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ever, fatal. Our smaller viper (Ancistrodon Hyp- 

 nale) is a case in point. I have had particulars of 

 several occurrences of coolies bitten by this species. 

 Though the resulting symptoms were alarming at 

 the time (partly due, probably, to nervous shock), 

 the patients recovered without any special treatment 

 having been applied. Boulenger reports of this 

 snake, that ' its bite is said to be but exceptionally 

 fatal to man.' The fully-grown Ancistrodon 

 averages about a foot and a half in length, and 

 bears a superficial resemblance to the large 

 'Ticpolonga' (Vipera Russellii). Our ^ Green 

 Tic ' (Trimeresurus Trigonocephalus) — though of 

 villainous appearance — is still less deadly. It has 

 been stated by an Indian authority that the bite of 

 this snake is seldom followed by worse symptoms 

 than a severe headache. I have heard of a man 

 who deliberately chopped off a finger after having 

 been bitten by a * Green Tic,' and was satisfied 

 that he had saved his life by so doing. 



*' It may be said that at such a critical time 

 no man would wait to kill the snake ; but apart 

 from the scientific interest of the determination of 

 every snake that has bitten a man with serious 

 results, much inconvenience, and even some loss of 

 life, might be avoided by the discovery that the 

 assailant was either harmless or not fatally 

 venomous. For there are well-established cases 

 of death following upon the bite of a non-venomous 

 snake — due to fright and consequent nervous 

 prostration." 



The following is an extract from a letter on 

 the " Snake stone " and snake poisons : — 



" The so-called stone is animal charcoal. It 

 sucks the poison if applied immediately after the 

 bite. The bite of the cobra is more dangerous, in so 

 far as the poison circulates more rapidly, and if 

 instantaneous remedies are applied the poison is 



