Perhaps when there was no help at hand....

Would he be like it always?
_Might_ grow out of it as he grew older and stronger.

What would have happened if he had encountered a live snake?
Lost his reason permanently, perhaps....

What would happen when he _did_ see one, as sooner or later, he certainly must?
What would be the best plan?
To attempt gradually to inure him--or to guard him absolutely from contact with picture, stuffed specimen, model, toy, and the real thing, wild or captive, as one would guard him against a fell disease?
_Could_ he be inured?
Could one "break it to him gently" bye and bye, by first drawing a wiggly line and then giving it a head?
One might sketch a suggestion of a snake, make a sort of dissimilar clay model, improve it, show him a cast skin, stuff it, make a more life-like picture, gradually lead up to a well-stuffed one and then a live one.
Might work up to having a good big picture of one on the nursery wall; one in a glass case; keep a harmless live one and show it him daily.
Teach him by experience that there's nothing supernatural about a snake--just a nasty reptile that wants exterminating like other dangerous creatures--something to _shikar_ with a gun.

Nothing at all supernatural....
But this was "super"-natural, abnormal, a terrible devastating agony of madness, inherited, incurable probably; part of mind and body and soul.