17 



tied a ligature and lanced the bite, rubbing in 

 permanganate of potash as previously instructed. 

 The coolie then went to hospital, where mortification 

 of the arm set in. He recovered after nearly two 

 months, but was not able to use his hand for some 

 time. 



A fowl which I once saw bitten in the leg by 

 a cobra showed signs of sleepiness after three 

 minutes, then sat down and fell on its side uncon- 

 scious, when spasms and signs of suffocation 

 followed, the fowl respiring slowly and spasmodi- 

 cally with its mouth wide open. Death occurred 

 about five minutes after the fowl had been bitten. 

 I have seen a rat killed by a cobra, with the 

 symptoms above described. Death took place 

 after thirty seconds. 



A Russell's viper killed a rat in twenty minutes. 

 The rat kept becoming giddy and recovering again, 

 but at last fell over unconscious, when spasms and 

 death took place. 



These are the only deaths (of animals) from 

 snake bite which I have seen, and on each occasion 

 it seems to have been painless, as the animal was 

 unconscious before any visible symptoms of dis- 

 comfort took place. The eyes remained open, and 

 did not close when touched. About fifteen minutes 

 after death the fur of the rat and feathers of the 

 fowl became loose, probably due to the mortification 

 of the flesh as a result of the poison. 



Some letters appeared in the Ceylon Govern- 

 ment Directory relating to the effects and cures for 

 snake bite. 



I express no opinion as regards the theories, 

 but give extracts from them, as they are interesting 

 and contain much useful data. 



" When about a dozen yards above the stream, snake^Jte." 

 I stepped off a rock on to a tuft of grass, when J^o^ t|ie 

 suddenly from the side of the tuft, a brownish flat Directory." 



