PART V.

DOCUMENTS.

I.--A FEW NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS RELATING TO BITES OF POISONOUS SNAKES TREATED BY ANTIVENOMOUS SERUM THERAPEUTICS.

A.--Naja tripudians (India and Indo-China).

I.--Case published by A. Beveridge, M.B., C.M., Surgeon S. Coorg Medical Fund (_British Medical Journal_, December 23, 1899, p. 1732).

“A strong coolie, aged 26, was bitten by a cobra on the right ankle, just above the internal malleolus. He was brought to the surgery about one hour after being bitten, in a state of comatose collapse. The pulse was rapid, and the surface of the body cold. He was given an injection of 10 c.c. of Calmette’s antivenene deeply into the right flank. He was kept under observation: the paresis and insensibility were very marked. On visiting him some hours afterwards I found he could walk without assistance, but staggered, and complained of weakness and pains in both legs. Next morning he was much improved, the paresis gradually wore off, and the pulse steadily gained strength. The patient returned to work four days later, quite recovered.

“A few days previously a coolie had died after being bitten by a snake under the same conditions, but without having been treated. Occurrences like these point to the necessity that every Government or private dispensary should be supplied with antivenene, which is certainly the best remedy for snake-bite available.”

II.--Case reported by Robert J. Ashton, M.B., Kaschwa Medical Mission, Mirzapur (N.W.P.).

“A coolie, aged 27, was bitten in the right foot by a cobra at 5.30 a.m., on September 16, 1900. Half an hour later 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum were injected subcutaneously into the left forearm. The patient experienced great pain in the foot, torpor, and great weakness. Recovery, without complications.”

III.--Case reported by Dr. Simond (Saigon).

“Nguyen-Van-Tranc, an Annamese, aged 25, employed in the Botanical Gardens at Saigon, was bitten at 10.30 a.m., on March 11, 1899, by a cobra which had escaped from its cage. The bite was inflicted on the palmar surface of the index finger of the right hand, and the fangs had penetrated deeply.

“This native, to whom a sensible comrade had applied a ligature round the wrist, was brought to the Pasteur Institute three hours later. He was drowsy, with drooping eyelids; his speech was difficult and almost unintelligible. Deglutition was impossible, and ingurgitated liquids caused vomiting. The hand was greatly swollen at the seat of the bite, and the œdema extended to the forearm. There was partial anæsthesia of the skin. As soon as the patient arrived, I gave a single injection, beneath the skin of the flank, of three doses of serum, that is, 30 c.c. In the evening I again injected 10 c.c. of serum. At 10 p.m. the general condition of the patient seemed to be improving. Next morning he was less depressed, spoke more easily, and was able to swallow. Convalescence began from this moment; the œdema and numbness of the hand and arm, however, persisted for several days.

“Recovery was complete on March 20. I have no doubt that in this very serious case the antivenomous serum preserved the life of the patient, since his condition was desperate when I saw him.

“This is the second instance within four months of the successful treatment of snake-bites at Saigon by Calmette’s serum. In the former case two natives were bitten by the same animal. One of them, who permitted the injection of serum, which was performed by Dr. Sartre, recovered; the other, who refused it, died within twenty-four hours.”

IV.--Case reported by the Fathers of the Khurda-Mariapur Mission (India).

“At 1 p.m., on October 31, 1905, a woman, aged 35, who had been bitten by a cobra, was brought to us from Khurda. After being at our dispensary for about an hour she became drowsy; she paid no attention to anything that was said to her, and merely replied that she felt sick. We thereupon injected 10 c.c. of serum. The woman did not even appear to feel the prick when the needle was driven into her calf. Immediately after this was done she dozed and went to sleep. The pulse was feeble, and the entire body cold. We were disposed to give a second injection, but, since we had only two bottles left, we hesitated to sacrifice one of them. At last, after sleeping for about half an hour, the woman awoke of her own accord, sat up, and began to recover her senses. Bodily heat returned almost immediately, and a few moments later the patient asked to be allowed to go home; she was, however, kept at the dispensary. In the evening she continued to complain of headache, but on the following day she was able to walk, and was quite well.”

V.--Case reported by Dr. Brau (Saigon).

"Nhuong, an Annamese agriculturist, on passing through a piece of waste ground beside the barracks, at about 5.30 a.m. on Sunday, September 11, felt himself suddenly bitten behind the right knee. He caught a glimpse of a large blackish snake, with all the characteristics of a cobra, including the raised head and dilated hood, gliding hurriedly away, but was unable to overtake it.

"The seat of the bite merely showed two small blackish punctures. The part soon became painfully swollen, and the patient began to feel giddy. Other natives came to his help; he was lifted into a Malabar cart and brought to the Military Hospital, whence he was sent to my house, where he arrived about a quarter past six.

"I entered the vehicle, and immediately drove with the patient to the Pasteur Institute. The only treatment that he had received was a ligature round the middle of the right thigh. The lower leg was enormously swollen, and the swelling was not stopped by the slight barrier formed by the ligature, but had already extended to the base of the limb.

"The patient lay stretched out between the two seats of the vehicle, with head thrown back and eye-balls turned up and ghastly. His skin and extremities were cold, and his pulse was scarcely perceptible. In order not to lose time, he was not even taken up to the first floor of the Institute, but was carried to an inoculating table. He was then made to swallow black coffee and rum, and was given an injection of as much as six doses of antivenomous serum, which had just been received from the Pasteur Institute at Lille.

"Under the stimulus of this injection, somewhat drastic I admit, an absolute resurrection took place in the sick man. The pulse became strong and bounding, bodily heat returned, and, although the swelling did not at once diminish, its progressive extension seemed to be sharply arrested, while the pain was also greatly lessened. The patient was able to sit up without assistance, and relate the incidents of his misadventure.

"In a few minutes time I thought it possible to have him taken to the Choquan Hospital, the Director of which Institution, First-class Surgeon-Major Angier, has been good enough to furnish me with a note of the subsequent history of this case.

“’The Annamese Nhuong, who entered the Choquan Hospital on September 11, suffering from snake-bite, was discharged on September 20.

“’On admission, heat and puffiness were observed in the calf and thigh. Slight dyspnœa, severe fever, tendency to coma. September 12, temperature 38°, 39·2° C. September 13, temperature 37·3°, 37·6° C. September 17, temperature 36·8°, 37° C.

“’On discharge, slight œdema and puffiness in the region of the bite. General condition good.’”

VI.--Case recorded by Dr. Robert Miller, Bengal-Nagpur Railway Company (_Advocate of India_, Bombay, January 15, 1902).

“On the evening of October 23 I was called to a coolie woman, who had been bitten by a large cobra about 7 o’clock; some two hours had already elapsed since the accident. The woman was, so to speak, moribund, unconscious, and suffering from paralysis of the throat, after having exhibited all the characteristic symptoms of poisoning by cobra-venom. I immediately injected 10 c.c. of Calmette’s serum, without any hope of a successful result, however, so desperate did the condition of the patient appear. The effect of the serum was marvellous; fifteen minutes later she regained consciousness. I gave a fresh injection of 10 c.c., and three hours after the first the patient was out of danger. Dr. Sen, my assistant-surgeon, was present. I have forwarded a note of this case to Dr. L. Rogers, Professor of Pathology at the Calcutta Medical College.”

VII.--Case recorded by Captain H. A. L. Howell, R.A.M.C. (_British Medical Journal_, January 25, 1902).

"Shortly before 4 p.m. on November 17, 1901, Lance-Corporal G., Royal Scots, was bitten on the right forefinger by a snake. On being brought to hospital, Assistant-Surgeon Raymond tied a tight ligature round the finger, scarified the wound, and applied a strong solution of calcium chloride. On my arrival I found the patient apparently quite well, and not at all alarmed. As I could get no information as to the nature of the snake, I injected into the patient’s flank at 4.30 p.m. 3 c.c. of Calmette’s serum, and sent for the snake, which was the property of one of the men in barracks. The snake was brought to me just before 6 p.m., and I found it to be a cobra about 3½ feet long, of the pale-coloured variety that natives call Brahmini cobra. I at once injected 7 c.c. of Calmette’s serum into the other flank. The patient thus received one full dose of serum. The ligature was removed from the finger, which was swollen and very painful.

"Up to half an hour after the bite the patient, a healthy and powerful man, presented no abnormal symptoms: pulse, respiration, pupils, temperature, and general appearance, all were normal. His pulse and respiration began to increase in frequency, and the pulse became very compressible, but quite regular. After the first injection of serum his temperature was 98° F., pulse full, high tension, regular, 88, and respirations greatly increased in frequency. He now became very drowsy, and had to be roused when the second injection of serum was given. Soon after this the patient’s general condition and pulse improved.... He had complete loss of sensation in the bitten finger, in the part terminal to the site of the puncture, for some days.... The injection of Calmette’s serum gave rise to no local reaction, and caused no pain. It did not affect the temperature, but was followed in half an hour by perspiration, which was very profuse four hours after the injection.... The patient made a complete recovery.... The serum used in this case was fresh, having been prepared at Lille in July, 1901.”

VIII.--Note of case treated by Major Rennie, R.A.M.C., transmitted by M. Klobukowski, French Consul-General at Calcutta, September 5, 1899:--

“A remarkable cure effected by Major Rennie, by means of Calmette’s method, has just taken place at Meerut. Since the introduction of this remedy three years ago, its efficacy has been abundantly proved, but the present case is especially interesting, since it seems to show that the serum can be successfully employed even in cases apparently desperate. The well-known symptoms of poisoning by cobra-venom were already so advanced that the patient, who was insensible, was kept alive by artificial respiration in order to give time for the serum to be absorbed and to take effect.

“The truth of the above statements is attested by six doctors, and is also vouched for by the Commissioner and Magistrate of the military cantonment, who, although not medical men, have, nevertheless, had long experience of Indian matters.”

IX.--Case recorded by Binode Bihari Ghosal, Assistant-Surgeon, Jangipur (“A Case of Snake-bite [Cobra?].--Recovery,” _Indian Medical Gazette_, January, 1905, p. 18).

“While fastening her door about 10 o’clock one night a Hindu woman was bitten by a cobra in the left foot, about 1 inch above the metatarso-phalangeal joints of the second and third toes. About ten minutes after the bite natives applied three strong ligatures, one above the ankle, one below, and one above the knee-joint. Four hours later ‘Fowl’ treatment was applied, which it appears gives marvellous results. The author arrived about nine hours after the accident, during the ‘Fowl’ treatment, for which nineteen chickens had already been sacrificed. In spite of this the patient was pulseless (no radial pulse--the brachial pulse was thready and flickering); respiration about six per minute. An injection of strychnine improved her condition for a few minutes. When the incision, which had been made over the bite, was crucially enlarged, large quantities of dark blood were withdrawn by cupping. In spite of this the patient’s condition grew worse, and her respiration fell to three a minute; she then received an injection of 10 c.c. of Calmette’s serum in the left buttock. The pulse immediately became stronger, and respiration increased to ten per minute. About half an hour after the first, a fresh injection of 10 c.c. of serum was given in the same place. Within five minutes the appearance of the patient, who had seemed to be dying, became normal. The pulse grew stronger, and respiration was about fifteen per minute. One hour after the injections the patient was practically cured.

“The ‘Fowl’ treatment consists in applying directly to the wound, after the latter has been slightly enlarged by means of an incision, the anal apertures of living fowls, from which the surrounding feathers have been removed. The fowl immediately becomes drowsy, its eyes blink, and its head falls on its breast with the beak open, after which the bird rapidly succumbs. Twenty fowls had been employed in the present case, but in vain.” (The author does not appear to have troubled himself to ascertain whether the fowls were really dead, or had merely fallen into a hypnotic condition.)

X.--Case reported by Major G. Lamb, I.M.S., Plague Research Laboratory, Parel, Bombay, October 18, 1900.

“Ten days ago I was bitten by a large cobra, from which I was collecting venom. I had only some very old serum in the laboratory, but I immediately gave myself an injection of 18 c.c. Three hours after being bitten I felt faint, my legs became paralysed, and I was seized with vomiting. In the meantime, fresh serum had been obtained at a chemist’s, and I received an injection of 10 c.c. The symptoms improved very rapidly, and an hour later I felt perfectly well. I applied no local treatment, relying altogether upon the serum.”

XI.--Case reported by Dr. Angier, of Pnom-Penh (Cambodia).

“At 11.30 one night in April, 1901, His Majesty, the second King of Cambodia brought to me in a carriage one of his wives who, when crossing the courtyard of the palace at about 8 o’clock, was bitten by a snake, which she said was a cobra (in Cambodian _Povek_).

“The bite was situated in the lower third of the leg, in front of the internal malleolus. The patient complained continually; she was suffering greatly from the leg, which was swollen as high as the knee. Great lassitude. An injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum was given, half in the leg and half in the flank. The wound was washed, squeezed and dressed. Twenty minutes later the pain had ceased, and the patient went away, feeling nothing more than a slight dulness in the injured limb.”

B.--Naja haje (Tropical Africa).

XII.--Cases reported by Dr. P. Lamy, of the Houdaille Expedition.

“Lamina, a Senegalese, bitten on the outside of the left thigh, on February 18, 1898. Treated with serum. Recovery.

“Momo Bolabine, bitten in the heel on April 20, 1898. Ten c.c. of serum. Recovery.”

XIII.--Case reported by Dr. Deschamps, of Thiès (Senegal).

“In the month of October, 1898, I was called to a native, a local constable, who had just been bitten by a Naja. The Ouoloffs of Senegal are much afraid of the bites of this reptile, since they are generally fatal. In this case the man had been bitten in the forehead by a snake, which was coiled up in his bed, as he was placing his head on the pillow. Being in the dark, he got up greatly frightened, lit a candle, and saw the snake glide from his bed and escape through the half-open door. I arrived a few minutes after the accident; the constable already felt very weak, and complained of nausea and of pains in the head and back of the neck. In the middle region of the forehead I found two adjacent wounds, around which the tissues were œdematous. I washed the wounds with a solution of permanganate of potash, and had a telegram sent to St. Louis asking for antivenomous serum. Half an hour after the bite, the patient was seized with vomiting and cold sweats. At 6 a.m. on the following day there was considerable œdema of the face and dyspnœa, while the pulse was small and intermittent. The patient, who had not slept, was dull and depressed. He vomited a little milk which I tried to make him take. Forty hours after the bite the patient, who was already paralysed, became comatose; the face and neck were enormously swollen. The dyspnœa had increased; it was difficult to hear the respiratory murmur; the pulse was thready, slow, and intermittent; the skin was cold; the temperature, taken in the axilla, was 35·8° C. At this moment the serum asked for arrived from St. Louis. I injected into the buttock the only dose that I possessed, 10 c.c. The coma persisted throughout the evening and during part of the night; at 6 a.m. on the following day, fourteen hours after the injection, the patient awoke and said that he felt quite well. The œdema of the face and neck had diminished, that of the eyelids had disappeared. Three days later the constable returned to duty.”

XIV.--Case reported by Professors H. P. Keatenje and A. Ruffer (Cairo).

“A girl named Hamida, aged 13, while picking cotton on October 7, 1896, at Ghizeh, near Cairo, was bitten in the left forearm by a large Egyptian cobra, which measured 3 feet in length. She cried out, and her brother and others who were working with her ran up. She was brought to hospital by the police at 7 p.m. in a state of complete collapse. She was almost cold, with upturned eyeballs and imperceptible pulse. The forearm had been bandaged with a dirty cloth, and the entire arm was covered with a thick layer of Nile mud (a favourite remedy among the Fellahîn). Above the wrist two deep punctures were clearly visible, evidently corresponding to the fangs of the reptile. The patient, whose condition seemed absolutely desperate, had no longer any reflexes; she was completely insensible; the moderately dilated pupils scarcely reacted at all to luminous impressions. Dr. Ruffer injected, with the customary antiseptic precautions, 20 c.c. of Calmette’s antivenomous serum beneath the skin of the abdomen. The child gave a groan while this was being done; this was at 7.30 p.m. At 11 o’clock at night her condition improved; the pulse was 140, and bodily heat returned; the patient replied to questions that were put to her. A second injection of 10 c.c. of serum was given in the flank. She slept for the remainder of the night, and passed her water four times under her. At 8 a.m. on October 8 she appeared to be out of danger. She took food, and dozed throughout the day. On the 9th she was convalescent. There were no complications resulting from the injection, neither eruptions nor pains in the joints.”

XV.-Case reported by Dr. Maclaud, of Konakry (French Guinea).

“At 7.30 p.m., on June 22, 1896, there was brought to the Konakry Hospital a native soldier, named Demba, who had just been bitten by a snake. This man, who was employed in the bakery, was stacking firewood, when he felt an extremely acute pain in the left foot; simultaneously he saw a large snake making off; he succeeded in killing it, and found it to be a black Naja. After having applied a stout ligature to the limb, the injured man hastened to the hospital, where, immediately afterwards, he fell into a condition verging on coma. The body was bathed with cold sweat; the temperature was subnormal; the pulse, which was small and thready, was 140. There was difficulty in breathing, and severe vomiting. At intervals the patient was aroused by spasms, and excruciating pains in the injured limb, which exhibited considerable œdema above and below the ligature. Tendency to asphyxia. I washed the wounds with 1 per cent. solution of permanganate of potash, and injected a dose of antivenomous serum into the subcutaneous cellular tissue of the left flank. In view of the severity of the symptoms I gave two other injections of serum, an injection of 3 c.c., followed by one of 2 c.c. The patient dozed all night. Next day the general symptoms had entirely disappeared. Two days later Demba returned to duty.”

C.--Bungarus fasciatus.

XVI.--Case reported by Surgeon-Captain Jay Gould (Nowgong, Central India, _British Medical Journal_, October 10, 1896, p. 1025).

“On June 11, 1896, a punkah coolie was bitten on the dorsum of the left foot, between the second and third toes. He had only the distinct mark of an incisor, a very slight prick, with a stain of blood which marked the spot. Within ten minutes we had injected 20 c.c. of Calmette’s serum into the abdominal wall, after which we made a local injection of a 1 in 60 solution of hyperchlorite of calcium. Two hours after the injection the temperature was subnormal, the pulse full and slow. Twelve hours later the patient was perfectly well and walking about.

“The snake was a Bungarus, full grown, measuring 28 inches. Unfortunately the syces killed it; it died the very moment I arrived, so that I was unable to test its virulence.”

D.--Bungarus cæruleus.

XVII.--Case reported by Major S. J. Rennie, R.A.M.C., Meerut, N.W.P., India.

“A twelve-year old Hindu boy, named Moraddy, was brought to me at 6 p.m., on July 10, in a semi-comatose condition, with commencing paralysis of the respiratory muscles. I was told that the child was sleeping on the ground, when he was bitten in the left hand. He immediately felt very great pain and giddiness, and his arm began to swell. Two small wounds were clearly visible, corresponding to the marks of the fangs of a krait, or _Bungarus cæruleus_.

“The child had salivation, and ptosis of both eyelids. Respiration was difficult, and deglutition impossible; the pulse was 110 and dicrotic. The patient’s breathing was of an abdominal character; the surface of the body was covered with cold sweat. The child soon became lethargic and collapsed; his condition appeared absolutely desperate. I gave a subcutaneous injection of 12 c.c. of antivenomous serum, and commenced artificial respiration, which I continued for half an hour in order to give the serum time to take effect. In forty-eight hours the symptoms gradually disappeared, and the child became quite well. Diplopia of the left eye persisted for a few days, but this also entirely passed away.

“This case shows that, in Calmette’s antivenomous serum, we have a very powerful remedy against snake-bites, which may take effect even in desperate cases. It further proves that the serum will keep for a very long time, even when exposed to all the vicissitudes of the Indian climate, for the serum employed by me had been in my possession for nearly four years.”

E.--Sepedon hæmachates (Berg-Adder).

XVIII.--Case reported by Mr. W. A. G. Fox, Table Mountain, Cape of Good Hope.

“On February 9, 1898, I was summoned to the Town Council’s Camp to treat a native who had been bitten by a berg-adder in the left leg, just below the knee. I immediately injected a dose of Calmette’s antivenomous serum in the left flank, and the wounds were washed. The injection was given two and a quarter hours after the accident. The patient was already very ill when I saw him, and I have no doubt that, without the antivenomous serum, he would have died.

