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Extracts Venom
From Taipan
MELBOURNE.--The Director of the Com-
monwealth Serum Laboratories (Dr. F. G. Mor-
gan) and Mr. David Fleay, who is an expert on
snakes, yesterday afternoon extracted venom
from the Taipan which arrived in Melbourne
from Cairns on Monday.
The Taipan was responsible for
the death of 20-year-old Keith
Budden, of Cairns, who was bit-
ten after having caught the
deadly reptile.
Since its arrival, the 6ft. Taipan
has been kept in bags in the con-
signment box, pending its transfer
to a snake cage.
Yesterday afternoon the snake
was taken from the box and
shaken from the bags on to an
open section of the floor of the
workshop at the Melbourne
Museum, after which a catching
stick was used to grip it around
the neck.
Catching the snake behind the
head with one hand, Mr. Fleay
then removed it from the stick.
Spat Venom
Meanwhile, Dr. Morgan had
placed a medicine glass near the
Taipan's mouth and as it spat and
writhed the snake shot venom
into the glass.
It is possible that later another
attempt to extract venom will be
made, but meantime the snake
will remain at the museum in a
cage.
The ultimate fate of the snake
will be decided following a de
cision by the executors of Keith
Budden's estate, but meantime it
will be kept at the museum.
The venom extracted yester
day will be used for experi
ments, and Dr. Morgan hopes
that it will be possible to find
an effective anti-venine to bo
used for Taipan poisoning.
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