336 VENOMS 



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 oedema 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 anti- 

 venomous 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 (Now- 

 gong. Central India, British Medical JouniaL 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 hyper- 

 chlorite 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." 



