AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 23 



known two cases wliere doctors liave treated patients 

 for bites of harmless species, with the dead reptile before 

 them — one a Diamond and the other a Tree Snake. 



Under such circumstances, the remedies applied 

 ma}^ be, in themselves, a source of danger. Medical 

 men, chemists, and other persons, of whom assistance 

 might be solicited, should, therefore, make a special 

 point of knowing tlie hurtful snakes. If the offending 

 reptile is not exhibited, the operator would be guided by 

 an examination of the wound, the characteristics of 

 which have been indicated. The behaviour of the 

 person bitten, although usually indicative, should not 

 be wholly relied upon, as people bitten by harmless 

 snakes have been known to exhibit many of the 

 f^ymptoms of snake poisoning, induced by fear. 



For immediate reference, instructions for the 

 treatment of snake-bite have been printed at the 

 commencement of the book. 



The chopping off of a finger, a by no means 

 uncommon bush "remedy," may be productive of 

 greater harm than the disease sought to be cured ; and 

 I know of one man who can exhibit a bottle containing 

 one of his fingers, and the snake which bit it, a 

 perfectly harmless reptile. 



The notoriously evil character of snakes renders 

 any advice as to deahng with these reptiles superfluous. 

 As with most others things, however, familiarity breeds 

 contempt. During the season I have many snakes 



