and to the point than the usual one given. All the circulatory symptoms of Naja, for instance, are due to the fact t h a t movement comes to a halt, and movement and flow within all the fluids of the organism stagnate and turn into sensory experience of touch or life. There remain still the modalities and symptoms of the mind to be discussed. Worsening in spring and summer and heat, through warm baths, sleep and rest, wine and tobacco, suppressed secretions; improvement in fresh air and when moving, and with the onset of the flow of all secretions. Heat, rest, sleep, alcohol are all conditions which foster metabolic processes; hence everything must become worse. Fresh air and movement on the other hand permit the flow of blood to improve; the blood can remain an entity of its own. Irritation and depression, logorrhcea, delirium, cowardice, fear, sorrow, tears, are easily to be understood--also the suicidal ideas--
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The problem of the sidedness has often been positively described and has been denied as often. My own experience is t h a t in any case with Lachesis the left-sidedaess of the symptoms is marked and outspoken. Naja and Vipera also showed preferences for the left, at least to begin with. I t seems as ff the obliteration and weakness of the left lung in the snake* has to do with this problem. Strangely enough, Zincum has a marked inclination towards the left side, too. I t might well be t h a t through the absence of zinc in crotoxin the Crotalus poison can act more violently on the fiver and the blood (the physical vessel of the h u m a n Ego) t h a n the zinc-inhibited poisons. IV So far we have looked at the snake and its place in the evolution of the world, at the snake itself in its physiognomy and physiology, and finally at the pharmacology, toxicology and drug picture. One more thing to do is to look at the snake in its place and doings in man. No doubt one will be able to find in certain forms and functions---even certain emotions--the seal of the snake imprinted. The form and movement of the small intestine m a y be taken as an example for this. Both ureters raise their heads like multi-headed snakes and bite into the descending kidneys. 11 Functionally, the glandular activities connected with the digestive tract, especially the parotid and connected glands and the pancreatic gland, have their archetype in the snake, and the protein-decomposition is largely connected with it. Related with this we also find the uric acid process. And here we could find one more indication for the working of the snake in man. All t h a t which is of a lymphatic nature belongs to the realm of the snake. The snake in us is the great foe of the blood; it protects the brain and the nerves; it creates the lymph and the milk, the tears and the sperma (prostate fluid). I t guards the cerebrospinal fluid from the blood, and stands behind the urine-production in the kidneys. The snake in us is at work under the guidance of Mercury or Hermes, and his winged staff t h a t rules and holds the snakes reaches from the process of fructification up to the process of thinking, and comprises the entirety of the three-fold nervous system; one might wonder ff this staff is not made out of zinc. This would explain why the poison never turns against the master, the nervous system, itself; always only against the blood, and through it against the organs. Yet one cannot think of the snake in m a n without remembering its counterpart, t h a t which rose up when the snake fell, the birds. When the snake formed out the digestive and urogenital system in form and function, the birds formed the head organization of man and the lungs. The snake has no limbs and but little of a lung. The birds have a mighty lung extending all over their limborganization. So the h u m a n head with the lungs would correspond to the birds with their wings. Both animal species have similar organs of equilibrium. Both produce uric acid as their digestive end-product. I t is not difficult to imagine the birds related to our thought-activity, but it m a y also be possible now to see the snake related to the thought-activity. I n the time of the Fall of m a n the bite of death gave to man the organ of knowledge; m a n became a reproducing being--to know and to fructify are the same concepts and words in the Genesis. The snake has made m a n learn to think, t Man's eyes were opened, his lung developed. The eyes of the snake were not opened; they became only transparent: just as the snake also did not develop limbs. Both these * H e r e it m a y be i n t e r e s t i n g to n o t e t h a t Elaps cor. affects m a i n l y t h e r i g h t l u n g a n d jus~ t h e t o p o f t h e left, w h i c h c o m p a r e s to t~he r u d i m e n t o f t h e left l u n g . t Small dosages o f cobra-poison m a y increase for a while intellectual tt~h~king, s