“On the following day he had recovered, and I saw him again three months later; since then he has not experienced any functional trouble.”

F.--Hydrophiidæ (Sea-Snakes).

XIX.--Case recorded by Mr. H. W. Peal, Indian Museum, Calcutta (_Indian Medical Gazette_, July, 1903, p. 276).

“On April 1, 1903, at 7.30 p.m., a man was bitten at Dhamra, in Orissa, by a sea-snake which had been caught in a fishing net. He was not brought to me until 2.30 the next day, when he was in a state of collapse, semi-unconscious, and unable to speak, with eyes dull and almost closed. The bite was on the third finger of the left hand, just above the first joint. The finger was swollen, tense, and stiff. I gave the man an injection of 5 c.c. of antivenene ten minutes after he was brought to me. Three or four minutes after the injection the man with some assistance was able to sit up, and said he felt much better. He complained of great pain at the back of the neck and also in the lumbar region. He was able to speak fairly coherently after a little time. His eyes were brighter and he seemed to be aroused from his lethargy.

“I had about one hundred living sea-snakes with me, belonging to the three genera _Enhydrina_, _Hydrus_, and _Distira_. He identified _Enhydrina valakadien_ as being the snake which bit him; so did the men who were with him. The snake was said to be about 3½ to 4 feet long.

“The antivenene did the man so much good, that he himself asked me to give him a second injection. This I gave him at 2.25 p.m. (5 c.c.).

“Date on bottle used, May 8, 1900.

“The pains in the joints had disappeared on the second injection (which was given in opposite flank). At 5 o’clock the man walked away with assistance. He was quite well a couple of hours after the second injection, and when I saw him again on May 8 he was in perfect health.”

G.--European Vipers (_Pelias berus_ and _Vipera aspis_).

XX.--Case published by Dr. Marchand, of des Montils, Loir-et-Cher (_Anjou médical_, August, 1897).

“About 11 a.m., on Friday, July 23, Jules Bellier, aged 26, was mowing in a damp spot, when he was bitten in the heel by a large viper (_Vipera berus_). The bite, which was deep, was situated on the outside of the foot, 1 cm. behind the malleolus and 3 cm. above the plantar margin; at this point there were two punctures in the skin, 1 cm. apart. Directly after the accident the patient left his work, tied his hankerchief tightly round the lower third of his leg, made the wound bleed, and came to me with all speed, hopping on one foot for about a kilometre. When I saw him scarcely twenty minutes had elapsed since the accident; his general appearance was altered, and his pulse rapid. The patient had vomited twice; he complained of pains in the head, and of general weakness, and ’was afraid,’ he said, ‘of fainting.’ The foot and leg were painful under pressure; a slight tumefaction was visible in the peri-malleolar region, around the bites, which bled a little. Forthwith, after washing the wound freely with a solution of permanganate of potash, I injected 10 c.c. of Calmette’s serum into the antero-external region of the middle part of the thigh; then I enveloped the leg in a damp antiseptic dressing as high as the knee. The patient breathed more freely and plucked up his spirits. After lying down for quarter of an hour he went home on foot (he lives a hundred yards from my house).

“In the evening I saw my patient again. He was in bed, with a temperature of 37·2° C.; pulse 60; no malaise, no headache, no further vomiting; he had taken a little soup, and a small quantity of alcoholic infusion of lime-tree flowers. He complained of his leg, which was swollen as high as the knee; the pain was greater in the calf than at the malleolus. I applied a damp bandage. The patient had a good night, and slept for several hours, but still had pain in the leg. On the following morning, July 24, I found him cheerful, with no fever, and hungry. Around the bite the œdema had become considerable, and had extended to an equal degree as high as the instep; the calf and thigh were swollen, but to a much less extent. I gave a second injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum in the cellular tissue of the abdominal wall. The day was good; indeed, the patient had no fever at any time; the spots at which the injections were made were but very slightly sensitive on pressure. In the evening the general condition of the patient was satisfactory; he complained most of his calf. Thinking that a contraction was possible, due to his having hopped along quickly on one leg after the accident, I ordered him a bath.

“On July 25, the second day after he was bitten, the only symptom still exhibited by the patient was a somewhat considerable amount of œdema in the peri-malleolar region and lower third of the leg. This œdema was slowly and gradually absorbed on the following days.

“_Remarks._--(1) At this season of the year viper-bites are both frequent and dangerous in this district of the Loir-et-Cher. A year never passes without several cases occurring, and it has very often happened that deaths have had to be recorded in spite of the most careful treatment.

“(2) The therapeutic effect of Calmette’s serum was rapid and efficacious; the injections did not cause any pain or febrile reaction.

“(3) The œdema resulting from the bite was a long time in being absorbed; this, indeed, was the only remarkable symptom after the injection of the serum.”

XXI.--Case recorded by Dr. D. Paterne, of Blois (Anjou médical, September, 1897).

“My _confrère_ and friend Dr. Marchand (des Montils) published in last month’s _Anjou médical_ an interesting case of viper-bite, cured by Calmette’s serum. May I send you particulars of another case, which can only increase the interest of the one that you have already published? The facts are as follows:--

“Léon Bertre, aged 55, living at 17, Rue du Puits-Châtel, Blois, professes to be a snake-charmer, and really catches and destroys large numbers of dangerous reptiles in the vicinity of Blois.

“On Sunday, the 30th of last May, he went among the rocks of the Chaussée Saint-Victor on his favourite quest, and soon returned with ten large female vipers, and amused himself by exhibiting them to a group of interested spectators in an inn. A dog came up and began to bark. Bertre, whose attention was momentarily distracted, ceased to fix his gaze on the vipers, one of which, being no longer under the influence of its fascination, bit him on the back of the right hand, between the metacarpals of the thumb and index-finger. (I here reproduce the account of the occurrence as I received it from the snake-charmer’s own lips.) Bertre immediately felt an acute pain; his hand swelled up _almost suddenly_, and, since he was perfectly aware of the seriousness of what had happened, he ran with all speed in the direction of my consulting-room. The unfortunate man, however, had hardly gone 200 metres, when he fell insensible on the highway. He was brought to me, and Dr. Moreau, of Paris, _locum tenens_ for Dr. Ferrand, of Blois, who was away, rendered first aid. He washed the wound, dressed it with perchloride of mercury, and injected 10 c.c. of Calmette’s serum into the right flank. The accident took place a little before 5 p.m., and the injection was given about 6 o’clock.

“Dr. Moreau, who was interested in the case, asked me to take charge of it, which I gladly consented to do. The patient’s general condition was very grave, since he remained two days and two nights without regaining consciousness.

“On Tuesday, June 1, about 11 o’clock, Dr. Moreau gave a second injection of 20 c.c. Considering the condition of the patient, we hardly hoped for a successful result. To our great surprise, however, the patient regained consciousness about 3 p.m., and the improvement progressed rapidly.”

XXII.--Case recorded by Dr. Thuau, of Baugé (_Anjou médical_, September, 1897).

“X., a young man of Volandry, a parish 10 kilometres from Baugé, was bitten in the heel at 10 a.m. on the 6th of last August, by an aspic, about 50 cm. in length, while engaged in harvesting. He at once had himself taken to Baugé, knowing that there was an antivenomous serum dispensary there, and about noon he arrived at the house of my _confrère_ and friend Dr. Boell. The latter, in view of the grave symptoms exhibited by the patient (nausea, vertigo almost amounting to syncope, pain in the chest, profuse sweating, &c.), gave him, with all the customary precautions, a first injection of 10 c.c. of Calmette’s serum in the flank. After about half an hour, since the alarming symptoms did not appear to diminish, he did not hesitate to give a second injection of 10 c.c., and then had him sent to the Baugé Civil Hospital, where he came under my care about 3 p.m. I then found that this young man had been bitten in the left foot, a little below the external malleolus, midway between the latter and the plantar margin. The snake’s fangs had penetrated rather deeply; the two little wounds were about a centimetre apart. About this time the patient experienced great relief, and his general condition continued rapidly to improve. The axillary temperature was 37·8° C.

“Locally the patient complained of somewhat acute pain in the entire foot; the latter was purple and greatly swollen, and the swelling had affected the whole of the lower leg and extended to a little above the knee. I made a slight incision in the region of the two wounds caused by the bite, made the place bleed a little, and washed it with a solution of permanganate of potash, advising that the dressing should be changed several times a day. In the evening the temperature was 37° C., and never varied again from the normal until recovery was complete on August 25.

“The two injections of antivenomous serum did not produce any painful or inflammatory reaction.”

XXIII.--Case reported by Dr. Clamouse, of Saint-Epain, Indre-et-Loire.

“Léonie C., a servant at a farm, aged 19, bitten on June 1, 1900, by a red viper on the dorsal face of the left ring-finger. Somewhat serious symptoms of intoxication. In default of serum, injection of Labarraque’s fluid, 1 in 12. Serum obtained from Tours was injected at 11 p.m. on June 2, thirty-eight hours after the accident.

“On the morning of June 3, very marked improvement. On June 7, general condition excellent. Recovery.”

XXIV.--Case reported by Dr. G. Moreau, of Neung-sur-Beuvron, Loir-et-Cher.

“A. B., aged 12, living at Villeny, in the canton of Neung-sur-Beuvron (Loir-et-Cher), was bitten on June 23, 1900, on the left external malleolus. The parents contented themselves with applying a ligature above the wound, and did not bring the child to me until 12.15 p.m.

“Tumefaction of the entire foot. Ecchymosis of the skin extending half-way up the leg. General condition excellent. I gave antiseptically an injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum in the right flank, followed by a draught of acetate of ammonia and syrup of ether. Damp bandage applied to wound and swollen part.

“I saw the child again on the following day. Generalised œdema and tumefaction of the bitten limb. Heart excellent; no vomiting, no fever. I again gave an injection of 20 c.c. of serum, and ordered a continuance of damp phenic dressings to be applied to the entire limb. Condition very good.

“On June 25, no fever at the time of my visit. Pulse irregular. Ordered treatment to be continued.

“I did not see the patient for four days, when I was summoned by telegram. I found that the child had fever, 39° C. Complete tumefaction of the left leg, abdomen, and trunk, with ecchymosed patches. Prescribed quinine. Arhythmia of pulse and heart. Prescribed digitalis and Jaccoud’s tonic. The febrile condition was due to congestion of the base of the right lung. I ordered cupping and sinapisms alternately.

“I saw the child again two days later. The congestion still continued. Temperature 39° C., but the general tumefaction showed a tendency to diminish.

“On July 4 I again saw the child. Now only slight œdema. General condition very satisfactory. Temperature normal. The child was making rapid strides towards recovery. The leg was doing well, and the wound was almost healed.

“Summary: A very serious bite and, above all, great delay in injecting serum (injection not given until four hours after the accident); unforeseen complications in the lung, by which recovery was delayed.”

XXV.--Case reported by Mons. H. Moindrot, Assistant to Dr. Martel, of Saint-Étienne (Loire).

“Claude L., aged 8, living at Ricamarie, was brought, on May 26, 1904, to the Bellevue Hospital. The parents stated that about 10 o’clock the same morning, while playing near a stack of faggots, the child was bitten by a snake in the third finger of the right hand. Since the wound caused by the bite seemed to them of little importance, they contented themselves with squeezing the injured finger in order to make it bleed a little. A few moments later, however, the child began to complain of a feeling of distension in the region of the bite, caused by œdema, which soon increased to an alarming extent. A doctor, who was called in, carefully washed the wound, applied an aseptic dressing, and at once sent the little sufferer to the Hospital.

“_On admission_, enormous œdema, including fingers, hand, entire right arm, cervical region on the same side, and the anterior face of the thorax, nearly as far as the inner margin of the false ribs. This œdema was not very painful, though fairly tense, yielding but slightly to pressure. In the affected region the skin was cold, of a dull livid colour, with a few ecchymosed patches. In the bitten finger, a small wound with no special characteristics.

“General condition bad; the child was unable to stand. He was indifferent to what was passing around him, merely groaning a little when examined. The pulse was feeble, thin, and easily compressible; it was also very irregular. The extremities were cold. Lungs: nothing abnormal on auscultation, rapidly performed, it is true. Respiration, however, was distinctly accelerated, 30 per minute. Temperature not taken on admission. No urine passed since the accident.

“The patient’s condition being so alarming, not to say desperate, we thought it almost useless to have recourse to Calmette’s method, more especially since at least seven hours had already elapsed since the child was bitten. Nevertheless we gave a hypodermic injection of 20 c.c. of Calmette’s serum. At the same time the wound was crucially incised, and bathed with a 1 in 1,000 solution of permanganate of potash, after which a damp dressing was applied to the whole of the swollen limb. The patient was put to bed, and kept warm. He was given an injection of 50 centigrammes of caffeine, and 300 grammes of artificial serum. In the evening the temperature was 36·8° C.

“May 27.--General condition more satisfactory; pulse still weak, but less irregular. Persistence of dyspnœa, explained by a series of small râles at the bases of both lungs. This morning the little patient passed his urine, about 200 grammes. He is more lively, and replies better to any questions addressed to him.

“May 28.--The improvement continues; the dyspnœa has almost entirely disappeared; only a few râles are still heard at the extreme base. The pulse is stronger and remains regular. The secretion of urine gradually reappears. The temperature of the extremities has become normal.

“On May 29 and following days the œdema continued to diminish, and had totally disappeared eight or ten days later.

“Recovery was complete by about June 15. The child was discharged on June 23, 1904.

“It seemed to us worth while to report this case, in order to emphasise the conclusion that forces itself upon us, namely that in all cases of bites from poisonous snakes an injection of Calmette’s serum should be given, without considering the efficacy of this therapeutic agent as being rendered doubtful by the length of time that may have elapsed since the bite was inflicted.

“In the present case, as we have seen, there was extensive intoxication, which had seriously affected the functions of the various organs, since we found cardiac arhythmia and pulmonary œdema, and that the patient was threatened with collapse, algidity, hypothermia, and anuria. Impregnation by the virus having continued for seven hours, we might have felt ourselves justified, on the one hand in merely employing the proper means for the relief of the general condition, on the other hand in treating the local condition, without having recourse to the serotherapeutic method, that seems to us in this case, in so far as it is permissible to make such a statement, to have been the determining factor in the recovery.”

XXVI.--Case recorded by Dr. Lapeyre, of Fontainebleau (from _L’Abeille de Fontainebleau_ of June 27, 1902).

“M. X., who arrived at Fontainebleau on Sunday morning with a friend, keeps grass snakes at home, in Paris; he finds his hobby as good a means as any other to remind him of the forest and its charms. Human nature includes all kinds of tastes, so that this particular one need not be further discussed.

“The journey, therefore, had a twofold object: firstly to spend a whole day in sunshine and in the open air, and secondly to catch grass snakes to add to the collection.

“On leaving the train, our Parisian walked up the Amélie Road, and saw a snake under a rock. Never doubting that it was one of the kind that he knew so well, to kneel down, pass his left arm into the hole, and seize the snake, was the work of a moment; he quickly succeeded, even better than he intended, for instead of his seizing a grass snake, the viper bit him so hard in the left forefinger, that he could only make it let go by pulling it off with his other hand. Well knowing that he had been dangerously bitten, he went down to the Station Road to get the wound dressed, after which, thinking that all necessary precautions had been taken he returned to the forest, but soon felt uncomfortable. His arm and then his body swelled up, and he was seized with vomiting. It was time to go to Fontainebleau to seek medical assistance, for he had acute pain in the abdomen and stomach, his tongue was swollen, and his body was turning black.

“Accompanied by his friend he reached the town. His condition becoming more serious every moment; the injured man was carried into a hotel, where Dr. Lapeyre administered injections of antivenomous serum. After three hours--the same period as had elapsed between the accident and the first treatment--the general condition of the patient, which had never ceased to be alarming, showed marked improvement. By the end of the day he appeared to be out of danger, and left for Paris on Tuesday evening, delighted at having got off so cheaply.”

H.--Echis carinata.

XXVII.--Case recorded by Lieutenant C. C. Murison, I.M.S. (_Indian Medical Gazette_, May, 1902, p. 171).

“G. W. R., a Mahomedan, aged about 12, was admitted into hospital on March 10, 1902, at 9.30 p.m., having been bitten by a snake on the dorsum of the right foot an hour and a half previously. The snake was killed by his sister, and was subsequently identified at the Research Laboratory, Bombay, as an _Echis carinata_ (Phoorsa).

“I saw the patient at about 9.45. The dorsum of the foot was swollen, and the swelling extended above the ankle-joint. The knee reflexes were very exaggerated, and the boy was somewhat drowsy. Since he was gradually getting worse, I decided to inject 5 c.c. of Calmette’s antivenene. I got the hospital assistant under my supervision to inject it into the right calf, to cauterise the bite with silver nitrate, and to apply a 1 in 40 carbolic poultice. Very soon (fifteen minutes) after this the pain in the thigh, which had reached to the right groin, began to disappear. During the night the patient was very sleepy, and the attendants had great difficulty in keeping him awake.

“March 12.--This morning the patient is much better; there is still considerable swelling of the foot, but the pain is much less. All other symptoms are gone.”

XXVIII.--Case reported by Surgeon-Captain Sutherland I.M.S., Saugor, C.P., India.

Case of a woman bitten on the finger on July 22, 1898, by an _Echis carinata_. Treated six hours later with 10 c.c. of serum. Recovery.

I.--Cerastes.

XXIX.--Case reported by Dr. Moudon, of Konakry, French Guinea.

“On December 9, 1898, a Foulah woman, eight months pregnant, was collecting wood when she was bitten in the heel, behind the internal malleolus of the right foot, by a snake which, from the description given, must have been a Horned Viper. When I saw her, four hours after the accident, the whole of the lower leg was swollen and painful. The swelling extended to the groin, and the patient complained of vertigo and nausea. I immediately gave her an injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum in the right flank, followed by a second injection at 10 p.m. Ten days later, with the Commandant of the _Fulton_, I saw her again at her village; she had no symptom of malaise, and the pregnancy was taking its normal course.”

XXX.--Case of a bite from a Horned Viper reported by Dr. Mons, in charge of the Military Hospital of Laghouat, Algeria.

“Mohamed ben Naouri, a day labourer, aged 26, during the summer catches Horned Vipers, which he stuffs and sells.

“On August 3 a _Cerastes_, which he was holding down on the sand with a forked stick, disengaged itself and fastened on his hand. The snake was a large one, about 50 cm. in length.

“The accident happened at 6.30 a.m., 6 kilometres from Laghouat, and the man was bitten on the joint between the second and third phalanges of the third finger of the right hand. He applied a ligature to his wrist, and started to run as fast as he could towards the Military Hospital, where he arrived an hour later.

“He was immediately given an injection of antivenomous serum, in accordance with the instructions, and, around the bite, five or six injections of permanganate of potash, 1 in 20. On the next and following days, tense œdema of the arm and left side of the chest. Extensive purplish ecchymosis of the inner face of the arm; no fever. The phenomena gradually diminished, and, on August 17, there was merely a trifling wound where the bite had been inflicted. The patient was discharged at his own request.

“Like Dr. Marchand (des Montils), we can certify that the action of Calmette’s serum was rapid and efficacious. The injection did not cause any pain or febrile reaction.”

XXXI.--Case reported by Dr. Blin, of Dahomey.

“On March 5, 1906, native hospital attendant C., while gathering vegetables in the hospital garden, was bitten in the right hand by a _Cerastes_. The bite was inflicted in the tip of the index finger. Ten minutes later a ligature was applied to the base of the finger and another to the upper arm, and as soon as we saw the man, which was after the lapse of about an hour, he was given an injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum. The patient complained of feeling cold and vomited. The axillary temperature was 36·1° C.; the pulse was weak, irregular, and rapid. The finger and hand were swollen. A few minutes later we gave a second injection of serum. Until evening (the accident took place at 11 a.m.) the patient suffered from nausea, but sweating set in, and at 7 o’clock the temperature had risen to 36·7° C. The feeling of depression was much less. On the following day the symptoms had disappeared, and forty-eight hours afterwards the patient returned to duty.”

K.--Bitis arietans (Puff Adder).

XXXII.--Case reported by Dr. P. M. Travers, Chilubula Mission, North-eastern Rhodesia.

