DOCUMENTS 363 



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 pro- 

 tected 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 



