328 The Bite of Russell' s Viper [Dec. 



of minutes he called to bis wife to hurry quickly to him, and 

 taking leave of her dropped back on his pillow and expired instantly. 

 Consciousness and the power of speech were retained to the very 

 last. Death appeared to have been due to asphyxia and heart fail- 

 ure, and / am firmly convinced that free Stimulation from the very 

 onset is strongly indicated in cases of snake bite, if only to prevent 

 the extreme exhaustion which marks these cases. 



The externa! appearances noticed eight hours 'after death were 

 lividity of the face, which was almost black. The lower portion of 

 the face was swollen. Livid patches were also seen on the neck, 

 ehest, and lower extremities. The palmar aspect of the fingers was 

 black in color, and the nails were of a deep purple hue. A blood- 

 stained fluid was issuing from the mouth and nostrils. The pupils 

 were widely dilated, and the eyeballs congested. Post-mortem 

 rigidity had disappeared, and decomposition set in early. 