“On Thursday, September 6, 1906, information was brought to me that a child, aged 7 or 8, in inserting his hand into a mole’s hole had been bitten by a _lifwafwa_ (’Death-Death,’ _i.e._, Puff Adder). I set off in all haste on my bicycle. An accident obliged me to leave the road when half-way, and, to complete the series of mishaps, I went to a village with a similar name, a good half-hour distant from that where the patient lived. The result was that by the time I arrived I should say that about two hours had elapsed since the child had been bitten. The snake had been killed, and was, indeed, a puff adder. It had bitten the child in the middle finger of the right hand, and half the arm was greatly swollen, and as hard as stone. As quickly as possible I gave an injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum, and then vainly endeavoured to make the wound bleed. In a very short time the serum was absorbed. On the following morning the child was still ill, with wild eyes resembling those of an epileptic. He yawned continually, and did not seem altogether conscious; the inflammation, however, had greatly diminished. A few days later recovery was complete, but a large abscess formed on the forearm, and the hand became necrosed. I was obliged to amputate all the phalanges. The natives said the child was going to die during the night. In my opinion the serum saved the child’s life, and recovery would have been more rapid had I not been so late in arriving.”

L.--Lachesis ferox (known as the _Grage_, in French Guiana).

XXXIII.--Case reported by Dr. Lhomme.

“In May, 1898, A., aged 48, a European convict undergoing sentence, was admitted to the Penitentiary Infirmary, of Roches de Kouvous (French Guiana), suffering from a poisonous bite.

“The man had been bitten while engaged in felling timber, at the place called Passouva. The locality is one that is infested with snakes, especially at the end of the wet season. Two venomous species in particular are found there in considerable numbers, the rattle-snake and another called the _Grage_ by the blacks, which appears to be a _Lachesis_.

“The patient arrived at the Infirmary in the evening, about twelve hours after the accident. We endeavoured to obtain precise details, but, owing to special circumstances, A., who was alone, had been unable to see what animal had bitten him. The clinical signs, however, pointed to a venomous snake; inflammatory phenomena and pain set in soon after the wound was inflicted, and in a very short time became acute.

“_Clinical Signs._--On examining the patient we found that the whole of the right arm was swollen. The skin, which was of a dark red colour, was acutely inflamed. The slightest touch or the least movement caused the patient to cry out. The hand showed traces of the bite, in the shape of two small red marks, each surrounded by a bluish areola. The general condition was good. The thermometer, however, indicated a slight rise of temperature, and the pulse seemed a little soft. The urine on being examined on the day after the accident contained a small quantity of albumin. Organs normal. General health before the accident excellent. Nothing worth mentioning in the previous history.

“_Progress._--The conditions that we have just described disappeared very quickly, once the treatment was applied. The pain soon ceased, the temperature fell, and the patient was able to get a few hours sleep. By the following day the inflammatory phenomena had noticeably diminished. The œdema of the forearm and hand, however, persisted for some time, though there was no formation of pus. On the third day after the accident the albumin had completely disappeared from the urine. Finally, after the lapse of a fortnight, the condition became normal, and the convict, who had recovered the entire use of his arm, was able to resume work.

“_Treatment._--On admission to the Infirmary, A. received a hypodermic injection in the thorax of the contents of a bottle of antivenomous serum. At the same time he was given tonics (alcoholised coffee). The injured limb was placed in a hot phenic arm-bath. These baths were continued on the following days, alternately with damp dressings. Milk diet, and daily aperients.

“We saw the patient again more than a year after the accident; his recovery had been complete; there was no loss of power in the arm whatsoever, and he had never suffered from the nervous troubles mentioned by some authors as a complication ensuing after a long interval, and attributed by them to the antitoxic serum.”

XXXIV.--Case reported by M. Jean, Veterinary Surgeon of Artillery in Martinique.

“C., a negro, aged 26, employed in the artillery quarters at the Rivière d’Or, was bitten in the right leg by a snake measuring about 1 metre in length, which he declared was a _Trigonocephalus_. The patient came to me twenty minutes after the accident. The marks of the bite were clearly visible a hand’s breadth above the external malleolus. The wounds were inflamed, and appeared as two small red spots 1·5 cm. apart, from which a few drops of serum were exuding. I did not notice any congestion. The patient, however, complained of a feeling of weight in the leg, and supported himself upon the sound one. After making the man lie down upon a bed, I applied a tight ligature above the bitten part, and, with a penknife passed through a flame, I endeavoured to incise the wounds. The instrument, however, was blunt and I obtained but little blood.

“The treatment prescribed in Dr. Calmette’s directions was then strictly followed. With the usual antiseptic precautions, I made several hypodermic injections of the solution of hypochlorite of calcium round the bite, and injected the dose of serum indicated in two places in the abdominal wall. The patient was then vigorously rubbed and covered with woollen blankets. He was made to take two cups of a strong infusion of black coffee. Since he could not be induced to go to hospital, he was carried half an hour later to his home, where he placed himself in the hands of a ‘dresser.’

“According to information furnished by Captain Martin, who lived on the spot and was able to follow the course of the case, the patient remained throughout the day in a state of profound prostration, and had several attacks of syncope. The injured limb was greatly swollen, and the swelling, which extended to above the knee, produced a mechanical difficulty in using the joint, leading to a belief that paralysis was setting in. During the first five days the condition of the patient was so alarming as to cause a fatal issue to be apprehended. By degrees these symptoms diminished, until they disappeared about the fifth day.

“On the twentieth day, C. returned to his work. I saw him again a month later, when he was in perfect health; his leg had returned to its normal size, and all that remained were two small fibrous nodules showing where the bite had been inflicted.”

XXXV.--Case reported by Dr. Gries, Fort-de-France, Martinique.

“On June 21, 1896, a young black, who had just been bitten in the foot by a _Bothrops_ of large size, was brought to the Fort-de-France Hospital. The entire limb was swollen and benumbed.

“Two hours after the accident I gave an injection of 10 c.c. of serum in the abdomen, and the patient was taken back to his family. I saw him again ten days later, and found that he was quite cured. His friends stated that recovery had taken place much more quickly than could have been hoped after so serious a bite, and without the usual complications.”

XXXVI.--Case reported by Dr. Gries, Fort-de-France, Martinique.

“About 7 a.m., on November 25, 1896, G., aged 23, a fusilier belonging to the disciplinary battalion, was bitten by a _Bothrops_ at Fort Desaix under the following circumstances. One of his comrades had just caught the snake, and was holding its head down on the ground by means of a forked stick applied to the neck. G. passed a running noose round the reptile’s neck, but, his comrade having withdrawn the fork too soon, the snake had time to dart at him and bite him in left thumb. At the moment when he was bitten the man was squatting, but he quickly stood up, carrying with him the snake, which remained for a few seconds suspended from the thumb by its fangs, and did not let go until its victim had struck it on the head with his fist. G. immediately ran to one of his officers, who applied a tight ligature to the base of his thumb, and sent him off to the hospital, where he arrived on foot and quite out of breath, ten or twelve minutes after the accident. He was at once given a hypodermic injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum in the left flank; the thumb was washed with a 1 in 60 solution of hypochlorite of calcium, after which the ligature was removed. A few moments later, thinking the case a serious one, I caused a second injection of 10 c.c. of serum to be given in the right flank.

“Immediately after being bitten the patient experienced complete loss of sensation in the limb, as far as the middle of the arm. About 9 a.m. he complained of acute shooting pains in the hand. At 11 o’clock the limb was still benumbed, but by degrees sensation returned. Profuse sweating.

“On November 26 sensation was restored in the whole limb; no inflammatory phenomena. The patient was perfectly well.

“The _Bothrops_ on being brought to the hospital measured 1 metre 47 cm. in length.”

XXXVII.--Case reported by Dr. Lavigne, Colonial-Surgeon at Fort-de-France.

“At 7 a.m. on January 19, 1897, G., aged 22, was going along a footpath near Trouvaillant, when he was bitten in the left external malleolus by a _Trigonocephalus_ which was rutting (a circumstance which, according to the natives, aggravates the character of the bite).

“After killing one of the reptiles (the other having escaped), the young man made his way to the detachment of gendarmery stationed close by. The officer in command applied a ligature to the upper part of the leg, cupped the man a few times, and sent information to us at the Military Hospital. On reaching the spot at 9.15 we found, on the postero-inferior surface of the left external malleolus, two small wounds resembling those caused by the bite of a snake. The leg was swollen and painful, and the patient could hardly put his foot to the ground.

“At 9.30, after taking the usual antiseptic precautions, we gave an injection of Calmette’s antivenomous serum, from a bottle dated December 26, 1896. Not having any hypochlorite of calcium at our disposal, we washed the wound with a 1 in 60 solution of hyposulphite of soda, and applied a dressing of carbolic gauze. An hour later the patient was taken to Saint Pierre in a carriage. Temperature 37·2° C. No vomiting, or tetanic phenomena. In the afternoon the pain was less acute, and the œdema seemed to have diminished a little. Mercurial ointment rubbed in.

“Four days later the patient, being cured without having had the least rise of temperature, proceeded to the country.

“This case is interesting, since a single dose of antivenomous serum (20 grammes), injected two hours and a half after the accident, sufficed to cure a young man bitten by a _Trigonocephalus_ measuring 1 metre 20 cm. in length.”

M.--Crotalus horridus.

XXXVIII.--Case recorded by Dr. P. Renaux, of Piriapolis, Uruguay (_La Tribuna popular_, Piriapolis, December 14, 1898).

Silverita, aged 20, bitten in the ankle by a _Crotalus_, on December 7, 1898. Symptoms of serious intoxication. Treated with a dose of antivenomous serum, injected half in the right flank, half in the left. Recovery.

II.--A FEW NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS RELATING TO DOMESTIC ANIMALS BITTEN BY POISONOUS SNAKES AND TREATED WITH SERUM.

A.--Naja haje.

XXXIX.--Case reported by Dr. Maclaud, of Konakry, French Guinea.

“A hound belonging to the Governor of Konakry was bitten in the ear by a black _Naja_. A similar accident happened last year, and the animal died on the fifth day. In the present case, serious phenomena had already manifested themselves: depression, convulsions, and great swelling of the entire head and anterior portion of the trunk. A dose of 10 c.c. was injected at three different points: in the flank, neck, and cellular tissue of the injured ear. Improvement was almost immediate. On the following day the animal recovered its appetite, and two days later was completely cured.”

XL.--Case reported by Dr. Marotte, of Konakry.

“At 10 a.m. on November 1, 1898, a large dog (a German brach), weighing 33 kilogrammes, was running about in some tall grass. It returned to its master, looking unhappy, with its eyelids swollen. Thinking that his dog had been bitten by a _Naja_, a snake which swarms round Konakry, he took it to the hospital. The animal was unable to cover the distance, which was only 300 metres; it was dragged along, but collapsed, and had to be carried. Its head was swollen, it panted, and its breathing was rapid and irregular; there was profuse salivation. On the inner face of the right ear the marks of the two fangs of the reptile were distinctly visible. A hypodermic injection of 10 c.c. of antivenomous serum was immediately given in the right flank: this was at 10.10 a.m. At 11 o’clock the symptoms appeared to become less acute; the animal was easier, and its breathing became less rapid and more regular. At 1 o’clock the animal succeeded in getting on to its feet; the œdema had somewhat diminished, and it was able to half open its eyes. At 6 o’clock the dog was taken back to its master’s house; it seemed just as lively as though nothing had happened.

“On the following morning there was still a small amount of œdema in the eyelids, but the appearance of the head had become normal.”

B.--Pelias berus (Common Viper).

XLI.--Case reported by M. de Maupas, of Challay, by Trôô.

“About 1 p.m., on July 30, 1898, a fairly large pointer was brought to me, bitten in the right paw. On shaving off the hair the marks of the two fangs of the snake were clearly visible. The wound had bled a little, and the injured limb was painful and swollen. I ligatured the paw above the joint, and injected a bottle of antivenomous serum, which had been in my possession since September 6, 1897. The effect was very rapid; after a quarter of an hour the dog reopened its eyes, which until then had been half closed. Towards 5 o’clock I removed the ligature. On the next day but one the swelling had almost disappeared, and the dog took its food of its own accord; it ran about and seemed lively.”

XLII.--Case reported by M. de Villiers, Mayor of Villiers-le-Duc, Côte-d’Or.

“About 2 p.m., on May 23, 1898, the widow Veillard, of Villiers-le-Duc, while driving her herd of cows to pasture among the brushwood, saw a viper which she killed, and then, a few moments later, three others in succession, which she likewise killed. Madame Veillard thought of leaving this place, which seemed to her to be too much infested, when one of her cows, which was quietly feeding, swerved violently and dashed off through the scrub. With the help of her dog she succeeded in recovering the cow, which appeared uneasy, ceased to feed, and had a swollen muzzle. Madame Veillard then decided to return to the village.

“Towards 6 p.m., that is to say about three hours after the accident, I was sent for. The head and tongue of the cow were swollen, there was foam on the mouth, and the animal had difficulty in breathing. I injected a dose of antivenomous serum, from our first-aid station, beneath the skin of the shoulder, and gave a second injection a few moments later. The cow was then led back to her shed.

“At 9 p.m. she was quiet. The swelling did not increase, and the cow, which had previously refused all food, ate a handful of hay.

“On the following morning there was nothing to be seen beyond a little swelling in the neck. The animal fed as usual, and gave her normal quantity of milk.”

XLIII.--Case reported by M. P. Rat, engineer, of Saint-Rambert-en-Bugey, Ain.

“About 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 7, 1902, while I was out shooting, my bitch was bitten in the lower lip by a very large viper. Since I was a long way from home, I was unable to give the injections until 6 p.m., by which time the poor beast was in a pitiable condition. Her head was as large as a saucepan; she had no strength left, trembled, and was unable to stand. I injected 15 c.c. of serum in the left flank. This was all that I did.

“At 7 o’clock on the Monday morning the bitch ate and drank a little. She began to walk about, and by the evening had completely recovered. There was nothing but a very little swelling left.”

C.--Cerastes.

XLIV.--Case reported by Dr. Boyé, of Kissidougou, French Soudan.

“At Kan-Kau, on December 19, 1896, a cow belonging to the post, which had been bitten by a snake at 8 a.m., seemed about to die. The snake, which was killed by the herdsman, was a _Cerastes_ (Horned Viper).

“On going to the cattle-shed I found the animal on her side and panting, with the limbs completely relaxed. A thick foam was dropping from the half-open mouth, and asphyxia seemed imminent. The cow had been bitten in the teats, which were enormously swollen; the œdema extended over the whole of the belly and inner face of the thighs. Two doses of serum were injected, one at the base of the teats, the other in the subcutaneous tissue of the flank.

“On the following morning the œdema had diminished, and the breathing was much easier; the animal seemed to be conscious of what was passing around it.

“Forty-eight hours later the cow was able to walk and went out to graze, having apparently entirely recovered from the accident.”

III.--NOTE ON THE COLLECTION OF VENOM AND THE TREATMENT OF BITES FROM POISONOUS SNAKES IN THE FRENCH SETTLEMENTS IN INDIA.

By Dr. PAUL GOUZIEN.

Principal Medical Officer of Colonial Troops.

From the time of our arrival in India, in February, 1901, we turned our attention to ensuring the regular collection of snake-venoms, with a view to satisfying the desire for them that had been expressed by our friend Professor Calmette, Director of the Pasteur Institute at Lille.

To gain this end, the moral and financial support of the Administration was indispensable, and this did not fail us. Acting on our suggestion, as formulated by letter on May 25, 1901, Governor Rodier, on June 11, issued an order by the terms of which a sum of 200 rupees was placed at the disposal of the Chief of the Sanitary Service, “with a view to encourage the catching of poisonous snakes, and to assist the collection of snake-venom by the granting of bounties to natives.”

On the issue of this order, we drew up instructions for the collection of venom, which we caused to be distributed to all posts in the Colony. At the same time an appeal in the vernacular was posted up in each of our sanitary institutions, inviting the Hindus to commence the campaign forthwith. The notice placarded on the door of the Pondicherry Hospital ran as follows:--

“Public Notice.

“For the public good the Governor requests the population to capture poisonous snakes in all places where they are found; to take them alive if possible; and to bring them to the Hospital without removing their fangs.

“One rupee will immediately be paid for each snake brought in.

“Those who read this notice are requested to communicate it to their acquaintances.”

* * * * *

The Indian snake-charmers at once responded to this appeal, and the harvest of snakes was soon abundant. The first provision of 200 rupees, allotted to us by the Administration in June, 1901, had to be successively renewed in May and October, 1902. Since then, on the proposition of our successor, Dr. Camail, this sum of 200 rupees has been included in the local budget, thus definitively sanctioning the principle of the collection of venom in our Indian Settlements.

The venom forwarded by us to France has been exclusively derived from the cobra, or _Naja tripudians_. Other venomous serpents are found in the French Settlements in India, especially the species of _Hydrophis_, or sea-snakes; but the cobra is by far the commonest species, and our trading stations teem with it. Yanaon is infested by it at all seasons, but especially at the time when the Godavari is in flood; the reptiles then make their way towards spots spared by the inundation, and the natives frequently kill them in their houses. Thus M. Mariapregassam, the Sanitary Officer in charge of the the Medical Service of this dependency, was in a position to procure for us, at the very commencement of our operations, important doses of venom: it should be added that he acquitted himself of this task with a perseverance and devotion worthy of the fullest recognition. Of the 653 cobras captured between August 1, 1901, and February 23, 1903, 229, or more than one-third, were furnished by Yanaon. Moreover, the cost price of the cobra fell in proportion to its numbers, and Yanaon paid for its snakes on the average at the rate of 33 centimes apiece; while at Chandarnagar and Pondicherry the snake-charmers frequently received 1 rupee (1 franc 67 centimes) per reptile, though it is true that even this was an extremely poor remuneration, when we consider the risk of the calling.

Again, owing to the limited amount of our grants, we were obliged to restrict our expenditure, regulating the purchase-price of the snakes according to the quantity of venom collected. Thus at Pondicherry, having observed that each cobra yielded on an average twenty drops of venom, we fixed the value of two drops at one _fanon_ (one-eighth of a rupee), never more. In this way it was decidedly to the snake-charmer’s interest to bring us fresh snakes, and not such as had been previously deprived of their venom.

In spite of this new regulation, snakes continued to pour into the hospital, and several were repeatedly brought to us at the same time; in October and November, 1902, the figure 9 appears three times in our statistics.

The combined results of the snake-harvest at our five settlements, from August 1, 1901, to February 23, 1903, are shown in the following table:--

Average weight Average Average Quantity of dry price price Number Sum of venom venom of the of 1 gramme of cobras expended collected per cobra cobra of venom

653 R. 446 242 0·37 R. 0.68 R. 1.84 grammes gramme (1.13 fr.) (3.07 fr.)

On an average, therefore, nearly three cobras are necessary to furnish 1 gramme of dry venom, since freshly collected venom weighs more, owing to the proportion of water contained in it, which is greater than half the total weight. Thus the quantity of fresh venom extracted from an average cobra may be estimated at about 80 centigrammes. It may be added that the product of the glands differs considerably in appearance, according as it is derived from a dead or living snake. In the former case it takes the form of extremely small, glistening lamellæ, of a golden-yellow colour, similar in appearance, when in bulk, to iodoform. Venom extracted from the living snake, on the other hand, is of an amber-brown colour, and forms much larger lamellæ, which are translucent and slightly elongate, resembling particles of gum arabic. When the product is impure and mixed with a small quantity of blood, it has a dull appearance, and is of a dark, dirty brown, almost black colour.

At the Pondicherry Hospital venom is collected in the following manner;[168] The snake is brought by the snake-charmer in a _chatty_, a kind of earthern pot, covered with a rag, or half a calabash. Ensconced at the bottom of this receptacle, the reptile has a difficulty in making up its mind to emerge, which it does only after having been stirred up several times. Once it is outside the charmer forces the cobra to uncoil, and, while the animal is moving slowly along, fastens it to the ground by placing the end of a bamboo on its neck, quite close to the head. The Indian then cautiously seizes the head of the cobra with his forefinger and thumb, and, with a rapid movement, throws it into a jar prepared for the purpose, containing a few tampons of absorbent wool impregnated with chloroform. As soon as the snake is inside, an assistant quickly slips a metal plate over the opening of the jar and presses his hand firmly down upon it. In a few minutes the animal is dead; it is then taken out of the jar and its mouth is swabbed out; next, the fangs having been raised by means of a probe, a saucer is placed between the jaws, and, by pressure exerted upon the poison-glands laterally and from behind forwards, the venom is made to spurt out. The fresh product obtained in this way is of a very pale yellow colour, and viscid. It is protected from the air and light until completely desiccated; then, when it is in sufficient quantity and distributed in flakes round the sides of the saucer, like the colours on a palette, it is cautiously detached with a spatula, taking care to protect the eyes against risk from flying particles of venom. After being placed in well-corked bottles, the product is despatched to France.