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were left to the birds. The functions of knowing and reproducing are both bound up with the nucleotide metabolism. I f this metabolism is disturbed in m a n it leads to gout. Gout can be a displaced thought or reproductive process, or any of the other digestive processes. The lithmmie condition is always described as intimately related to most of the snake-poison drug pictures. All this could lead us to a certain understanding of the being of the snake and its functions in man. Yet one could not conclude these deliberations on the snake without making mention of a most unusual and interesting description which the German poet Goethe (1749-1832) gave in his Fairy Tale of the Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily. 1~ I n a most gentle, tender and yet true way the snake is depicted and carries the main burden and responsibility of the story. I f one follows the course of events in as much as the snake is concerned, the snake appears on the one hand greedy, full of curiosity and vanity, yet on the other hand she is not only able to shed certain light into the darkness but also to give answers of astonishing wisdom. She knows t h a t the light is more glorious t h a n gold, and t h a t the speech (Gespri~ch) is more quickening than the light. She also knows the "fourth" secret, which is known to none else. All the time, despite of vanity and curiosity and greed, she knows, and carries light in her, which was given to her b y others. She also can at Midnight and Midday build a bridge over the River t h a t separates two countries. But then at the moment of greatest need, when there is confusion, the green snake acts to lorevent decomposition, and finally we hear to our greatest astonishment the green snake speak: I have decided to sacrifice myself before I shall be sacrificed. And when the princess Lily touches the snake with the L E F T hand, all life flees from the snake and revives the young prince. And now the snake disintegrates into thousands of glittering crystals and precious stones, which are thrown into the river and out of it the permanent Bridge is built, so t h a t all folk can pass from one land into the other. The old m a n (the initiate and guide throughout this Fairy Tale) reminds the prince: " R e m e m b e r and honour the snake, you owe her your life, your people owe her the Bridge. The shining precious stones became the pillars of the Bridge; on these the Bridge could build itself and will sustain itself." Could the being and function of the snake in m a n be expressed more clearly and beautifully? The Snake does not only carry the wisdom of the Tree of Knowledge. The Snake also knows about the Tree of Life. The Snake is the arch t h a t spans from the one tree to the other and thereby builds the bridge, first in a t e m p o r a r y way, then in a permanent way, so t h a t mankind can pass over it safely. The Snake does not only know the fourth secret but also acts accordingly: Death is the well of all life---so the sacrifice is brought. The crystals (all t h a t appears in those processes t h a t lead outwardly to uric acid, lymph, chyle) help to build the Bridge in the river Blood. But this only works through the sacrifice. The snake gives up its own life. The step can be made from the pure knowledge born b y passions and drives to the new and real life of inner freedom and morality b y the higher being of man. The bridge is built from abstract thinking to true living thinking, as depicted in the fairy tale b y the hawk with the mirror reflecting the sun!--where again we meet the bird in connection with the snake. The snake in us tries to help m a n to get over the consequences of the Fall, if m a n wishes to lend an ear to the hiss and an eye to the light. But we doctors should listen to the words of the old man with the lamp, when we prescribe and administer snake-poisons, and speak to the patient: R e m e m b e r and honour the Snake. You owe her your life, Your people owe her the bridge.
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REFERENCES 1 K. KSnig, The Mysterium of Prescribing. Brit. Horn. Journ., 41, 31, 1951. 2 Genesis, 2nd chapter. 8 R. Stelner, Akasha-Chronie, die Trennung der Geschlechter, Bale, 1955. 4 A. S. Romer, Man and the Vertebrates, I, Harmondsworth, 1954. 5 E. Kaiser and Heribert Michl, Die Biochemie der tierischen Gifte, Vienna, 1958. e H. Poppelbaum, Tierwesenskunde, Dornach, 1954. Brehms, Tierleben, Vol. IV, Leipzig and Vienna, 1912; Vol. V, Leipzig and Vienna, 1913. s O. Leeser, "Actions and Medicinal Use of Snake-venoms," Brit. Horn. Journ., 47, 153, 1958. 9 K. Stauffer, Klinische Horn. Arzneimittellehre, Regensburg, 1955. 10 j . Mezger, Gesich~ete Horn. ArzneimitteUehre, Saulgau, 1950. 11 R. Steiner, Der Menseh als Zusammenklang, chap. VI, Stuttgart, 1949. 12 j . W. v. Goethe, Novelle, Das M~irchen, Bern, 1949. Further Literature used: F. W. Fitz-Simons, Sehlangen, Stuttgart, 1934. O. Riedrich, Giftschlangen, Berlin (without year). G. Wachsmuth, Der Werde~Jang der Menschheit, Dornaeh, 1953. R. Kraus and F. Werner, Giflschlangen, Jena, 1931.