in consequence of the Bite of a Rattle-snake. 213 



and half a pint of reddish brown matter was discharged 

 with sloughs of cellular membrane floating in it. The 

 lower part 'of the arm became much smaller, but the upper 

 part continued tense. A poultice was applied to the 

 wound. The lower portion of the arm and the forearm 

 were covered with circular stripes of soap cerate. He was 

 ordered to take the bark, and allowed wine and porter. 



October 30. The redness and swelling of the upper part 

 of the arm had subsided : the pulse was 100 in a minute. 

 The purging had returned. The bark was left off: the 

 chalk mixture and laudanum were given, and an opiate 

 clyster administered. 



October 31. The pulse beat 120 in a minute. The 

 discharge from the abscess had diminished, the purging 

 continued, and at night he had a rigor. 



November 1. The pulse was 1 20. His voice was feeble ; 

 he had no appetite; was delirious at intervals. Ulceration 

 had taken place on the opening of the abscess, so that it 

 was much increased in size. He drank two pints of porter 

 in the course of the day. 



November 2. His pulse was very weak ; his countenance 

 was depressed ; his tongue brown ; the ulceration had spread 

 to the extent of two or three inches. Mortification had 

 taken place in the 6kin nearer the axilla. His stomach re- 

 jected every thing but porter: in the night he was de- 

 lirious. 



November 3. The mortification had spread consider- 

 ably ; the purging continued : the forefinger, which had 

 mortified, was removed at the second joint, 



November 4, He died at half past four o'clock in the 

 afternoon. 



Sixteen hours after death, the body was examined by 

 Mr. Brodie and myself, in the presence of Mr. Maynard, 

 the house surgeon, and several of the pupils of the hospital. 



With the exception of the right arm which had been 

 bitten, the body had the natural appearance. The skin was 

 clear and white; and the muscles contracted. 



The wounds made by the fangs at the base of the thumb 

 were healed, but the puncture made by the lancet at the 

 back of the wrist, was still open. That part of the back 

 of the hand, which immediately surrounded the wounds 

 made by the fangs, for the extent of an inch and a half in 

 every direction, as also the whole of the palm, was in a 

 natural state, except that there was a small quantity of ex- 

 travasated blood in the cellular membrane. The orifice of 

 the abscess was enlarged, so as to form a sore on the outside 



3 Ot 



