Silver Serpent Venom

Silver Serpent Venom is first heard of in Ultima VI, as the Gargoyles milked it from Silver Serpents to give to their warriors as a strength-enhancing battle drug. Using the venom in this way was fatal to them.

More of Silver Serpent Venom was learned in Ultima VII. While you never see a Silver Serpent in this game, there is quite a lot of venom available. One NPC mentions that he gets his venom through contacts in Buccaneer's Den. While it's never said that the venom is an illegal substance, the Britannian government is definitely trying to control the sales of it at this point in time, presumably until they can determine how dangerous its effects are to humans. Apparently it's legal to sell venom to apothecaries (the Avatar can sell venom to Kessler in Britain), who have the facilities to study the substance.

In Ultima VII there's also a dirty little side-trade of selling venom to the Britannian Mining Company, who used it to keep their gargoyles working longer hours.

Effects of Silver Serpent Venom
Silver serpent venom is a reagent that, when ingested in small doses, temporarily enhances one's physical strength, stamina and quickness along with bringing a feeling of euphoria. After the effects wear off, the subject feels quite drained. This tends to make them want to take it again.

Prolonged use in such a fashion will bring about a condition that deteriorates the skin, eventually causing it to rot away. Finally, too great a dose, or too great an accumulation of doses, is fatal, as the venom is a deadly poison.

Gargoyles have a greater resistance to the effects of the venom than humans, and must ingest more of it to get a beneficial effect--unfortunately, the adverse effects are brought on more swiftly as a result.

Silver Serpent Venom as a Reagent
Mage's dream, youth's bane. Once upon a time, the ability to gather this reagent was heralded as the beginning of a new era of magic craft. It was the epitome of High Wizardry, but alas, as frequently happens, the promise paid but little. While direct doses of this reagent give a boost to strength, the permanent damage done to the body far outweighs any temporary advantage. Unfortunately, these adverse effects tend to carry over to the spells cast using this reagent.

Before his illness, Garok Al-Mat, a mage of the high mountains, was experimenting with the venom in conjunction with spider silk and giant bee pollen. His hope was to bind the qualities into an effective casting reagent for divination. But his work is now lost forever.

Silver Serpent Venom in Ultima IX
Venom became a magical healing potion of awesome properties in Ultima IX.