In spite of the precautions observed in the course of these proceedings, and although the venom has not been extracted until after the death of the animal, some regrettable accidents have taken place, as we shall show further on.

Cases of bites from poisonous snakes appear but seldom in the statistics of our settlements in India, and, contrary to what is the case in the neighbouring English possessions, hardly any deaths are _officially_ recognised in the annual returns as being due to this cause. It is true that the death statistics are very badly authenticated, and that the natives frequently conceal the real cause of death.

We have been informed by Dr. Cordier, Surgeon-Major of the Sepoy Corps, that, during a previous tour of duty in Bengal, he had successfully treated two cases of cobra-bite with Calmette’s serum.

At the end of 1901 the following note was forwarded to us by Dr. Paramananda Mariadassou, Physician to the Karikal Hospital:--

“Case I.--In the month of November, 1901, a woman of robust habit was brought about midnight to the Karikal Hospital, in a semi-comatose condition. Her husband stated that an hour before, while lying on a mat stretched on the ground, she felt herself bitten in the shoulder when in the act of placing her head on the pillow. With a start of surprise she half rose and then lay down again. It was only on being bitten for the third time that she made up her mind to seek for the cause; passing her hand beneath the pillow in the darkness she touched the body of a snake and cried out. Directly afterwards she pointed out to her husband, who had at once hastened to her, the snake coiled up against the wall; the man killed the reptile and burnt it on the spot. According to him the snake was about a metre in length, and as thick as all five fingers put together. The woman had barely time to tell her husband what had happened, for she speedily became unconscious, and was in this condition when brought to the hospital.

“On admission the following symptoms were observed: The patient did not reply to questions put to her, the eyelids remained closed, and the teeth clenched. On the right shoulder, a little on the inner side of the deltoid prominence, two or three punctures were distinguishable, marked by a small spot of coagulated blood. The respiration was normal, but the pulse was feeble and thready. When a pledget impregnated with ammonia was held under her nose the woman reacted, but immediately relapsed into the soporose condition.

“Two doses of antivenomous serum were at once injected, one in each flank: the patient seemed scarcely to feel the insertion of the needle. The wound on the shoulder was then washed with a fresh solution of hypochlorite of calcium, 1 in 60, and six injections, each of 1 gramme, of the same solution were given round the wound. The latter was covered with a pad of cotton-wool saturated with the solution, and two more doses of serum were injected into the flanks. As the result of this treatment, which altogether took nearly half an hour, the woman began to unclench her teeth, and to respond to her name. She was made to swallow a few mouthfuls of very hot black coffee. A little later she resisted when a fresh injection of serum was about to be given her. After having taken a second cup of coffee she sat up, opened her eyes, and recognised those about her. She immediately asked to go home, but was detained for some time longer. After being carried from the operating table to a bed, she was wrapped in a blanket; a few minutes later profuse perspiration set in, and the patient felt so well that she was allowed to go.

“On the following day the husband came to thank us, and stated that his wife had quite recovered, and that, while she had been unable to sleep for the remainder of the night, it was rather from fear caused by what had happened than in consequence of the pain.”

Case II.--We feel it our duty to relate in detail the following case, having regard to the peculiar circumstances under which it took place.

Coupin, the son of Ponnin, aged 25, living at Carouvadicoupom, near Pondicherry, is a snake-charmer, and one of those who regularly supply us with venom. In the course of July, 1902, this man pointed out to us a shrub[169] growing in one of the alleys of the hospital, to which he attributed so marvellous a power against the bites of poisonous snakes, that he offered to make a cobra bite him in our presence, little as we showed any desire to witness such an exhibition. We allowed him to talk, not wishing to encourage such an act of bravado.

However, on July 23 he returned to the charge, and, as we were leaving the hospital accompanied by our colleagues, he showed us a cobra which he had just caught, and declared himself ready to carry out the proposed experiment there and then. In the face of so much confidence and _sang-froid_, and, apart from this, being interested in learning the justification for the reputation for immunity possessed by Hindu snake-charmers, we thought we ought not to oppose this voluntary test.

Coupin then turned out from the chatty in which it was imprisoned a medium-sized cobra, and amused himself for a few moments by teasing it. Irritated by this sport, the snake reared itself up, hissed, and struck at its aggressor several times, as though it would bite him; but, at each dart, Coupin stopped it with his hand and gaze, and the snake remained fascinated, with open mouth, hesitating to drive home its fangs. At one moment the snake even crawled up to the native’s outstretched hand, and appeared to lick it: it was evident that the animal’s only intention was to defend itself, not to attack.

Coupin, however, was bent on getting bitten, and, by dint of exciting the snake, the latter became so exasperated that, with hood dilated, it struck at the snake-charmer’s right hand and drove in its fangs. The man quietly raised his arm, to allow it to be clearly seen that the cobra had a firm hold; then, forcing the animal to let go, he came to us to prove that he was really bitten. There were two bleeding spots, 6 millimetres apart, in the centre of the fourth intermetacarpal space of the right hand. The time was exactly 4.40 p.m.

The snake, which was immediately killed, was still able to yield twelve drops of venom, when lateral pressure was applied to its glands.

Coupin walked towards a shrub of the kind mentioned above, which he had planted that very morning in the courtyard of the hospital,[170] plucked some leaves from it and began to chew them, making rather a wry face, for he said that they were very bitter. He then seemed to meditate for a few moments before the shrub. We asked him whether he was afraid, but he stoutly denied it, declaring that this was not his first experience, and that indeed he had been bitten by cobras so often that he could not remember the first occasion. We endeavoured to discover whether he was not rendered immune, as Indian snake-charmers are reputed to be, by inoculating themselves subcutaneously with increasing doses of venom, according to a principle to a certain extent analagous to that on which the preparation of antivenomous serum is based. He, however, assured us that he knew nothing about such practices, and that the properties of the plant in question had always sufficed to cure him without other treatment. Such was his confidence in his specific that, before the cobra was killed, he suggested to our hospital-warder that he should allow himself to be bitten in his turn, in order to render the experiment still more conclusive, adding that his own assistant would be the subject at the next demonstration.

Nevertheless, a slight œdema began to appear round the bite. The injured man seemed to be suffering a little, but the pain did not extend above the wrist; a slight trembling appeared in the other arm. From time to time Coupin gently massaged the affected limb with his left hand from above downwards, in order, he said, to lessen the pain, and perhaps also with a view to checking the diffusion of the venom. A slight perspiration broke out over the body; the pulse was regular, 92, twenty minutes after the bite.

Towards 6.15, or about an hour and a half after the experiment, the man, refusing an injection of serum, prepared to go home, but we insisted that he should remain at the hospital for at least two hours longer, so as to enable us to watch his condition. He consented to this, and asked for something to eat. At this time the back of the hand was somewhat more swollen, but Coupin seemed to be little disturbed by it; he even declared that the swelling would increase still further on the following day, and that, in two or three days, he would make an incision in order to let out the impure blood collected at the spot; also that the trouble was now localised, and would not extend higher. He merely complained of acute thirst, and of a certain difficulty in swallowing, which was due, he declared, to the extreme bitterness of the leaves that he had just masticated. Temperature 36·8° C.; pulse 36. After the brief reaction at the outset, there was a certain amount of hypothermia, but the general condition seemed satisfactory, and the man remained perfectly calm. We therefore left him under the supervision of the resident student and the male attendants, giving orders that we should be sent for immediately in case of any serious symptoms arising.

At 7.15 we received a note from the student to the effect that Coupin had vomited, that his pulse was small, there was difficulty in breathing, and that he had just received an injection of antivenomous serum. We hastened to the hospital, where we were speedily joined by Drs. Cordier and Lhomme.

On our arrival we found Coupin in a rather prostrate condition. The pupils were fixed, he was foaming slightly at the mouth, respiration was regular, the pulse was strong and quite rhythmical at 96; the man was somewhat chilly. The patient was unable to speak, but had not lost consciousness, for, when we asked him how he was, he indicated by signs that he felt very ill. We subsequently learnt, from the student on duty, that towards 6.45 the condition of the patient became suddenly worse, after his companion had administered to him some medicine, the nature of which we have been unable to discover; on swallowing this drug Coupin was seized with vomiting, and became collapsed. We thought it more likely, however, that this was a mere coincidence, rather than the result of a poison adding its effects to those produced by the bite of the snake.

While waiting for our arrival a ligature had been applied to the injured arm, and near the bite there had been made two deep incisions, from which some dark blood escaped. At the same time the patient received hypodermically a first injection of 10 c.c. of Dr. Calmette’s antivenomous serum, and two injections of ether and caffeine. As the result of this treatment we found a marked increase in pulse-rate. After a subcutaneous injection of 500 grammes of artificial serum, there appeared to be a further distinct improvement until about 8.45 (four hours after the bite). From this moment, however, the patient gradually sank. A second dose of antivenomous serum was injected beneath the skin,[171] and, since the respiratory movements gradually became slower, artificial respiration by Sylvester’s method was resorted to, while the tongue was rhythmically drawn forward. From time to time these proceedings were interrupted for a few moments, in order to observe the condition of the respiration; at the base of the thorax and in the flanks abrupt, jerky, tetaniform undulations were observable, but there was no free respiratory movement. The abdominal aorta, the pulsations of which were visible behind the navel, raising the anterior wall of the abdomen, was somewhat misleading, simulating the rhythmical oscillations of the abdominal respiratory type. The heart, however, continued to beat regularly, without any appreciable weakness. The radial pulse persisted, although weak and slow: rate 48.

The patient was kept alive by repeated injections of ether and artificial serum (1¼ litres in three doses). About 8.30 there appeared to be a slight improvement; the patient was warmer, and showed some degree of sensation in the region of the bite. On pinching the vasculo-nervous bundle in the left axilla reflex movements were produced in the fingers, which closed convulsively. The pulse, which had momentarily disappeared in the radial artery, could again be felt, weak but regular. At the same time, when the epigastric region was examined, a few faint respiratory movements were just perceptible. A third injection of antivenomous serum was given and artificial respiration was continued.

This factitious amelioration, however, was not maintained, and after a few scarcely visible movements of the thorax the end soon came. The eyes were fixed and insensible, the pupils slightly dilated; no sweats, no urine passed. The body slowly grew cold; the pulse disappeared from the femoral and carotid arteries, and diminished in the aorta. The contractions of the heart were once or twice irregular, and its beats became weaker and gradually The reflexes had disappeared. There were still a few slight muscular contractions near the base of the chest, and the patient quietly passed away at 11.5 p.m., as the result of the progressive arrest of the heart’s action, respiration itself having virtually disappeared two hours before the heart had ceased to beat.

Case III.--A week after this sad occurrence, another snake-charmer, Kingilien by name, aged 25, was bitten in the first phalanx of the right forefinger, when taking hold of a cobra in the courtyard of the Pondicherry Hospital. Refusing an injection of antivenomous serum, the man ran off as fast as he could go, after having a simple ligature applied to his wrist. Scarcely had he reached his dwelling, when he fell into a deep coma, in which condition he was carried to Cottacoupom, to the abode of one Souraire Kramani, a kind of sorcerer, who administered to him a certain medicament in a betel leaf. After having vomited a large quantity of bile he was taken home. At this time, according to the summary investigation that we caused to be made, the patient was unable to utter a single word; he could only open his mouth with difficulty, and his eyelids remained closed. Kingilien, who had partially regained consciousness, seemed to be suffering from continuous attacks of vertigo; his head, if pushed to one side, drooped, and the man was incapable of voluntary movement. Respiration was fairly easy, swallowing painful. The entire hand was greatly swollen; poultices of leaves were applied to it, after a few incisions had been made with a knife in the back of the hand, in order to reduce the congestion. The arm was rubbed from above downwards with the very bitter leaves of the _Vëmbou_, or mango-tree, and prayers were recited. This is all the information that I have been able to obtain with reference to this man, who, after a prolonged convalescence, is said to have recovered (?).

Case IV.--One Latchoumanin, aged 25, also a snake-charmer, of Caradicoupom, was bitten at the Hospital at 10 a.m., on August 2, while handling a cobra. The bite was situated in the second joint of the right thumb. After it had bitten the man, ten drops of venom were extracted from the reptile’s glands.

A ligature was immediately applied, and the wound was made to bleed by hard squeezing. Refusing all other treatment, especially injection of serum, although we repeatedly urged it, the man made off home with all speed, but on arrival failed to find the specific on which he was relying. All that was then done was to recite a few prayers over him, and a Brahmin priest was called to bless him. About 11.30, after acute suffering, Latchoumanin sank into a comatose condition. At 12.30 respiration became stertorous, and the patient succumbed at 2 p.m., four hours after being bitten. Just as the medical officer, deputed by us, reached the dying man, two chatties containing live snakes were deposited at his bedside, to ward off ill-luck!

* * * * *

On the whole, the evidence collected in the last two cases is as confused as it is incomplete, and we can scarcely say how much we regret the obstinacy of these unfortunate victims in refusing to submit to our treatment, for the serum would undoubtedly have produced its maximum effect in them, since it would have been possible to make use of it in good time. These disastrous occurrences, however, will not cure natives of their exclusive reliance upon empirical practices; and as regards the inhabitants of the Tamil country, that is to say, Southern India, it may be foreseen that for a long time to come they will continue to remain refractory to the serotherapic treatment, submission to which the English have had less difficulty in securing from the natives of Bengal, whose intellectual development undoubtedly stands on a higher plane.

INDEX.

d’Abbadie, M., on inoculation, 238.

_Acalyptophis_, 133.

_Acanthophis_, 96.

“ _antarcticus_ (death adder), 96.

“ “ “ “ bite dangerous, 100.

_Acanthopterygii_, 290, 301, 304.

_Acanthurus_, 301.

“ _luridus_, 301.

Adder, 25, 26. _See also Vipera berus._

Africa, poisonous snakes in, 57-81.

“ “ “ geographical distribution of genera (tables), 143, 144.

“ (Central), witch doctors of, snake-bite remedies, 237.

“ (East), Vatuas’ method of inoculation, 239.

Agglutinins of venoms, 202.

_Aipysurus_, 140.

“ _annulatus_, 140.

“ _australis_, 140.

“ _lævis_, 140.

“ _eydouxii_, 140.

Albuminoid of snake-venom produces hæmorrhages, 162.

Albumins of venom devoid of toxic power, 164.

Albumose of snake-venom attacks nerve-cell of respiratory centres, 162.

Albumoses of venoms of _Colubridæ_, 162.

“ “ “ method of separation, 162.

“ _See also_ Proto-albumoses, Hetero-albumoses.

Alcatifa, extraction of venom from, for inoculation, 239.

Alcock, researches of, on glands of snakes, 147.

Alexins, 198, 209.

“ characteristics of, 207.

“ fixation of, 210, 211.

“ of normal serum, fixation by cobra-venom, 211.

“ neutralisation of, 212.

Alkaloids in venom, 160.

Alps, and mountains of Central Europe, _Salamandra atra_ found in, 313.

Amboceptors, 198, 210.

“ fixation of, 208, 220.

America, snakes in, geographical distribution of genera of (table), 146.

“ venomous snakes in, 100-131.

America, (Central), _Batrachus tau_ found on shores of, 302.

“ (North), musical toad found in, 318.

“ (South), witch doctors of, snake-bite remedies, 237.

“ (Tropical and Sub-tropical), _Latrodectus mactans_ found in, 275.

Ammonia, injection of, only temporary antidote against snake-venom, 261.

_Ancistrodon_, 49, 109, 110.

“ venom of, precipitation of anticoagulant substance in, 195.

“ _acutus_, 49.

“ _bilineatus_, 111.

“ _blomhoffii_, 50.

“ _contortrix_, 111.

“ _himalayanus_, 50.

“ _hypnale_, 51.

“ _intermedius_, 50.

“ _piscivorus_, 110.

“ _rhodostoma_, 51.

Anderson, relation of escape from _Naja haje_, 60.

_Anemone scultata_, 269.

Aniline colours, action of, diminishes toxicity of venoms, 167.

Animals, venomous, definition of, 1.

Arachnolysin, poison from _Latrodectus_ prepared by, 276.

_Araneida_ (spiders), 274.

Armstrong, H., chemical analysis of cobra-venom, 159.

Arrows, poisoned by Hottentots with venom of _Bitis arietans_, 72.

Arthropods, poisonous species of, 274.

Asia, poisonous snakes inhabiting, 30, 57.

“ “ “ “ geographical distribution of genera (tables), 142, 143.

Asp, 27, 28. _See also Vipera aspis_.

_Aspidelaps_, 64.

“ _lubricus_, 64.

“ _scutatus_, 64.

_Atheris_, 78.

“ _ceratophorus_, 78.

“ _chlorechis_, 78.

“ _squamiger_, 78.

Atlantic (Tropical), _Acanthurus_ found in, 301.

“ “ _Muræna moringa_ found in, 309.

_Atractaspis_, 78.

“ _aterrima_, 80.

“ _bibronii_, 80.

“ _congica_, 79.

“ _corpulenta_, 80.

“ _dahomeyensis_, 80.

“ _hildebrandtii_, 79.

“ _irregularis_, 79.

“ _leucomelas_, 81.

“ _microlepidota_, 81.

“ _micropholis_, 81.

“ _rostrata_, 80.

Australia, health authorities’ notices against venomous reptiles, 100.

“ mortality from snake-bite in, 100, 261.

“ poisonous snakes of, 81-100.

“ snakes of, almost all confined to sub-family _Elapinæ_, 5.

Bacteriolytic action of venoms, 206.

“ “ “ how differing from that of rat-serum, 208.

Bailey, action of venom on brain, 185.

Batrachians, 312.

_Batrachiidæ_, 302.

_Batrachus grunniens_, 302.

“ _tau_, 302.

Bavay on the spitting snake, 63.

Bee-sting, remedies for, 286.

Bees, venom of, 282.

Bertrand, researches of, 147.

Bertrand and Phisalix, experiments on immunity of hedgehog to venom, 226.

“ “ preparation of toad-venom, 319.

Bettencourt, R., venom antitoxin treatment of yellow fever, 184.

Bibron and Duméril on coloration of snakes, 16.

“ “ _Naja_ worship in Egypt, 61.

Bile, destructive effect on cobra-venom, 215.

Birds, symptoms after inoculation with lethal doses of venom, 172.

_Bitis_, 69.

“ _arietans_ (puff adder), 69.

“ “ “ “ bite from, 350.

“ “ “ “ venom used for poisoning arrows by Hottentots, 72.

“ _atropos_, 72.

“ _caudalis_, 73.

“ _cornuta_, 73.

“ _gabonica_, 73.

“ “ does not attack man, 74.

“ _inornata_, 72.

“ _peringueyi_, 72.

Black snake, 88. _See also Pseudechis porphyriacus._

Blin, bite from _Cerastes_, 349.

Blindness following bite of viper, 178.

Blood, anticoagulant action of venom on, mechanism of, 195.

“ coagulability, action of venom of _Lachesis lanceolatus_ on, 191.

“ “ destroyed by venoms of _Colubridæ_, 179, 188, 189, 191, 192, 193.

“ “ “ “ certain species of _Crotalinæ_, 191, 192, 193.

“ “ uncertain action of venom of Vipera berus on, in certain animals, 189, 190.

“ coagulation of, connected with action of venoms of _Viperidæ_ on nervous system, 185, 186.

“ “ produced by venoms of _Viperidæ_, 179, 188, 189.

“ not coagulated after death caused by venoms of _Colubridæ_, 171, 188, 189.

“ of hedgehog toxic before heating, antitoxic afterwards, 226.

“ of scorpion antitoxic, 279.

Blood, toxicity of, in reptiles, 217.

