ABSTRACT

The Subtle Beast: Snakes, from Myth to Medicine introduces you to the complex and absorbing world of these mysterious creatures. Each of the fourteen chapters in this volume can be read independently, but read together they trace a fascinating journey from the macroscopic features of snakes to the molecular description of their venom components.

chapter 2|4 pages

Snakes and myths

chapter 3|6 pages

Snakes and early medicine

chapter 4|10 pages

The origin of snakes

chapter 5|22 pages

What are snakes?

chapter 6|14 pages

Classification of snakes

chapter 7|8 pages

Discovery of snake venoms

chapter 8|4 pages

Snake venom potency

chapter 10|6 pages

Non-toxic venom components

chapter 11|26 pages

What are snake toxins?

chapter 12|10 pages

Toxins in action

chapter 13|6 pages

Stopping the action of toxins

chapter 14|8 pages

From toxins to drugs