96 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [1890 



were bitten by either the Rattlesnake or Copperhead, and I 

 have yet to find one who knows of, or has ever heard of, a well 

 authenticated case in which death occurred from snake-bite. 



Last August I examined a colored child four years of age 

 who had been bitten three times on the leg between the ankle 

 and knee by a Copperhead snake which measured 37 J inches in 

 length. Two of the wounds showed the imprint made by a 

 single fang, while the other one exhibited marks of both fangs. 



With the exception of whiskey given to the child just after 

 the wounds were received, and the application to the swollen 

 limb of cloths wrung out in warm water, no other treatment was 

 found necessary, and in four days from the date of injury the 

 boy was running about as usual, while the swelling had almost 

 entirely disappeared. 



Notwithstanding the exposure to which our troops were 

 subjected during the late war, there was not a single case of 

 death from snake-bite reported among our war statistics. 



Death does, however, sometimes follow the bite of a venomous 

 snake under suitable conditions in certain southern parts of our 

 country, and then prompt measures become necessary to save life. 



As a natural sequence to the foregoing observations, it may 

 not be out of place to remark that among the most rational 

 remedial methods, and those which have proved to be of actual 

 benefit, were the application of a ligature immediately above 

 the locus of injury (if it were an extremity), to prevent the 

 return of the poisoned blood to the general circulation ; also scari- 

 fying of the wound, excision, cauterization, injecting into it the 

 strong water of ammonia, iodine, or perchloride of iron, etc. 

 That, however, which is considered by some to be the best 

 remedy is the injection of a solution of permanganate of potash 

 into the wound. This latter agent will at once destroy the 

 poison with which it comes in contact, and will at the same time 

 cause the death and sloughing of the surrounding tissues ; this 

 is, however, a small matter where life is at stake. But besides 

 all else it should be observed that early and free stimulation of 

 the patient should not be neglected. These, though few, seem 

 to be the most important facts thus far brought to my notice 

 relative to our native Copperhead snake. 