“ “ “ confers partial immunity to venom, 218, 219.

“ “ “ destroyed by heating, 218.

“ “ in venomous snakes, 217.

Blood-corpuscles, red, agglutination by venoms, 202.

“ “ dissolution only effected by combination of venom with blood-serum or lecithin, 197.

“ “ dissolved by snake-serums, 219, 220.

“ “ effects of venom upon, 196.

“ “ resistance to large doses of venom, 199, 200, 201.

“ “ “ “ “ “ explanation, 200, 201.

“ “ washing of, important before presentation to action of venom, 196, 197.

“ unaltered under action of simultaneous doses of venom and serum, 220.

“ white, effects of venom on, 203.

Bombay, laboratory for production of antivenomous serum at, 248, 252.

Bonaparte, Lucien, chemistry of venom of vipers, 160.

_Bothrops_, bites from, 353, 354.

Bottard on venomous fishes, 288.

_Boulengerina_, 58.

“ _stormsi_, 58.

_Brachyaspis_, 95.

“ _curta_, 95.

Brain, comparative action of venoms of _Colubridæ_ and _Viperidæ_ on, 185, 186.

“ substance of, fixation of venom on, 186.

Brazil, _Thalassophryne maculosa_ found on shores of, 303.

Brehm, on _Crotalus confluentus_, 125.

“ the daboia (_Vipera russellii_), 46.

“ _Echis carinatus_ (efa, viper of the pyramids), 76, 77.

“ reverence paid by Hindus to _Naja_, 38.

Broad-headed snake, 94. _See also Hoplocephalus variegatus._

Briot, A., experiments with weever-venom, 298, 299.

“ poison of _Scolopendra_ prepared by, 280.

Bromized water, saturated, modifies or destroys venoms, 164.

Brown snake, 87. _See also Diemenia textilis._

Brunton, Sir Lauder, on harmless ingestion of venom exceeding lethal dose, 214.

_Bufo calamita_ (natter-jack), 318.

“ _musicus_ (musical toad), 318.

“ _viridis_ (green toad), 318.

“ _vulgaris_ (common toad), 318.

Bufotalin, 319, 320.

“ first active principle of toad-venom, and cardiac poison, 319, 320.

Bufotenin, 320.

“ second active principle of toad-venom, and neurotoxic poison, 320.

_Bungarus_, 30.

“ venom of, active hæmolysing power possessed by, 199.

“ _cæruleus_ (common krait), bite, cure of, 337.

“ “ “ “ venom of, dose lethal for different animals, 174.

“ _candidus_, 32.

_Bungarus candidus_, resemblance to _Lycodon aulicus_, 33.

“ _fasciatus_, 31, 32.

_Buprestidæ_, food for larvæ of _Cerceris bupresticida_, 285.

Bushmaster, or surucucu, 112. _See also Lachesis mutus._

_Calamaridæ_, species of _Callophis_ feed only upon, 42.

_Callionymus_, 301.

“ _belennus_, 301.

“ _lacertus_, 301.

“ _lyra_, 300-301.

“ _vulsus_, 301.

_Callophis_, 40.

“ feeds only on snakes belonging to _Calamaridæ_, 42.

“ _bibronii_, 41.

“ _gracilis_, 41.

“ _maclellandi_, 41.

“ _maculiceps_, 41.

“ _trimaculatus_, 41.

Calmette’s serum, cobra-bites treated with, 363-5. _See also_ Serum, antivenomous.

Calvados, _Callionymus lyra_ common on coast of, 301.

_Cantharis_ (blister-beetles), 281.

Cantor, on venom of _Naja bungarus_, 39.

“ vindictiveness of _Naja bungarus_, 39.

Captivity, poisonous snakes kept in, 61, 62, 125, 156, 223.

Carawalla. _See Ancistrodon hypnale._

Cardiac poison of toad-venom (bufotalin), 319, 320.

Caribbean Sea, _Scorpæna grandicornis_ found in, 293.

Carpi and Morgenroth, lecithide of bee-venom prepared by, 285.

Carrière, experiments on ingestion of venom, 214.

Cascavella (_Crotalus terrificus_), 124.

Cato, army of, patronage of snake-charmers by, 228.

_Causus_, 67.

“ _defilipii_, 67.

“ _lichtensteinii_, 68.

“ _resimus_, 67.

“ _rhombeatus_, 67.

Cells, dissolution of. _See_ Cytolytic action.

_Cerastes_, 47, 75.

“ bites from, 348-350.

“ “ cured, 358.

“ secretion of, 150.

“ venom of, fatal to barefooted pedestrians, 76.

“ _cornutus_, 47, 75.

“ _vipera_, 75.

_Cerceris bupresticida_, 285.

Ceylon, snake-charmers of, 229.

Chameleons succumb rapidly to snake-poisoning, 172.

Chelicera (fang of spider), 274.

Chemical reactions exhibited by venoms, 162.

Chemical substances modifying or destroying venoms, 164.

Chemistry of snake-venoms, 159.

Cherry and Martin on antagonism between toxins and antitoxins, 253.

_Chilomycterus_, 307.

“ _orbicularis_, 307.

“ _tigrinus_, 307.

China and Japan, _Lophius setigerus_ found in seas of, 304.

Chloride of gold, antidote to venom before absorption, 261, 263.

“ “ solution, modifies or destroys venom, 164.

“ lime solution, modifies or destroys venom, 164.

Cholesterin, antidote to lecithin, 198.

Chromic acid, antidote to venom before absorption, 260.

“ “ solution, modifies or destroys venoms, 164.

Clamouse, on bites from European vipers, 343.

Clot Bey on Egyptian snake-charmers, 228-229.

Clothing protective against dangerous effects of snake-bite, 170.

Cobra, bite of, clinical symptoms, 169.

“ “ “ “ exhibit rapid general intoxication, 169.

“ “ treated with Calmette’s serum, 363.

“ extraction of venom from, method, 153.

“ Egyptian (_Naja haje_ or _haie_), 59.

“ method of carrying after capture, 21.

“ snake-charmers’ skill with, 229.

“ venom of, 149.

“ “ alkaloids in, 160.

“ “ chemical analysis, 159.

“ “ comparison of toxicity by means of intra-cerebral injections, 186.

“ “ destructive action of bile on, 215.

“ “ dissolution of trypanosomes by, 207.

“ “ dose lethal for different animals in twenty-four hours, 174.

“ “ fixation on nervous elements, 186.

“ “ local effects on serous membranes slight, 179.

“ “ potency of antineurotoxic antivenomous serum against, 250, 251, 252.

“ “ vaccination against, 242, 244, 245.

Cobra-di-Capello, 33. _See also Naja tripudians._

“ “ spectacled, used by Hindu snake-charmer, 229.

_Cœlenterates_, poisonous species of, 269.

_Cœlopeltis_, 22.

“ _moilensis_, 23.

“ _monspessulana_, 23.

Cold, intense, toxicity of venom not diminished by, 166.

Colombia, herons of, probably immune to snake-venom, 227.

“ “ hunt young snakes for food, 226.

Coloration of snakes, 15, 16.

“ “ subject to biological laws of mimicry, 15, 16.

_Colubridæ_, 3, 30, 57, 82, 100, 101-109. _See also Acanthophis_, _Aspidelaps_, _Boulengerina_, _Brachyaspis_, _Dendraspis_, _Denisonia_, _Diemenia_, _Elapechis_, _Elapognathus_, _Furina_, _Glyphodon_, _Homorelaps_, _Hoplocephalus_, _Micropechis_, _Notechis_, _Ogmodon_, _Opisthoglypha_, _Proteroglypha_, _Pseudechis_, _Pseudelaps_, _Rhinhoplocephalus_, _Rhynchelaps_, _Sepedon_, _Tropidechis_, _Walterinnesia_.

_Colubridæ_ (sub-family _Elapinæ_). _See also Bungarus_, _Naja_, _Hemibungarus_, _Callophis_, _Doliophis_.

“ resemblance to harmless snakes, 3.

“ species of, bite rapidly produces general intoxication, 168.

“ venoms of, absorption by digestive tract often without ill-effect, 180, 181.

“ “ “ “ “ “ “ cause, 181.

“ “ action on nervous centres profound, 185.

“ “ affinity of scorpion poison to, 278.

“ “ albumoses of, 162.

“ “ destroy coagulability of blood, 179, 188, 189.

“ “ dialyse slowly, 161.

“ “ lethal effects on mammals, 170.

“ “ minimum doses lethal for guinea-pig in twenty-four hours, 173.

“ “ precipitation of anticoagulant substance in, 195.

“ “ recovery rapid after non-lethal doses, 177.

“ “ resistant to heat, 161.

“ “ richness in neurotoxin, 249.

Common rattle-snake, 125. _See also Crotalus durissus._

Congestin, poison from _Anemone scultata_, 271.

Conjunctivitis caused by discharge into eyes of venom of spitting snake, 63, 64.

Copperhead, 90. _See also Denisonia superba._

Coral-snake, 104.

“ immunity from bite of, 238.

“ venomous nature of, 108.

“ _See also Elaps corallinus._

Coral or harlequin snake, 106. _See Elaps fulvius._

Cordier, D., cobra-bites treated with Calmette’s serum, 363.

Cotes, E. C., on extraction of venom by charmers, 234.

_Cottus_, 289, 290, 292.

“ poison-apparatus of, 293.

_Crabronidæ_, 285.

“ stings of females of, toxic to other insects, nearly harmless to man, 285.

_Crotalinæ_ (_Viperidæ_), 101, 109.

“ characteristics of, 6.

“ venoms of certain species of, non-coagulant, 191, 192, 193.

“ _See Ancistrodon_; _Lachesis_.

_Crotalus_ (rattle-snake), 110, 122.

“ comparative toxicity of organs, 220.

“ eggs of, rich in poison, 220.

“ poison glands of, 148.

“ venom of, alkaloids in, 160.

“ “ comparison of toxicity by means of intra-cerebral injections, 186.

“ “ ingestion causing death, 180.

“ “ weak hæmolysing power possessed by, 199.

“ _adamanteus_, venom of, dose lethal for rabbit, 175.

“ _cerastes_ (horned rattle-snake), 129.

“ _confluentus_ (Pacific or mottled rattle-snake), 124.

“ “ “ “ “ habits, 125.

“ “ devoured by pigs, 125.

_Crotalus confluentus_, secretion of, 150.

“ _durissus_ (common rattle-snake), 125.

“ _horridus_, 127.

“ “ bites from, 355.

“ _lepidus_, 129.

“ _mitchelli_, 127.

“ _polystictus_, 129.

“ _scutulatus_ (Texas rattle-snake), 124.

“ _terrificus_ (dog-faced rattle-snake or cascavella), 124.

“ _tigris_, 127.

“ _triseriatus_, 129.

_Cryptobranchus japonicus_ (great Japanese salamander), 313-315, 317.

“ “ venom of, 317.

“ “ “ action similar to that of viperine venoms, 317.

_Curados de Culebras_, immunity produced by inoculation by, 235-237.

Cytolytic action of venoms, 206.

Daboia. _See Vipera russellii._

Deafness following bite of viper, 178.

Death adder, 96. _See also Acanthophis antarcticus._

Delezenne, establishment of existence of kinase in venoms, 204.

“ on the kinasic properties of venoms, 204, 213.

_Dendraspis_, 65.

“ _angusticeps_, 66.

“ _antinorii_, 66.

“ _jamesonii_, 66.

“ _viridis_, 66.

_Denisonia_, 88.

“ _carpentariæ_, 92.

“ _coronata_, 89.

“ _coronoides_, 89.

“ _dæmelii_, 90.

“ _flagellum_, 91.

“ _frenata_, 90.

“ _frontalis_, 91.

“ _gouldii_, 91.

“ _maculata_, 91.

“ _melanura_, 92.

“ _muelleri_, 90.

“ _nigrescens_, 92.

“ _nigrostriata_, 92.

“ _pallidiceps_, 92.

“ _par_, 92.

“ _punctata_, 91.

“ _ramsayi_, 90.

“ _signata_, 90.

“ _superba_ (the copperhead), 89.

“ _suta_, 90.

“ _woodfordii_, 93.

Dialysis, results of, in experiments with venoms of _Colubridæ_ and _Viperidæ_, 161.

Diastases, action upon venoms, 214.

Diastasic actions of venoms, 212.

_Diemenia_, 86.

“ _modesta_, 87.

“ _nuchalis_, 87.

“ _olivacea_, 87.

“ _psammophis_, 87.

“ _textilis_ (brown snake), 87.

“ “ “ “ bite dangerous, 100.

“ _torquata_, 87.

Digestion of snakes aided by venoms, 213, 214.

Digestive tract, absorption of venoms of _Colubridæ_ often without ill-effect on, 180, 181.

“ “ “ “ “ “ “ cause, 181.

_Diodon_, 305.

_Dipsadomorphinæ_, sub-family of _Opisthoglypha_, 3.

“ geographical distribution, 4.

_Dipsas_, teeth of, 8.

_Distira_, fresh-water genus of _Hydrophiinæ_, 5, 136.

“ _cyanocincta_, 137.

“ _jerdonii_, 137.

“ _ornata_, 136.

“ _subcincta_, 137.

Dog, minimal dose of cobra-venom lethal for, 174.

Dog-faced rattle-snake, 124. _See also Crotalus terrificus._

_Doliophis_, 42.

“ _bilineatus_, 43.

“ _bivirgatus_, 42.

“ _intestinalis_, 42.

“ _philippinus_, 43.

Domestic animals, treatment of poisonous bites in, 265.

Duck-billed platypus (_Ornithorhynchus paradoxus_ or _O. anatinus_), 323.

Duméril and Bibron, on coloration of snakes, 16.

“ “ _Naja worship_ in Egypt, 61.

Dutch Indies, poisonous snakes inhabiting, 30-57.

Dyer, venom antitoxin treatment of yellow fever, 184.

Eau de Javel, antidote to venom before absorption, 263.

“ “ in treatment of wasp- or bee-stings, 286.

Echidnin, chemistry of, 160.

_Echinoidea_ (sea-urchins), 273.

_Echinoderms_, poisonous species of, 273.

_Echis_, 48, 76.

“ _carinatus_ (_efa_, viper of the pyramids), 48, 76.

“ “ bite from, 347.

“ “ dreaded by Egyptians, 77.

“ “ venom rapid in action, 49.

“ _coloratus_, 77.

_Efa_ (_Echis carinatus_), 48, 76. _See also Echis carinatus._

Eggs of bees, venom contained in, 284.

“ fowls, artificial intoxication by venom, effect on embryo, 214.

“ _Crotalus_ rich in poison, 220.

Egypt, laboratory researches in, 149, 150.

“ snake-charmers of, 228-229.

Egyptians, dread of _Echis carinata_ (_Efa_) shown by, 77.

“ “ and pursuit of _Naja haje_ among, 60.

Ehrlich, theory of lateral chains, 208, 220.

_Elachistodontinæ_, sub-family of _Opisthoglypha_, 3.

“ geographical distribution, 4.

_Elapechis_, 58.

“ _boulengeri_, 59.

“ _decosteri_, 59.

“ _hessii_, 59.

“ _guentheri_, 58.

“ _niger_, 58, 59.

“ _sundevallii_, 59.

_Elapinæ_, sub-family of _Colubridæ_, 30.

“ geographical distribution, 5.

_Elapognathus_, 97.

“ _minor_, 97.

_Elaps_, 101, 108.

“ _ancoralis_, 108.

“ _annellatus_, 103.

“ _anomalus_, 103.

“ _buckleyi_, 103.

“ _corallinus_ (coral snake), 104. _See also_ Coral-snake.

“ _decoratus_, 104.

“ _dissoleucus_, 106.

“ _dumerilii_, 104.

“ _elegans_, 103.

“ _euryxanthus_ (Sonoran coral-snake), 102.

“ _filiformis_, 107.

“ _fraseri_, 107.

“ _frontalis_, 106.

“ _fulvius_ (harlequin or coral-snake), 106.

“ _gravenhorstii_, 102.

“ _hemprichii_, 104.

“ _heterochilus_, 102.

“ _heterozonus_, 103.

“ _langsdorffii_, 103.

“ _lemniscatus_, 107.

“ _marcgravii_, 106.

“ _mentalis_, 107.

“ _mipartitus_, 107.

“ _narduccii_, 108.

“ _psyches_, 106.

“ _spixii_, 106.

_Elaps surinamensis_, 102.

“ _tschudii_, 104.

Electricity passed through solution of venom in form of continuous electrolytic current destroys toxicity, 165. _See also_ High frequency currents.

Embryo, anomalies in development consequent on introduction of venom into eggs of fowl, 214.

_Enhydrina_, 139.

“ venom of, fixation on nervous elements, 186.

“ _bengalensis_ (syn. _E. valakadien_), 139.

“ _valakadien_ (syn. _E. bengalensis_), 139.

“ “ venom of, dose lethal for different animals, 174.

_Enhydris_, 138.

“ _curtus_, 138.

“ “ venom of, dose lethal for rat, 174.

_Entomophaga_, 286.

Eosin, photodynamic action of, diminishes toxicity of venoms, 167.

_Epeira_, 276.

Erythrosin, photodynamic action of, diminishes toxicity of venoms, 167.

Europe, poisonous snakes inhabiting, 22-29.

“ “ geographical distribution of genera (tables), 142.

“ (Central). _See_ Alps.

“ _Triton cristatus_ and _T. marmoratus_ found in, 313.

Ewing, action of venom on brain, 185.

Facial bones, special arrangements of, characteristic of poisonous snakes, 6.

Fasting, prolonged, snake-venom shows greatest activity after, 176.

Faust, S., salamandrine prepared by, 316.

Fayrer, Sir J., fatal results of experimental ingestion of venoms, 180.

“ “ on the daboia (_Vipera russellii_), 47.

“ “ habits of the krait (_Bungarus candidus_), 33.

“ “ harmless ingestion of venom exceeding lethal dose, 214.

“ “ _Naja bungarus_, 39.

Feeding, artificial, in laboratories for collection of venom, 157.

“ “ of poisonous snakes, 17, 18.

Fer-de-lance (_Lachesis lanceolatus_), 112, 113, 114.

Féré, Ch., experiments on development of embryo after introduction of venom into fowl’s egg, 214.

Fishes succumb rapidly to snake-venom, 172.

“ venomous, 288.

“ “ poison-apparatus of, 289.

Flexner and Noguchi, on action of snake-serum on red corpuscles, 219.

“ “ cytolytic action of venoms, 206.

“ “ investigations on toxicity of snakes’ organs, 220.

Food, abstinence from, by snakes, 149.

Fowls killed by causing them to ingest venom, 180.

Fox, W. A., bite from _Sepedon hæmachates_, 337.

France, mortality from snake-bite in, 3.

Fraser, on destructive action of bile on cobra-venom, 215.

Frog-serum, antidote to poison of pedicellariæ, 274.

Frogs succumb slowly to snake-poisoning, 172.

_Furina_, 98.

“ _bimaculata_, 99.

“ _calonota_, 99.

“ _occipitalis_, 99.

Gaboon viper, 73. _See also Bitis gabonica._

Gangrene, produced by venom of _Viperidæ_, 177.

Gautier, Armand, chemical constituents of venom, 160.

Geographical distribution of poisonous snakes in Africa, 143, 144.

“ “ “ “ America, 146.

“ “ “ “ Asia, 142, 143.

“ “ “ “ Europe, 142.

“ “ “ “ Oceania, 145.

Geracki, collection of venom, 156.

Gibbs, Wolcott, chemical constituents of venom, 160.

Glands (acid and alkaline), poison-organs of the hymenoptera, 282.

“ secretion of venom from, 147.

Glandular secretions of persons and animals bitten by venomous snakes, toxic, 181.

Glycerine, means of preservation of concentrated solution of venom, 166.

_Glyphodon_, 83.

“ _tristis_, 84.

_Gobiidæ_, 300.

Gouzien, Paul, collection of venom from poisonous snakes in French settlements in India, 359.

“ “ on collection of venom, 156.

Grage (_Lachesis atrox_), immunity from bite of, 238.

Grass-snakes, parotid glands of, 147.

“ “ withstand large doses of venom, 172.

Gressin on poisoning from weever-stings, 299.

de Gries on bites from _Bothrops_, 353, 354.

