Under this heading Dr. Jules Gallavardin devotes considerable space in the September number of Le Propagateur de l’ Homoeopathic the authenticity of the “new supply of Lachesis” that a number of our American homoeopathic journals have announced, yet failed to caution their readers that its authenticity is doubtful. All doubts in the matter are now set at rest. The following is the article in question:

      “Dr. Nilo Cairo, of Curityba (Brazil), appreciating the efforts made in France by Le Propagateur de l’ Homoeopathic in spreading the ideas of Hahnemann, had the happy idea of addressing to it an article on the true Lachesis, which our readers, physicians and their patients, will read with much pleasure.”

      “It is, in fact, very useful, when we employ a medicine, to first know its origin, then to make sure that this medicine may always be procured from the same source, in order that the pathogenetic provings made with a former preparation may preserve all their value, when the question arises of using the subsequent preparation of the medicine.”

      “The first provings made by Hering with the poison of Lachesis mutus date from the year 1828. The poison collected by Hering has served to supply all the homoeopathic pharmacies in the two heimspheres, and the preparations of Hering actually still preserve the same efficacy. I possess a 200th dilution of Lachesis prepared by Hering himself, which he had given to one of my grandparents, in Philadelphia, and this dilution always manifests its therapeutic action. My father reported in The Homoeopathic World, of London (October, 1894), the usefulness of this dilution in treating chronic intermittent fever; and, lastly, I myself have been able to verify the efficacy of this same dilution in a case of chronic intermittent fever, the attacks of which returned periodically every month, although the patient had not returned to the colonies the three years. This patient, who had not been relieved by any treatment during the three years, was completely cured by Hering’s 200th potency of Lachesis, a single dose of fifteen pellets taken dry on the tongue. The importance of securing a good preparation of Lachesis is thence apparent, and especially is it necessary that the venom of this snake should not be confounded with the poison of similar snakes. The venom of all snakes have, indeed, a similarity in their action, but homoeopaths, who especially seek for scientific precision, ought to have a careful regard to the differences be tween the action of the venom of two serpents of different species.”

    “on this account Le Propagateur de l’ Homoeopaths feels under a great obligation to Dr. Nilo Cairo, who is well situated to know the snakes of Brazil, for, insisting on the differences between the snakes of South America; and since at present the question is that of differentiating between the Lachesis of Hering and the Bothrops lanceolatus, the best plan seems to be to give a picture of each species. Among the elegant engravings published by the Kosmos, of Rio de Janeiro (May, 1908), we have selected those representing the Lachesis mutus (Surucucu) and the Bothrops, or the Lachesis lanceolatus (Jararaca).”

     “As this latter snake is pretty common is Brazil, we can recognize the facgt that, according to the engravings that have been published this snake much resembles the engragings given by Dr. E. Rufz, in his work “Researches on the snakes in la martinique (lance-head Snake, Bothrops lanceole, etc.). Second Edition, paris, 1860. Dr. Rufz supposed that the Bothrops lanceolatus only existed in Martinique and in Ste. Lucie. The works of Brazilian doctors of today enable us to identify the lance-headed viper of la Martinique with the Bothrops of Lachesis lanceolatus, of Brazil.”

      “The Lachesis mutus was also called by Hering Trigonocephalus Lachesis, the Trigonocephalis with Lozenges. The particular snake which yielded up its venow to Hering on the 28th day of July, 1828, was ten feet long (Archiv. Fuer. Homoeopathische Heilunst, 1831, Vol. 10, p. I-22).”

     “To complete the documents which he sent us, Dr. Nilo Cairo will publish in the August number (1908) of the journal which he publishes: la Revista homoeopathica brasileira, an article more in detail and with illustration. The homoeopathic medical press will profit by this circumstance to gather and iscuss the labors of our learned Brazilian colleague.”

                                                                                                         Dr. Jules Gallavardin