Poisons Price
Many poisons are worth far more than either gems or gold, says the Soviet magazine Sputnik. “For example, an ounce of the poison of the cobra costs 9,000 dollars [U.S.], that of Bungarus caeruleus 14,000 dollars, one of the sea snake 43,000 dollars, the North-American coral cylinder-snake 56,000 dollars, the African boomslang snake 283,000 dollars, that of the bumblebee (Bombus muscorum) 1,134,000 dollars, and that of the female American black widow spider 2,360,000 dollars.
Why so high priced? Because of difficulty in obtaining them, as some species are very rare. Besides, insects yield only milligrams of poison and snakes about ten droplets, and a month may be needed to develop another dose. Despite the cost, such poisons are in demand for use in serums to save those bitten and as disease cures.
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