Ground rattle-snake, 120. _See also Sistrurus miliarius._

Grunting batrachus. _See Batrachus grunniens._

Guiana, witch-doctors of, snake-bite remedies, 237, 238.

Guinea-pig, minimal doses of various venoms lethal for, 173, 174, 175.

“ vaccination against cobra-venom, 242.

Hæmolysins of venom, resistance to heat, 202.

Hæmolysis, failure of, under exposure of red corpuscles to large doses of venom, 199, 200, 201.

“ in venoms, comparative study of, 196.

“ power of, possessed by various venoms, 199.

Hæmorrhages produced by albuminoid of snake-venom, 162.

“ visceral, complicating recovery from bites of _Viperidæ_, 177, 178.

Hæmorrhagin in venoms, 187.

“ local effects of, not prevented by antineurotoxic serum, 251.

“ predominance in venom of _Viperidæ_, 249.

Hæmorrhagin, present in some species of _Viperidæ_, 249.

“ sensitive to heat, 249.

_Hamadryas elaps_, 37. _See also Naja bungarus._

Harlequin or coral snake, 106. _See also Elaps fulvius._

Heart, action of venom on, 184.

Heat, comparative effect on venoms of _Colubridæ_, _Hydrophiidæ_ and _Viperidæ_, 161.

“ hæmorrhagin sensitive to, 249.

“ resistance of hæmolysins of venoms to, 202.

“ sole agent in attenuating venom submitted to alternating high frequency currents, 165.

Heating destroys toxicity of blood of reptiles, 218.

Hedgehog, immunity of, to venom of _Vipera berus_, 226.

“ “ “ “ proved experimentally, 226.

“ blood of, toxic before heating, antitoxic afterwards, 226.

_Heloderma horridum_, 321.

“ “ saliva sometimes toxic, sometimes harmless, 323.

“ “ venom of, 321, 322.

_Hemibungarus_, 39.

“ _calligaster_, 40.

“ _collaris_, 40.

“ _japonicus_, 40.

“ _nigrescens_, 40.

Henri, V., poison from pedicellariæ prepared by, 273.

Herons of Colombia hunt young snakes for food, 227.

“ “ probable immunity to snake-venom, 226, 227.

Hetero-albumoses, active principle of snake-venom, 164.

“ separation from snake-venom, 162, 163.

_Heterometrus maurus_, venom of, 279.

“ “ “ effect upon sparrows, 279.

High frequency currents, alternating, attenuate venom only by thermic action, 165.

Hill, Patrick, on duck-billed platypus, 324.

Hindus, worship bestowed on _Naja_ by, 38.

Holbrook on _Crotalus confluentus_, 125.

_Holocanthus_, 305.

“ _imperator_, 305.

_Homalopsinæ_, sub-family of _Opisthoglypha_, 3.

“ geographical distribution, 4.

“ aquatic, 4.

_Homorelaps_, 57.

_Hoplocephalus_, 93.

“ _bitorquatus_, 94.

“ _bungaroides_ (syn. _H. variegatus_, broad-headed snake), 94.

“ _curtus_ (_Notechis scutatus_, tiger-snake), 95.

“ “ “ “ “ bite dangerous, 100.

“ “ “ “ “ secretion of, 149.

“ _stephensii_, 94.

Horned rattle-snake, 129. _See also Crotalus cerastes._

Horse, bleeding, aseptically, after vaccination to obtain antivenomous serum, 245, 246.

“ immunisation to venom, difficulties attending, 244, 245.

Horse, minimal dose of venom lethal for, 176.

“ polyvalent serum prepared from, 251.

“ red corpuscles of, reasons for choice of, for exposure to action of venom, 196, 197.

“ vaccination of, against cobra-venom, 244, 245.

Horse-serum must be added to venom to dissolve washed red corpuscles, 197.

Hottentots, venom of _Bitis arietans_ employed for poisoning arrows by, 72.

_Hydrelaps_, 134.

_Hydrophiidæ_ (sea-snakes), 100.

“ bite from, cure, 338.

“ “ rapidly produces general intoxication, 168.

“ venoms of, resistant to heat, 161.

_Hydrophiinæ_ (sea-snakes), 4, 131.

“ “ habitat and geographical distribution, 4, 5.

“ “ habits of, 131.

_Hydrophis_ (sea-snakes), 134.

“ “ venom from, 360.

“ _cærulescens_, 135.

“ _cantoris_, 135.

“ _elegans_, 135.

“ _fasciatus_, 136.

“ _gracilis_, 135.

“ _leptodira_, 136.

“ _nigrocinctus_, 135.

“ _obscurus_ (syn. _H. stricticollis_), 136.

“ _spiralis_, 135.

_Hydrus_, 132.

Hymenoptera, 281.

“ poison-glands of, 281, 282.

Hypochloride of calcium solution modifies or destroys venoms, 164.

Hypochlorite of lime, antidote to venom before absorption, 261, 263.

“ “ remedy for wasp- or bee-sting, 286.

Hypochlorites, alkaline, antidotes to venom before absorption, 261.

Hypoleucocytosis, accompanying snake-bite, in lethal cases, 211, 212.

“ following fatal dose of venom, 216.

Immunity to venom, active, incontestably possible, 240.

“ “ doubtful, by Vatuas’ method, 239.

“ “ hereditary, pretended, 238.

“ “ “ “ in India and Egypt, 240.

“ “ natural, 222.

“ “ partial, enjoyed by snakes due to diastasic substances in blood, 218, 219.

“ “ in lethal doses not conferred by ingestion of venom, 215.

India, French Settlements in, collection of venom and treatment of bites from poisonous snakes in, 359.

“ legend relating to _Naja_ in, 37.

“ mortality from snake-bite in, 2, 38, 363.

“ “ “ “ excessive, due to snake-worship, 2.

“ “ “ _Naja_ bites, 38.

India, poisonous snakes inhabiting, 30-57.

“ snake-charmers in, 229-234.

“ “ “ remedies for bites, 237.

“ _Teuthis_ found in, 301.

Indian Ocean, _Chilomycterus orbiculari_s and _C. tigrinus_, 307.

“ “ _Naseus_ found in, 301.

“ “ _Plotosus_ found in, 308.

“ “ _Pterois_ found in, 296.

“ “ _Scorpæna diabolus_ found in, 293.

“ “ _Tetrodon stellatus_ found in, 306.

Inoculation, experimental, by Fraser, of Edinburgh, 235.

“ extraction of venom from alcatifa for, 239.

“ graduated, by French viper-catchers, 234.

“ immunity incontestable from, 240.

“ subcutaneous, productive of immunity, 234.

Insects, venomous species of, 281.

Invertebrata easily killed by venom inoculation, 173.

Jacolot, on Mexicans’ method of immunisation, 255-257.

Japan, _Cryptobranchus japonicus_ found in, 315.

“ _Prionurus_ found in, 301.

“ _Tetrodon rubripes_ found on shores of, 306.

“ “ “ _See also_ China and Japan.

Jararacussu (_Lachesis lanceolatus_), 112, 113, 114.

Jean, bite from _Trigonocephalus_, 352.

Jugglers called in to expel _efas_ (_echis carinatus_) from Egyptian houses, 77.

_Julus_, 280.

Kanthack, A. A., on chemical constituents of venom, 160.

Kasauli, laboratory for production of antivenomous serum at, 248, 252.

_Katipo_ (_Latrodectus scelio_), 275.

Kayalof, Mlle., poison from pedicellariæ prepared by, 273.

Kidney, action of venom on, 183.

Kinase in snake-venoms, 204.

Kinasic properties of venom, how produced, 213.

“ “ “ _See also_ Diastasic actions.

King cobra. _See Naja bungarus._

Kipling, Rudyard, account of battle between mongoose and cobra, 223.

Kobert, poison from _Latrodectus_ and _Epeira_ prepared by, 276.

Krait, 30. _See also Bungarus._

Krefft, Gerard, on snakes of Australia, 81, 82.

Kyes, lecithide from scorpion-venom, 278.

“ on relation of toxins to antitoxins, 254, 255, 257.

“ the production of lecithides, 197, 199.

Labaria (_Lachesis atrox_), 114.

Labial glands, upper, venomous secretions, 147.

Laboratories for preparation of antivenomous serum, 248, 252.

de Lacerda, on diastatic actions of venoms, 212.

“ _Elaps_, 108.

“ harmless ingestion of venom exceeding lethal dose, 214.

_Lacertidæ_, 321.

_Lachesis_, 51, 109, 111.

“ bite of, clinical symptoms, 169.

“ “ “ primarily local, violent, 169.

“ classification of species, 52.

“ venom of, absorption by digestive system, cause of acute inflammation of gastric mucous membrane, 180.

“ “ rich in kinase, 204.

“ _alternatus_, 115.

“ _ammodytoides_, 117.

“ _anamallensis_, 56.

“ _atrox_ (grage), immunity from bite of, 238.

“ “ (labaria), 114.

“ _aurifer_, 119.

“ _bicolor_, 119.

“ _bilineatus_, 118.

“ _borneensis_, 57.

“ _brachystoma_, 118.

“ _cantoris_, 53.

“ _castelnaudi_, 117.

“ _ferox_ (grage), bites from, cure, 351.

“ _flavomaculatus_, 55.

“ _flavoviridis_, 53.

“ _godmani_, 118.

“ _gramineus_, 55.

“ “ venom of, dose lethal for rabbit, 175.

“ _jerdonii_, 54.

“ _lanceolatus_ (fer-de-lance, or jararacussu), 112.

“ “ description and habits, 113, 114.

“ “ mortality from bite of, 113.

“ “ secretion of, 150.

“ “ venom of, 325.

“ “ “ coagulant action on blood, 191.

“ “ “ “ “ diminishes when heated, 191.

“ _lansbergii_, 118.

“ _lateralis_, 119.

“ _luteus_, 54.

“ _macrolepis_, 56.

“ _microphthalmus_, 114.

“ _monticola_, 52.

“ _mucrosquamatus_, 54.

“ _mutus_ (bushmaster or surucucu), 112.

“ _neuwiedii_ (urutù), 115.

“ _nigroviridis_, 119.

“ _nummifer_, 117.

“ _okinavensis_, 52.

“ _pictus_, 115.

“ _pulcher_, 114.

“ _puniceus_, 56.

_Lachesis purpureomaculatus_, 54.

“ _schlegelii_, 119.

“ _strigatus_, 53.

“ _sumatranus_, 56.

“ _trigonocephalus_, 56.

“ _undulatus_, 118.

“ _wagleri_, 57.

“ _xanthogrammus_, 117.

Lamb, G., on action of venom on brain, 185.

“ on coagulant action of venom of _Vipera russellii_, 191.

Landouzy, Prof., on serum therapeutics, 240.

Lannoy, on diastasic actions of venoms, 212, 213.

“ proteolytic action of venoms, 204.

“ researches of, on glands of snakes, 147.

Lapeyre, on bites from European vipers, 346.

_Latrodectus_, 276.

“ _erebus_, 276.

“ _mactans_, 275.

“ _malmignattus_, 275.

Lavigne, bite from _Trigonocephalus_, 354.

de Lavison, R., on _Lachesis lanceolatus_, 113.

Lecithides, production of, 191, 197, 198, 199, 254, 258.

“ “ from bee-venom, 285.

“ “ “ scorpion-venom, 278.

Lecithin, added to venom to dissolve washed red corpuscles, 197.

“ cholesterin antidote to, 198.

“ combination with snake-venom, 254.

Leipothymia following inoculation of venom of _Synanceia brachio_, 292.

Le Naour, on the spitting snake, 63.

Leucocytes, protective _rôle_ against snake-poisoning, 216.

Leucolysin, mode of producing, 203.

Lewin, experiments on immunity of hedgehog to venom, 226.

Leydig, researches of, 147.

Lhomme, bite from _Lachesis ferox_, 351.

“ collection of venom, 156.

Light, destructive effect of, on venom in solution, 165.

Liver, action of venom on, 182.

Livingstone, mention of _Naja haje_ by, 60.

Lizards, 321-323.

“ only one species venomous, 322.

“ succumb rapidly to snake-poisoning, 172.

_Lophius_, 304.

“ _piscatorius_, 301.

“ _setigerus_, 303-304.

Lucan, passage from, quoted, on immunity of Psylli, 240.

Lumière, A., and Nicolas, J., on effect of intense cold on venom, 166.

Lungs, action of venom on, 184.

_Lycodon aulicus_, resemblance of _Bungarus candidus_ to, 33.

Maclaud, bite from _Naja haje_, 356.

Madsen, Th., and Noguchi, H., on ratio between dose of venom and time elapsing till death, 177.

Mal on Hindu snake-charmers, 229.

Malaysia, poisonous snakes of, 81.

_Malmignatte_, 275.

Mammals, action of _Colubrine_ venom on, symptoms and course, 171.

“ “ “ “ _post-mortem_ findings, 171.

“ “ _Viperine_ venoms on, symptoms and course, 171.

“ “ “ “ _post-mortem_ findings, 171.

Man, minimal dose of venom lethal for, 176.

“ not attacked by _Bitis gabonica_ (Gaboon viper), 74.

Mano de sapo root, eaten by Mexicans during immunisation treatment, 236.

Maoris’ fear of _Katipo_, 275.

Marchand, on bites from European vipers, 339.

Mariadassou, P., serum treatment, 363-371.

Mariapregassam, collection of venom, 361.

Marotte, on _Naja haje_ bite, 356.

Martin, C. J., chemical constituents of venom, 160.

“ “ experiments on _Pseudechis_, 162.

“ “ “ with rats proving harmlessness of ingestion of venom of _Pseudechis_, 181.

“ “ on venom of _Ornithorhynchus_, 324.

“ “ and Cherry, on antagonism between toxins and antitoxins, 253.

“ “ and Smith, MacGarvie, on local and general effects of albumoses derived from snake-venom, 163.

Martinique, mortality from bite of fer-de-lance in, 113.

Massasanga, 120. _See also Sistrurus catenatus._

de Maupas on _Pelias berus_ bite, 357.

Mediterranean Sea, _Muræna helena_ found in, 309.

“ “ _Scorpæna porcus_ found in, 294.

Medulla, substance of, fixation of venom on, 186.

_Meloë_ (oil-beetles), 281.

Mexico, inoculation of natives in, successful, 235-237.

_Micropechis_, 93.

“ _elapoides_, 93.

“ _ikaheka_, 93.

Milk from mother bitten by poisonous snake causing death of young, 181, 214.

Mimicry, biological laws of, coloration of snakes subject to, 15, 16.

Mitchell, S. Weir, on chemical constituents of venom, 160.

“ “ fatal results of experimental ingestion of venoms, 180.

“ “ harmless ingestion of venom exceeding lethal dose, 214.

Moindrot, H., bites from European vipers, 345.

Molluscs, poisonous species of, 286.

Mongoose, battles with hamadryads and cobras, 223, 224.

“ “ victory mainly due to natural agility, 225.

“ immunity to snake-venom, 223.

“ “ “ not absolute, 225.

“ “ “ proved by injections, 224, 225.

_Monotremata. See Ornithorhynchus paradoxus_ or _O. anatinus_.

Mons on bite from horned viper, 349.

Morgenroth, on combination of venom with lecithin, 254.

“ reconstitution of toxins, 257.

“ and Carpi, lecithide of bee-venom prepared by, 285.

Mortality from bite of _Naja_ in India, 38.

“ “ _Vipera berus_ (common viper or adder), 27.

“ “ poisonous snake-bite; localities:-- Australia, 100, 261. France, 3. India, 2, 38, 363. Martinique, 113.

Mottled Rattle-snake 124, 125. _See also Crotalus confluentus._

Moudon, on bite from _Cerastes_, 348.

Moult of snake’s skin, 16, 20.

“ venom shows greatest activity after, 176.

Mouse, experiments on, demonstrating neutralisation of venom by antitoxin, 254.

Mucous membranes, acute inflammation produced by deposit of venoms on, 180.

_Muræna_, 309.

“ poison apparatus in buccal teeth, 288.

“ “ “ of, 309, 310.

“ _helena_, 309.

“ _moringa_, 309.

_Murænidæ_, 307, 309.

_Murex brandaris_, 286.

“ _trunculus_, 286.

Murison, Lieutenant C. C., on bite from _Echis carinata_, 347.

Muscles, striated, action of venoms on, 184.

Muscular apparatus of head of poisonous snakes, 11, 12, 13.

Myriopods, venomous species of, 280.

_Naja_ (cobra), 33, 59.

“ habits of species of, 37.

“ legend relating to marks on its neck, 37.

“ mortality from bite of, in India, 38.

“ poison-glands of, 148.

“ venom of, active hæmolysing power possessed by, 199.

“ worship bestowed on, by Hindus, 38.

“ _anchietæ_, 62.

“ _bungarus_ (_Ophiophagus_ or _Hamadryas elaps_, king cobra or hamadryad), 37, 38.

“ “ action of venom, 39.

“ “ feeds on other snakes, 38.

“ “ killed by mongoose, 223.

“ “ method of procuring food, 38, 39.

“ “ vindictiveness of, 39.

“ _flava_, 61.

“ _goldii_, 62.

“ _haje_ or _haie_ (Egyptian cobra), 59.

“ “ bites from, 356.

_Naja haje_, danger extreme from its boldness in pursuit of victims, 60.

“ “ dreaded and hunted down in Egypt, 60.

“ “ employed by Egyptian snake-charmers, 61.

“ “ secretion of, 149.

“ “ “ tables, 150.

“ “ worshipped among ancient Egyptians, 61.

“ _melanoleuca_, 62.

“ _nigricollis_, 62.

“ _samarensis_, 36.

“ _tripudians_ (Cobra-di-capello), 33-36.

“ “ collection of venom from, 156, 360.

“ “ marks produced on skin by bite of, 10.

“ “ muscular apparatus of head of, 11, 13.

“ “ poison-gland of, 11, 13.

“ “ var. _cæca_, 35.

“ “ “ _fasciata_, 35.

“ “ “ _miolepsis_, 36.

“ “ “ _sputatrix_, 35.

“ “ “ _typica_, 34.

_Naseus_, 301.

Natter-jack, 318.

Neurotoxic and hæmolytic actions of venoms, parallelism between, 255.

Neurotoxin, 191, 195.

“ essential active substance in venoms, 187, 250.

“ highly resistant to heat, 249.

“ of scorpion-poison, 278.

“ of toad-venom (bufotenin), 320.

“ potency of antineurotoxic serum against, 250, 251.

“ predominance in venom of _Colubridæ_, 249.

“ present in venoms of some species of _Viperidæ_, 249.

Neuwied on _Elaps_, 108.

New Caledonia, terrestrial poisonous snakes unknown in, 100.

New Guinea, poisonous snakes of, 81-100.

New Zealand, _Katipo_ found in, 275.

“ no poisonous snakes in, 100.

Nicolas, J., and Lumière, A., on effect of intense cold on venom, 166.

Noc, on action of different venoms, 190, 191.

“ bacteriolytic property of venom, with respect to different micro-organisms, 207, 208, 209.

“ hæmolytic powers of venoms, 196.

“ study of venom of _Ornithorhynchus_, 324.

Noguchi, H., on action of aniline colours on venom, 167.

“ failure of hæmolysis under large doses of venom, 200, 201.

“ and Flexner, cytolytic action of venoms, 206.

“ “ “ investigations on toxicity of snakes’ organs, 220.

“ “ “ on action of snake-serums on red corpuscles, 219.

“ “ Madsen, Th., on ratio between dose of venom and time elapsing till death, 177.

Normandy, coast of, _Cottus_ abundant on, 292.

_Notechis_, 95.

“ _scutatus_ (syn. _Hoplocephalus curtus_, tiger-snake), 95.

“ “ “ “ “ bite dangerous, 100.

“ “ venom of, dose lethal for rabbit, 175.

Oceania, geographical distribution of genera of poisonous snakes (tables), 145.

Octopods, poisonous juice exuded by, a means of overpowering prey, 287.

_Ogmodon_, 82.

“ _vitianus_, 82.

Oil beetles, 281. _See also Meloë._

_Ophiogeni_ in Egypt, 228-229.

_Ophiophagus_, 37. _See also Naja bungarus._

Ophthalmia, purulent, produced by snake-venom experimentally, 180.

