Nyani Quarmyne/Panos Pictures

Samijan, a traditional healer, adding small pieces of the spinal cord from a spitting cobra to a potion for a customer in the kitchen at his family's home in Kediri. Samijan specialises in herbal potions that feature cobra blood, bile and spinal cord amongst other ingredients. According to the family, the snake blood is for strength and vitality, while the bile has curative properties. The family also treat snakebites, and say that in such cases it is necessary to make the potion from the same type of snake as caused the bite. The snake's remains will be dried used in a powder containing roots, herbs and dried geckos that is sold for Chinese medicine.