38 [Apuii., 



The native treatment for the bite of this, and all other serpents, is, to /luck 

 out the poison .- make a free incision over the wound, and apply the juice of an 

 unknown plant, sometimes a strong decoction of the same. Recovery is some- 

 limes said to occur, but very rarely, however. A direct, deep flesh wound is 

 supposed always to prove fatal. 



The symptoms are, severe pain in the parts— rigors more or less palpable — 

 sensation of heat — vomiting — profuse perspiration and purging. If not much 

 reduction of vital energy attend, there is a possibility of recovery ; but if, on 

 the contrary, an early sickness comes on, there can be no hope — death soon 

 follows. 



A case occurred at one of our mission station.?, supposed to be from the bite 

 of this viper, though it is not certain. A young man had been out in search of 

 Palm-nuts (fruit of the Elais guiniensis.) As he was returning, he heard the 

 warning sound, but knowing the habits of the reptile, and supposing it to be on 

 one side, he proceeded without precaution, and was bitten in the calf of his leg. 

 He represented himself as being immediately disabled. He halloed' till some 

 one came to his relief, and was carried on the mission premises, which were at 

 hand. It is supposed that a half hour, perhaps an hour, had passed. The leg, 

 when fust seen, was greatly swollen, nearly to the size of his thigh: the skin 

 was tense and hot, with great pain in the surrounding parts. A free incision was 

 made, and the blood pressed out. Stimulants and narcotics were freely 

 given, and recovery succeeded. 



The intensity of the poison has been manifested several times in the case of 

 dogs. One case of this kind came under my immediate notice. Some of the 

 mission scholars had permission to spend an afternoon in hunting. They pro- 

 cured for this purpose a valuable dog from a neighbouring colonist. They had 

 not left the road for the thicket long, before they heard a piercing cry of dis- 

 tress from the dog. They ran immediately to the spot, where they saw this 

 viper, and the dog lying on his back, as if in convulsions. They shot the ser- 

 pent, and carried them both to the road, by which time the dog was dead. 

 From a minute examination into the circumstances of the case, I was convinced 

 that not more than fifteen minutes could have transpired from the bite, to the 

 death of the dog. 



The original of the sketch I send, you have in the cabinet. It was captured 

 on the high grounds of my own premises. In company with one of my asso-i 

 ciates, I was drawn to the spot by the barking of our dogs. We found them 

 surrounding the viper, and not twice its length from it. It was retracted upon 

 itself, as already described, its body and tail flattened, and the latter acting as 

 a fulcrum ; from this as a fixed point, it was darting forward alternately at the 

 dogs. At every stroke, its jaws were widely extended, its fangs protruded to a 

 fearful length, and its eyes rolled and flashed terribly to the beholder. My 

 companion, being a good marksman, succeeded in biinging down the serpent 

 without injury to the dogs. It measured as follows: — Length 3.U-12 feet; 

 greatest circumference of the abdomen 9.1-12 inches ; width of the head at base 

 3 inches ; length of head 2..5-8 inches; length of the horny processes over the 

 nose 7-16 of an inch. Its abdomen M-as considerably distended, on opening 

 which, three rati, and other food undigested, were discovered. 



It may not be irrelevant here to remark, that several cases of bites and stinga 

 of venomous reptiles and insects, have come under my notice at (-ape Talmas, 