“ “ “ venom of species of _Sepedon_, 180.

_Opisthoglypha_, group of _Colubridæ_, 3.

“ sub-families of, 3. _See also Homalopsinæ_, _Dipsadomorphinæ_, _Elachistodontinæ_.

“ “ slightly poisonous and not dangerous to man, 4.

_Ornithorhynchus paradoxus_, or _O. anatinus_ (duck-billed platypus), 323.

“ “ “ “ “ venom of, 324, 325.

“ “ “ “ “ action similar to venoms of _Viperidæ_, 324.

“ “ “ “ “ toxicity very slight, 325.

Pacific Ocean (Equatorial), _Pterois_ found in, 296.

“ “ (Tropical), _Scorpæna diabolus_ found in, 293.

“ “ “ _Synanceia brachio_ most commonly found in, 291.

“ rattle-snake, 124, 125. _See also Crotalus confluentus._

Pain, severe, after bite of species of _Viperidæ_, 169.

“ slight from bite of cobra, 169.

Panama, _Thalassophryne reticulata_ found on shores of, 303.

Pancreatic juice, addition to venom produces kinasic power, 213.

Paris, brown _Pelobates_ found near, 318.

Parotid glands, venomous secretions, 147.

Pasteur Institute (Lille), poisonous snakes in captivity at, 72.

“ “ “ preparation of antivenomous serum at, 245-248.

“ “ “ rattle-snakes in captivity at, 125.

“ “ “ work and experiments at, 189, 190, 191, 204, 214, 223, 224, 244-248, 267.

Paterne, D., bites from European vipers, 341.

Peal, H. W., on bite from _Hydrophiidæ_ (sea-snakes), 338.

Pedicellariæ (organs of the _Echinoidea_), poison prepared from, 273.

_Pediculati_, 303.

Pedlar on chemical constituents of venom, 160.

_Pelias berus_ (common viper), bite from, 339.

“ “ “ “ “ cure, 357.

_Pelobates fuscus_ (brown _Pelobates_), 318.

Pelor, 293, 296.

_Percidæ_, 304.

Peritoneum, hæmorrhagic injections of, produced by venoms of _Viperidæ_, 179, 180.

Permanganate of potash, antidote to venom before absorption, 260.

“ “ solution, modifies or destroys venoms, 164.

Philadelphia, laboratory for production of antivenomous serum at, 248, 252.

Philippine Islands, poisonous snakes inhabiting, 30-57.

Phisalix, experiments of, on venom with alternating currents of high frequency, 165.

“ on effects of emanations of radium on venom, 166.

“ variations in local effects of venoms, 176.

“ venom of _Cryptobranchus japonicus_, 317.

“ poison from bee-venom prepared by, 283.

“ researches of, on glands of snakes, 147.

“ and Bertrand, experiments on immunity of hedgehog to venom, 226.

“ “ “ preparation of toad-venom, 319.

_Phoorsa. See Echis carinatus._

Phrynolysin, 320.

“ extracted from skins of toads, 320.

Physiology of experimental poisoning, 170.

_Physostomi_, 307.

Pig, destruction of vipers and rattle-snakes by, 125, 222, 226.

“ immunity to snake-venom due to defence provided by adipose tissue, 222.

“ serum, devoid of antitoxic substance, 222.

Pigeons, vaccination against rattle-snake-venom, 241.

“ killed by causing them to ingest venom, 180.

Pinto, Col. S., on immunity to inoculation, 238, 239.

_Platurus_, 140.

“ _colubrinus_, 141.

“ _laticaudatus_, 141.

“ _muelleri_, 141.

“ _schistorhynchus_, 141.

_Plectognathi_ (family _Gymnodontes_), 305.

Pliny on salamanders, 312.

“ treatment of poisonous snake-bites, 259.

_Plotosus_, 308.

“ _lineatus_, 308.

“ “ poison-apparatus of, 308.

Plutarch on snake-charmers, 228.

Poison-apparatus of _Cottus_, 293.

“ _Muræna_, 309, 310.

“ _Plotosus lineatus_, 308.

“ _Scorpæna_, 294.

“ snakes, 8.

“ _Synanceia_, 291.

“ _Trachinus_ (weevers), 297, 298, 299.

“ venomous fishes, 289.

Poison-fang, 8.

“ action of, 148.

“ of _Proteroglypha_ grooved, 4,

“ _Viperidæ_ canaliculate, 5.

Poison-gland of Hymenoptera, 281, 282.

Poison-gland of non-venomous snakes, 217.

“ venomous snakes, 10, 11, 12, 13.

_Polistes_, 285.

_Pompilus_, 285.

Pondicherry, collection of venom at, 156-158.

“ Hospital, collection of venom, method, 362.

“ public notice in, _re_ capture of poisonous snakes, 360.

Prairie rattle-snake, 120. _See also Sistrurus catenatus._

Pravaz syringe, injection of serum with, 263.

Precipitins of venoms, 202.

_Prionurus_, 301.

Pröscher on extraction of phrynolysin from skins of toads, 320.

Proteids, extraction from snake-venom, 163.

Proteolytic action of venoms, 204.

“ “ “ extent and limitations, 205.

_Proteroglypha_ (group of _Colubridæ_), 4.

“ bite rapidly produces general intoxication, 168.

“ poison-fangs of, grooved, 4.

“ sub-families of, 4. _See also Hydrophiinæ_; _Elapinæ_.

Proto-albumoses, active principle of snake-venom, 164.

“ separation from snake-venom, 162, 163.

_Pseudechis_, 87.

“ venom of, experiments on, 162.

“ “ ingestion by rats harmless, 181.

“ _australis_, 88.

“ _cupreus_, 88.

“ _darwiniensis_, 88.

“ _ferox_, 88.

“ _microlepidotus_, 88.

“ _papuanus_, 88.

“ _porphyriacus_ (black snake), 88.

“ “ “ “ bite dangerous, 100.

“ “ “ “ secretion of, 149.

“ _scutellatus_, 88.

_Pseudelaps_, 84.

“ _diadema_, 85.

“ _harriettæ_, So.

“ _krefftii_, 85.

“ _muelleri_, 84.

“ _squamulosus_, 84.

“ _sutherlandi_, 86.

“ _warro_, 86.

_Pseudocerastes persicus_, 47.

Psylli, Egyptian charmers and healers, 228-229.

“ Roman charmers and healers, 228.

“ “ “ “ “ Lucan on, 240.

_Pterois_, 293, 295-296.

Puff adder, 69. _See also Bitis arietans._

Putrefaction, rapid, following death from snake-bite, 211, 212.

Pyramids, viper of (_Echis carinatus_), 76.

Queensland, mortality from snake-bite slight in, 100.

Rabbit, experiments on, demonstrating neutralisation of venom by antitoxin, 255.

“ minimal doses of various venoms lethal for, 173, 174, 175.

“ vaccination against cobra-venom, 243.

_Rascasse_, 296.

Rat, P., on common viper’s bite, 358.

“ ingestion of venom of _Pseudechis_ harmless to, 181.

“ minimal doses of various venoms lethal for, 174.

Rat-serum, bacteriolytic action of venom not comparable to, 208.

Rattle-snake, common, 125. _See also Crotalus durissus._

“ dog-faced, 124. _See also Crotalus terrificus._

“ ground, 120. _See also Sistrurus miliarius._

“ horned, 129. _See also Crotalus cerastes._

“ Pacific, or mottled, 124. _See also Crotalus confluentus._

“ prairie, 120. _See also Sistrurus catenatus._

“ Texas, 124. _See also Crotalus scutulatus._

“ venom, vaccination of pigeons against, 241.

Red Sea, _Naseus_ found in, 301.

Reichert on chemical constituents of venom, 160.

Renaux, P., on bites from _Crotalus horridus_, 355.

Rennie, Major S. J., case of bite of _Bungarus cæruleus_, 337.

Reptiles, toxicity of blood in, 217.

Respiratory centres, nerve-cell of, attacked by albumose of snake-venom, 162.

_Rhinhoplocephalus_, 95.

“ _bicolor_, 95.

_Rhynchelaps_, 97.

“ _australis_, 98.

“ _bertholdi_, 97.

“ _fasciolatus_, 98.

“ _semifasciatus_, 98.

Richards on fatal results of experimental ingestion of venoms, 180.

Richet, C., congestin from _Anemone scultata_ prepared by, 270.

“ thalassin, from _Anemone scultata_ prepared by, 269.

Ringhals slang, 63. _See also Sepedon hæmachates._

River-jack viper, 73. _See also Bitis gabonica._

Rogers, Major L., experiments on action of venom on nervous centres, 186.

“ “ researches of, on glands of snakes, 147.

Romans, snake-charmers’ customs among, 228.

“ “ “ “ Lucan on, 240.

Roudot, Natalis, on Hindu snake-charmers, 229.

Russell, on the venom of _daboia_ (_Vipera russellii_), 46.

Sachs, on relation of toxins to antitoxins, 254.

Salamandarin, 316. _See also_ Salamandrine.

Salamander, Japanese, 317. _See also Cryptobranchus japonicus._

“ venom of, closely analogous to that of toad, 321.

“ “ potency exaggerated by the ancients, 312.

Salamanders and toads most dreaded by ancients, 312.

_Salamandra atra_ (black salamander), 313.

“ _maculosa_ (spotted salamander), 313, 314.

Salamandridine prepared from venom of salamanders, 317.

Salamandrine, prepared from venom of salamanders, 317.

Saliva of _Heloderma horridum_ sometimes toxic, sometimes harmless, 323.

“ venomous, of non-poisonous snakes, 214.

Sangis, name of snake-charmers of Bengal, 229.

São-Paulo (Brazil), laboratory for production of antivenomous serum at, 248, 252.

Scales, arrangement of, on heads of poisonous snakes, 14, 15.

_Scolopendra_, 280.

_Scolopendridæ_, bite of, 281.

_Scorpæna_, 288, 289, 293.

“ poison-apparatus of, 294.

“ _diabolus_, 293.

“ _grandicornis_, 293.

“ _porcus_, 294.

_Scorpio occitanus_, 277, 278.

Scorpion, blood of, antitoxic, 279.

“ manner of stinging, 277.

“ poison, 278.

“ “ affinities with that of _Colubridæ_, 278.

“ “ neurotoxin of, 278.

_Scorpionidea_ (scorpions), 276.

Sea-snakes, 131. See also Hydrophiinæ.

“ (_Hydrophis_), venom from, 360.

_Sepedon hæmachates_ (spitting snake or ringhals slang), 63.

“ “ bite of, cure, 337.

“ “ venom of, purulent ophthalmia discharged by spitting, 63, 64.

“ “ “ “ “ caused by projection of, 62, 180.

Serous membranes, local effects on, of cobra-venom, slight, 179.

“ “ “ “ venoms of _Viperidæ_, severe, 179.

Serph, collection of venom. 156.

_Serranus_, 304.

“ _ouatabili_, 304.

Serum, antivenomous, antineurotoxic, 250, 251.

“ “ “ potency against cobra-venom, 250, 251, 252.

“ “ in treatment of bites of poisonous snakes, 326.

“ “ “ yellow fever, 184.

“ “ method for measuring power of, 256, 257.

“ “ “ “ “ _in vitro_, 202.

“ “ neutralisation of snake-venom by, 253-258.

“ “ “ “ “ experiments showing necessary proportions to effect, 254, 255.

“ “ polyvalent, 251.

“ “ “ prepared from horse, 251.

“ “ preparation of, 246.

“ “ “ test-solutions, 217.

“ “ “ at Pasteur Institute, Lille, 245-248.

“ “ “ special laboratories, 248, 252.

Serum, antivenomous, preventive power tested by intravenous injection, 246.

“ “ rules respecting proportions of quantity to be administered, 266, 267, 268.

“ “ specificity of, 248.

“ Calmette’s, in treatment of cobra-bites, 363, 364, 365.

“ therapeutics, antivenomous, 241-252.

“ “ “ technique of, 262-265.

“ _See also_ Snake serum.

Serums, specific against coagulant venoms, 192.

Sewall on vaccination of pigeons against rattle-snake venom, 241.

_Siluridæ_, 307, 308.

_Silurus glanis_, 308.

_Sistrurus_, 110, 120.

“ _catenatus_ (prairie rattle-snake, or massasanga), 120.

“ _miliarius_ (ground rattle-snake), 120.

“ _ravus_, 120.

Skin, marks produced on, by bites of different species of snakes (venomous and non-venomous), 10.

Smell, loss of, following bite of viper, 178.

Smith, MacGarvie, researches of, 149.

“ “ on chemical constituents of venom, 160.

“ “ and Martin, C. J., on local and general effects of albumoses derived from snake-venoms, 163.

Snake-bite, death from, rapid putrefaction following, 211, 212.

“ hypoleucocytosis accompanying, in lethal cases, 211, 212.

“ mortality from, 2, 3, 38, 57, 100, 261, 363.

“ non-lethal, suppuration following, 212.

“ poisonous, treatment in domestic animals, 265.

“ “ “ men and animals, 259.

“ “ “ _See also_ Serum therapeutics, antivenomous.

Snake-charmers, 228.

“ deaths from bites, 234.

“ Egyptian, 228-229.

“ “ employment of _Naja haje_ for performances, 61.

“ Indian, 229-234.

“ Libyan, 228.

“ Roman, 228.

“ safety in skill, 234.

Snake-serum combined with snake-venom does not destroy red corpuscles, 220.

“ dissolution of red corpuscles by, 219.

Snake-venom, action on heart, 184.

“ “ kidney, 183.

“ “ liver, 182.

“ “ lungs, 184.

“ “ nervous centres, 185.

“ “ spleen, 183.

“ “ striated muscles, 184.

“ activity greatest after prolonged fasting and after moult, 176.

“ aids digestion of prey, 213, 214.

Snake-venom, antagonism between coagulant and anticoagulant kinds, 194.

“ antidotes to, before absorption, 260, 261.

“ artificial introduction into egg of fowl, effect on embryo, 214.

“ bacteriolytic action, 206.

“ “ substance in, peculiarities of, 207, 208.

“ chemical study of, 159.

“ collection of, 147, 152-158.

“ “ in French Settlements in India, 359.

“ combination with lecithin, 254.

“ combined with snake-serum does not dissolve red corpuscles, 220.

“ complex effects on tissues, 215.

“ complexity of means of defence against, 215.

“ cytolytic action, 206.

“ diastasic action of, 212.

“ dried, 149.

“ effects of, in non-lethal doses, 177.

“ extraction of, by Hindus, 233.

“ “ from _Alcatifa_, for inoculation, 239.

“ freshly collected, 149.

“ hypoleucocytosis following fatal dose, 216.

“ immunity to, 222.

“ “ from inoculation, 234-235.

“ “ of herons to, probable, 226, 227.

“ ingestion of, fails to secure immunity to lethal dose, 214, 215.

“ “ harmless, 214.

“ lethal to snakes of other species, 219.

“ neutralisation by antitoxin, 253-258.

“ “ injection of antitoxic serum, second step in treatment after bite, 262.

“ no strict ratio between dose inoculated and time elapsing till death, 177.

“ parallelism between neurotoxic and hæmolytic action, 255.

“ prevention of absorption first step in treatment after bite, 262.

“ produces acute inflammation of mucous membrane, 180.

“ protective _rôle_ of leucocytes against, 216.

“ proteolytic action, 204.

“ reconstitution, method of, 257, 258.

“ secretion of, 147-152.

“ temperature lowered after fatal dose, 216.

“ toxic conditions of, 151.

“ vaccination against, 241.

“ variations in local effects of, 176.

Snakes, coloration of, 15, 16.

“ “ subject to biological laws of mimicry, 15, 16.

“ cranial skeleton of, 6.

“ dentition of, 6.

“ moulting of skin, 16, 20.

“ non-poisonous, arrangement of scales on head of, 14.

“ “ poison-glands in, 217.

“ “ venomous saliva of, 214.

Snakes, non-poisonous, withstand large doses of venom, 172.

“ poisonous, all species carnivorous, 17.

“ “ arrangement of scales on head of, 15.

“ “ artificial feeding of, 17, 18.

“ “ bite of, danger diminished by clothing or other means of protection, 170.

“ “ blood of, toxicity, 217.

“ “ characterised by special arrangement of facial bones, 6.

“ “ deaths from, in Queensland, 100.

“ “ devoured by herons, 227.

“ “ different species should not be placed in same cage, 219.

“ “ difficult to distinguish from non-venomous, 2.

“ “ digestion aided by venom, 213, 214.

“ “ dread of destruction of, cause of excessive mortality from snake-bite in India, 2.

“ “ geographical distribution of, 2, 3.

“ “ habits of, 17.

“ “ health authorities’ notices respecting, in Australia, 100.

“ “ kept in captivity, 61, 72, 125, 156, 223.

“ “ method of capture, 20, 21.

“ “ “ striking and seizing prey, 17.

“ “ muscular apparatus of head of, 11, 12, 13.

“ “ of Africa, 57-81.

“ “ Asia, Dutch Indies and Philippine Islands, 30-57.

“ “ Australia, 81-100.

“ “ Europe, 22-29.

“ “ Malaysia, 81.

“ “ New Guinea, 81-100.

“ “ South Sea Islands, 81-100.

“ “ Sunda Islands, 81.

“ “ poison-apparatus of, 8.

“ “ poison-fangs of, 8.

“ “ poison-glands of, 10, 11, 12, 13.

“ “ succumb to venom of other species, 173.

“ “ teeth of, difference in arrangement and dimensions of various species, 9.

“ “ treatment of bites from, in French Settlements in India, 359.

“ “ unaffected by enormous doses of their own venom, 172.

“ “ unknown in New Caledonia, 100.

“ “ "New Zealand, 100.

“ “ victory of mongooses over, in combat, due mainly to natural agility, 225.

“ worship of, 2.

“ “ extant in India, 2.

_Solenoglypha_, 109.

“ bite produces important local disorders, 168.

“ marks produced on skin by bite of one of, 10.

Sonoran coral-snake, 102. _See also Elaps euryxanthus._

South Sea Islands, poisonous snakes of, 81-100.

Sparrows, effect of venom of _Heterometrus maurus_ on, 279.

_Sphærechinus granularis_, poison from pedicellariæ, 273.

Spinal cord, comparative actions of venoms of _Colubridæ_ and _Viperidæ_ on, 185, 186.

Spiders. _See Araneida._

Spitting snake, 63. _See also Sepedon hæmachates._

Spleen, action of venom on, 183.

Sponge-divers, malady of, 272.

_Squamipinnes_, 304.

Stings (wasp- or bee-), treatment for, 286.

Stomach, acute inflammation of gastric mucous membrane produced by ingestion of venoms of _Viperidæ_, 180.

_Strongylocentrotus lividus_, poison from pedicellariæ of, 273.

Strychnine, injection of, of no value as antidote against snake-venom, 261.

Sunda Islands, poisonous snakes of, 81.

Superstitions, native methods of inoculation full of, 239-240.

Suppuration following non-lethal snake-bites, 212.

Surucucu or bushmaster, 112. _See also Lachesis mutus._

Sutherland, Surgeon-Captain, bite from _Echis carinatus_, 348.

Sydney, laboratory for production of antivenomous serum at, 248, 252.

_Synanceia_, 288, 289, 290.

“ poison-apparatus of, 291.

“ _brachio_, 291.

Syncope, following inoculation of venom of _Synanceia brachio_, 292.

_Teleostei_, 290, 305, 307.

Temperature, effect of, on venoms, 161.

_Tetrodon_, 290, 305.

“ _rubripes_, 306.

“ _stellatus_, 306.

_Teuthididæ_, 301.

_Teuthis_, 301.

Texas rattle-snake, 124. _See also Crotalus scutulatus._

Thalassin, poison from _Anemone scultata_, 270.

_Thalassophis_, 133.

_Thalassophryne_, 288, 303.

“ _maculosa_, 303.

“ _reticulata_, 302-303.

Thuau on bites from European vipers, 342.

Tidswell, F., on venom of _Ornithorhynchus_, 324.

Tiger-snake, 95. _See also Notechis scutatus_.

Toad, common, 318.

“ green, 318.

“ musical, 318.

“ and frog, distinctions between, 318.

“ “ salamander, much dreaded by ancients, 312.

“ venom of, 318, 319.

“ “ active principles of, 319, 320.

