In this Book
- Venomous encounters: Snakes, vivisection and scientific medicine in colonial Australia
- Book
- 2017
- Published by: Manchester University Press
summary
How do we know which snakes are dangerous? This seemingly simple question caused constant concern for the white settlers who colonised Australia after 1788. Facing a multitude of serpents in the bush, their fields and their homes, colonists wanted to know which were the harmful species and what to do when bitten. But who could provide this expertise? Liberally illustrated with period images, Venomous Encounters argues that much of the knowledge about which snakes were deadly was created by observing snakebite in domesticated creatures, from dogs to cattle. Originally accidental, by the middle of the nineteenth century this process became deliberate. Doctors, naturalists and amateur antidote sellers all caused snakes to bite familiar creatures in order to demonstrate the effects of venom - and the often erratic impact of 'cures'. In exploring this culture of colonial vivisection, Venomous Encounters asks fundamental questions about human-animal relationships and the nature of modern medicine.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title, Copyright, Dedication
- pp. i-vi
- List of figures
- pp. viii-x
- Acknowledgements
- pp. xii-xiv
- Introduction
- pp. 1-11
- Conclusion
- pp. 164-167
- Bibliography
- pp. 168-192
Additional Information
ISBN
9781526106278
Related ISBN(s)
9781526101440
MARC Record
OCLC
973046238
Pages
216
Launched on MUSE
2021-10-27
Language
English
Open Access
No