“ “ closely analogous to that of salamander, 321.

“ “ preparation, 319.

“ “ exaggerated by the ancients, 312.

_Trachinidæ_, 297.

_Trachinus_ (weever), 288, 289, 297.

_Trachinus_ (weever) poison-apparatus of, 297, 298, 299.

“ _araneus_, 297.

“ _draco_, 297.

“ _radiatus_, 297.

“ _vipera_, 297.

Travers, P. M., on bite from _Bitis arietans_, 350.

Trichloride of iodine modifies or destroys venoms, 164.

_Triglidæ_, 290.

_Trigonocephalus_, bites from, 352, 355.

_Trimeresurus gramineus_, 55. _See also Lachesis gramineus._

“ _riukianus_, 53. _See also Lachesis flavoviridis._

_Triodon_, 305.

_Triton cristatus_, 313.

“ _marmoratus_, 313, 314.

_Tropidechis_, 94.

“ _carinatus_, 94.

_Tropidonotus matrix_ (grass-snake), venogen of, 151.

Trypanosomes, dissolution by cobra-venom, 207.

Tubriwallahs, snake-charmers of Bengal, 229.

Tunis, snake-charmers of, 228.

Tuxpan, natives of, inoculation methods, 235-237.

Urodela, salamanders belong to order of, 312.

_Urutù_, 115. _See also Lachesis neuwiedii._

Vaccination against cobra-venom, 242.

“ “ snake-venom, 241.

Van Denburgh, J., observations on _Heloderma horridum_, 323.

Vatuas, method of inoculation of, 239.

Venomous secretion, histology, 151.

de Villiers, on common viper’s bite, 357.

Viper, common, of Europe. See _Vipera berus_.

“ horned, bite from, 349.

“ inoculation of professional catchers of, in France, 234.

_Vipera_, 43.

“ zoological characters of, 23, 24.

“ _ammodytes_, 29, 69.

“ _aspis_ (asp, or red viper), 27, 28.

“ “ bite from, cure, 339.

“ “ poison-cells, 151.

“ berus (common viper, or adder), 25, 26.

“ “ devoured by hedgehogs, 222, 226.

“ “ mortality from bite, 27.

“ “ venom of, chemical constituency, 149, 160.

“ “ “ immunity of hedgehog to, 226.

“ “ “ uncertain coagulant action on blood, 189, 190.

“ _latastii_, 28, 69.

“ _lebetina_, 44, 69.

_Vipera raddii_, 44.

“ _renardi_, 44.

“ _russellii_ (_daboia_, or Russell’s viper), 45, 40.

“ “ muscular apparatus of head of, 11, 12.

“ “ poison-gland of, 11, 12.

“ “ protection against, adopted by natives, 46.

“ “ venom of, coagulant action on blood, diminished when heated, 191.

“ “ “ extremely potent, 46.

“ “ “ dose lethal for rabbit, 175.

“ “ “ ingestion causing death, 180.

“ _superciliaris_, 69.

“ _ursinii_, 24, 25, 44.

_Viperidæ_, 5, 43, 66.

“ bites of, local gangrene resulting from, 177.

“ characteristics of, 5.

“ geographical distribution, 6.

“ poison-fangs canaliculate, 5.

“ species of, bite produces grave local disorders, 168.

“ sub-families of, 6. _See also Viperinæ, Crotalinæ._

“ venoms of, absorption by digestive tract sets up acute inflammation of gastric mucous membrane, 180.

“ “ action on nervous centres weak, 185, 186.

“ “ comparison of coagulant action on blood of various species, 190.

“ “ easily destroyed by heat, 161.

“ “ hæmolysing power, weak, 199.

“ “ lethal effects on mammals, 171.

“ “ neurotoxin present in those of some species, 249.

“ “ non-dialytic, 161.

“ “ produce coagulation of blood, 179, 188, 189.

“ “ “ hæmorrhagic injections of peritoneum, 179, 180.

“ “ recovery after non-lethal doses, slow, 177.

“ “ “ “ “ followed by loss of sight, smell, or hearing, 178.

“ “ recovery after non-lethal doses complicated by visceral hæmorrhages, 177, 178.

“ “ resemblance in action of that of Japanese salamander to, 317.

“ “ “ “ “ _Ornithorhynchus_ to, 324.

“ “ richness in hæmorrhagin, 249.

Viperin, chemistry of, 130.

_Viperinæ_, 43, 66, 101. _See also Atheris_, _Atractaspis_, _Bitis_, _Causus_, _Cerastes_, _Echis_, _Pseudocerastes_, _Vipera_.

“ characteristics of, 6.

Viscera, hæmorrhages from, complicating recovery from bites of _Viperidæ_, 177, 178.

“ hyperæmia of, caused by fatal bite of species of _Colubridæ_, 171.

Wall, chemical constituents of venom, 160.

Waller, fatal instance of rapid poisoning from bite of _Naja haje_, 60.

_Walterinnesia_, 64.

_Walterinnesia ægyptia_, 65.

Wasp, sting of, death from, 283.

“ “ remedies for, 286.

Weevers, 297. _See also Trachinus._

“ stings of, 298, 299.

Wehrmann, on diastasic actions of venoms, 212, 213.

“ experiments on ingestion of venom, 214.

Wertheimer, Austrian naturalist, fatally bitten by coral snake, 108.

Witch-doctors, remedies of, 237, 238, 239.

Wolfenden, Norris, chemical constituents of venom, 160.

Wright, O. B., observations on _Heloderma horridum_, 323.

Yellow fever, treatment by antitoxin of venom, 184.

Zervos, Dr. S., malady of sponge-divers, 272.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] As regards the distinctive characters of these various snakes, and of the majority of those that we shall describe in this book, we have followed the statements in the “Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History),” vol. iii., by George Albert Boulenger, F.R.S. (London: Printed by order of the Trustees, 1896.)

[2] _Acad. de médecine_, March 19, 1889.

[3] _Erpétologie générale_, t. vii.

[4] “Le serpent cracheur de la côte occidentale d’Afrique,” _Société Zool. de France_, 1895, p. 210. Bavay thinks that the Spitting Snake is a _Naja haje_, but the description that he gives of the head of the reptile, which was sent to him by Le Naour, certainly agrees with the characters of _Sepedon_. Moreover, I have satisfied myself that the many specimens of _Naja haje_ that I have kept in captivity in my laboratory never possessed the faculty of spitting their poison to a distance.

[5] “The Snakes of Australia,” Sydney, 1869.

[6] L. Lannoy, “Thèse de doctorat ès sciences,” Paris, 1903, No. 1,138, série A, 454.

[7] “Snake Commission Report,” 1874.

[8] _Bulletin de l’Académie de Médecine_, t. x., 1883, p. 947.

[9] _Zeitschrift für Biologie_, xxiii.

[10] Kühne and Chittenden, “Ueber Albumosen,” _Zeitschrift für Biologie_, 1884.

[11] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, 29 février, 1896.

[12] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, 1896, p. 489.

[13] _Province médicale_, 21 Septembre, 1901.

[14] Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, New York, 1906.

[15] _Proc. Roy. Soc._, London, lxxiv., 1904, pp. 108-109.

[16] _Ibid._, pp. 104-108.

[17] “Communication de l’Institut Sérothérapique de l’État danois,” tome i., Copenhagen, 1906.

[18] _Indian Annals_, July, 1868.

[19] _Medical News_, Philadelphia, 1884.

[20] “Zur Pathologie des Schlangenbisses,” _Forschungen der Medicin_, Berlin, 1890.

[21] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, t. xii., 1898, p. 369.

[22] _Thèse Bordeaux_, 1902.

[23] _Virchow’s Archiv für Pathologie, Anatomie, und Physiologie_, Band 179, 1905.

[24] Société de Médecine et de Chirurgie de São Paulo (Brazil), June 15, 1904.

[25] _Medical Record_, September 15, 1900.

[26] _Lancet_, January 2, August 20, October 22, 1904, and September 23, 1905.

[27] _Proceedings of the Royal Society_, vol. lxxi., 1903.

[28] “The Constitution of Snake-venom and Snake-sera,” _University of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin_, vol. xv., 1902, p. 345.

[29] Fontana, “On Poisons,” translated by J. Skinner: London, 1787.

[30] _Smithsonian Reports_, 1854.

[31] _Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge_, 1860.

[32] _Medical Times and Gazette_, vol. ii., 1873.

[33] “On the Physiological Action of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake,” _Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales_, July, 1895.

[34] _Indian Medical Gazette_, December, 1901.

[35] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, November 4, 1899.

[36] _Ibid._, October 28, 1899.

[37] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, June, 1904.

[38] At the Serum-therapic Laboratory of São Paulo (Brazil), Dr. Vital, Brazil, is at the present time preparing serum specific against _Lachesis_-venom.

[39] _Medical Times and Gazette_, vol. ii., 1873.

[40] “The Thanatophidia of India.” Churchill, London, 1872.

[41] “On the Physiological Action of the Venom of the Australian Black Snake,” _Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales_, July 3, 1895.

[42] _Archives biologiques_, 1897 and 1898; _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, October 28, 1899.

[43] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, October 28, 1899; November 4, 1899; July 26, 1902.

[44] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, June, 1904.

[45] _Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology_, 1899-1900.

[46] _Journal of Experimental Medicine_, March 17, 1902; _University of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin_, November, 1902.

[47] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, June 16, 1902.

[48] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, No. 27, 1902.

[49] _Berliner klinische Wochenschrift_, Nos. 38, 39, 1902; Nos. 2-4, 1903; Nos. 42-43, 1903.

[50] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, 1904, p. 387.

[51] _Journal of Experimental Medicine_, 1905, No. 2, pp. 191-222.

[52] _Lancet_, April 2, 1904, pp. 916-921.

[53] “The Constitution of Snake-venoms and Snake-sera,” _University of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin_, vol. xv., November, 1902, p. 345.

[54] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, August 11, 1902.

[55] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, June, 1904.

[56] “Sur l’action protéolytique des venins,” _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, September, 1902, and _Thèse Paris_, No. 1,138, 1903.

[57] “On the Plurality of Cytolysins in Snake-venom,” _University of Pennsylvania Medical Bulletin_, vol. xvi., 1903, p. 163.

[58] _Ann. Soc. Méd. de Gand_, 1905, fasc. 3.

[59] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, April, 1905.

[60] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, 1898.

[61] _Thèse Paris_, No. 1138, 1903.

[62] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, August 11, 1902.

[63] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, January 11, 1896.

[64] Wehrmann, _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, 1897 and 1898.

[65] Carrière, “Sur le sort des toxines et des antitoxines dans le tube digestif,” _ibid._, 1898, p. 435.

[66] _British Medical Journal_, 1895 and 1897.

[67] Chatenay, “Les réactions leucocytaires vis-à-vis de certaines toxines,” _Thèse Paris_, 1894.

[68] Flexner and Noguchi, “Snake-venom in Relation to Hæmolysis, Bacteriolysis, and Toxicity,” _Journal of Experimental Medicine_, vol. vi., March 17, 1902.

[69] “Trattado del veneno della vipera,” 1787.

[70] _Archiv für mikroskopische Anatomie_, Bd. ix., 1873.

[71] _Morphologisches Jahrbuch_, Bd. viii., 1883.

[72] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, January 20, 1894.

[73] _Archives de Physiologie_, 1894.

[74] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, Paris, January 22, 1894.

[75] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, January 13, 1894.

[76] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, 1897.

[77] _Archives italiennes de Biologie_, 1888 and 1889.

[78] _Archives de Physiologie_, 1894.

[79] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, July 25, 1903.

[80] _Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology_, May, 1903.

[81] _Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology_, 1900, p. 273.

[82] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, July 1, 1905.

[83] “The Jungle Book,” by Rudyard Kipling. London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd. Reprint of 1905, pp. 183, 184.

[84] _Deutsche medicinische Wochenschrift_, 1898.

[85] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, 1895, p. 639, and 1899, p. 77; _Bulletin du Muséum d’Histoire naturelle_, 1895, t. i., p. 294, t. ii., p. 100.

[86] “Aperçu général sur l’Egypte.” Paris, 1840.

[87] Brehm’s “Thierleben”; French edition, “Les Reptiles,” p. 480.

[88] _Maclure’s Magazine_, April, 1894.

[89] _British Medical Journal_, August 17, 1895.

[90] _Archives de médecine navale_, 1867, p. 390.

[91] _Revue scientifique_, 1892, p. 254.

[92] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, February 24, 1896.

[93] “The Pharsalia of Lucan, translated into blank verse by Edward Ridley, Q.C., sometime Fellow of All Souls’ College, Oxford.” (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1896). Book ix., p. 296, lines 1,046 to 1,065.

[94] _Journal of Physiology_, vol. viii., 1887, p. 203.

[95] “Les Vipères de France,” p. 136 (1889).

[96] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, 1892, p. 181.

[97] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, t. 118, February, 1894, p. 356, March, 1894, p. 720; _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, February, 1894, pp. 111, 120; _Archives de Physiologie_, July, 1894; _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, May, 1894, p. 275, April, 1895, p. 225.

[98] _British Medical Journal_, June 15, 1895.

[99] _Cf._ papers by George Lamb, _Scientific Memoirs by Officers of the Medical and Sanitary Departments of the Government of India_, New Series, Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 16; L. Rogers, _Proceedings of the Royal Society of London_, vol. lxxii., and _Lancet_, February 6, 1904; C. J. Martin, _Intercolonial Medical Journal of Australasia_, August 20, 1897, April 20, 1898; Dr. Hunter, _Lancet_, January 2, 1904; Dr. Tidswell, _Australasian Medical Gazette_, April 21, 1902; A. Calmette, _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, May 2, 1904; Dr. Vital Brazil, “Contribution a l’étude de l’intoxication ophidienne” (separately published pamphlet), Paris, 1905; G. Bill, _Intercolonial Medical Journal of Australasia_, July 20, 1902.

[100] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, 1895, No. 4.

[101] “The Nature of the Antagonism between Toxins and Antitoxins,” _Proceedings of the Royal Society of London_, vol. lxiii., 1898, p. 420.

[102] Calmette, _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, 1902, No. 24; Preston Kyes, _Berliner klinische Wochenschrift_, 1904, No. 19.

[103] _Berliner klinische Wochenschrift_, 1905, No. 50.

[104] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, Paris, September, 1881.

[105] “Le venin de la vipère,” Paris, 1889.

[106] _Transactions of the Third Intercolonial Congress_, 1892, p. 152.

[107] “Les morsures de vipères chez les animaux,” _Recueil de médecine vétérinaire d’Alfort_, May 15, 1897.

[108] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, December 13, 1902; June 6, July 25, 1903; February 20, 1904.

[109] _Semaine médicale_, June 24, 1903.

[110] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, May 19, 1906.

[111] “El Latrodectus formidabilis de Chile,” by Fredérico Puga-Borne, Santiago, 1892; and “Biologia Centrali-Americana,” Arachnida, vol. ii., pl. 35.

[112] Blackwell, “Experiments and Observations on the Poison of Araneida,” _Transactions of the Linnean Society of London_, 1855, p. 31. See also “Insect Life” (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1889), vol. i., parts 7, 8, 9 and 10, and vol. ii., part 5.

[113] “Beiträge zur Kenntniss der Giftspinnen.” Stuttgart, 1901.

[114] “Zur Kenntniss des Kreuzspinnengiftes,” _Hofm. Beiträge_, ii., p. 125, 1902.

[115] Joyeux-Laffuie, “Appareil venimeux et venin de scorpion” (Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Science), Paris, 1883; and _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, November 6, 1882.

[116] “Ueber die Giftwirkung des Nordafrikanischen Skorpiones,” _Zeitschrift für Biologie_, Bd. xii., p. 170, 1876.

[117] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, 1885, p. 574.

[118] _Berliner klinische Wochenschrift_, 1903, Nos. 42, 43.

[119] _Annales de l’Institut Pasteur_, 1895, p. 232.

[120] _Proceedings of the Royal Society_, vol. xlii., 1887, p. 17.

[121] “L’immunité dans les maladies infectieuses,” Paris, 1901.

[122] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, November 15, 1904.

[123] “La scolopendre et sa piqure,” _Thèse Paris_, 1887.

[124] “Appareil venimeux et venin de la scolopendre,” _Thèse Montpellier_, 1885.

[125] “Lehrbuch der Anatomie der Wirbellosen Tiere,” 1848.

[126] _Arch für anat. Wissensch._, 1859.

[127] _Comptes rendus de l’Acad. des Sciences_, 1884.

[128] “Appareil glandulaire des hyménoptères,” Paris, 1894.

[129] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, 1898.

[130] _Annales sc. Anat. Zoologie_, 8^e série, t. x., 1898.

[131] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, July 25, 1890.

[132] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, July 24, 1905.

[133] _Berliner klinische Wochenschrift_, 1906, No. 44.

[134] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie de Médecine_, t. liii., 1905, p. 498.

[135] “Traité de zoologie médicale,” t. ii. (Paris).

[136] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, January 17, 1908.

[137] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, February 25, 1905.

[138] “Les poissons venimeux,” _Thèse Paris_, 1889.

[139] “Poissons venimeux et poissons vénéneux,” _Archives de Physiologie_, May, 1872; _Archives de médecine navale_, February, 1865, and January, 1881.

[140] “Poissons venimeux et poissons vénéneux,” _Thèse Paris_, 1899.

[141] “Les poissons vénéneux,” Paris, 1900.

[142] “Sédentarité des poissons venimeux,” _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, 1895, p. 86.

[143] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, 1904, p. 666.

[144] _Thèse Paris_, 1884.

[145] _Bulletin du Muséum d’histoire naturelle_, 1899.

[146] “Giftfische und Fischgifte,” _Vorträge im Rostocker Fischerverein_, 1902, and _Die medizinische Wochenschrift_, 1902.

[147] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, October 25 and November 8, 1902, and June 21, 1904; _Journal de Physiologie_, March, 1903.

[148] Brehm (Sauvage’s translation), “Les Merveilles de la Nature--Reptiles et Batraciens” (Paris, 1885).

[149] Hoppe-Seyler’s “Med.-chem. Untersuchungen,” Berlin, 1866.

[150] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, April 1, 1889, and January 29, 1890.

[151] _Ibid._, 1890.

[152] “Beitrage zur Kenntniss des Salamandarins und Salamanderalkaloïde,” _Archiv. f. experimentale Pathologie und Pharmakologie_, Bd. xli., 1898, p. 219, and Bd. xliii., 1900, p. 84.

[153] _Comptes rendus de la Société de Biologie_, 1897, pp. 723, 823.

[154] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, April 21, 1851, and May, 1852.

[155] _Journal de Thérapeutique_, 1877, p. 929.

[156] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, February 25, 1884.

[157] _Archives de Physiologie_, 1893, p. 511.

[158] _Archiv für mikroskopische Anatomie_, Bd. ii., 1889, p. 57.

[159] “Zur Kenntniss des Krotengiftes,” _Hofm. Beiträge_, Bd. i., 1901, p. 575.

[160] “Ueber Bufonin und Bufotalin,” Leipzig, 1902; and _Archiv für experimentale Pathologie und Pharmakologie_, December, 1902.

[161] “Rapports des venins avec la biologie générale,” _Revue générale des Sciences_, December 30, 1903.

[162] _Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences_, December 14, 1903.

[163] H. Coupin, _La Nature_, September 19, 1903.

[164] “On the _Ornithorhynchus paradoxus_, its Venomous Spur and General Structure,” _Trans. Linn. Soc._, 1822, p. 622.

[165] “Observations on the Femoral Gland of Ornithorhynchus and its Secretion;” _Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales_, vol. ix., July, 1894.

[166] “Note sur la sécrétion venimeuse de l’_Ornithorhynchus paradoxus_,” _Comptés rendus de la Société de Biologie_, March 12, 1904.

[167] “On the Effects of Wounds Inflicted by the Spurs of the _Platypus_,” _Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania_, 1876.

[168] The photographs, by which this note was accompanied, are reproduced in Chapter IV. of this volume, pp. 155, 157, 158.

[169] _Polygala telophioides_, Will.

[170] We subsequently learnt that he had informed his friends of his intention, but had not said a word about it to his wife.

[171] The thick and cloudy appearance of the contents of the bottles made us hesitate to have recourse to intravenous injection.