Hurter — Herpetology of Missouri. 223 



''The action of the venom of the Elapid snakes (Coral 

 snakes) being so much more rapid and the local changes 

 so insignificant as not to cause any great alarm, the 

 chances are that when the patient asks for help and treat- 

 ment the venom has already entered the circulation, and 

 that attempt to destroy any appreciable quantity of the 

 poison in the wound would be futile. However, whenever 

 possible this should not be neglected. The usual first 

 treatment would nevertheless be general, viz., the admin- 

 istration of stimulants, suborifics and diuretics as in- 

 stanced above, since the danger from a quick paralysis of 

 the nerve centers is so much greater in these cases. 



*'It may be well to emphasize here, that in the case of 

 children the amount of antidotal remedy to be adminis- 

 tered must not be judged by the age of the child, but by 

 the amount of venom to be counteracted, as well as by the 

 character of the snake, and it is worth remembering in 

 this connection — beside the different action of the cro- 

 talid and the elapid snakes — that the degree of danger 

 chiefly depends upon the size of the snake; that of our 

 pit vipers the rattlesnake is the most dangerous, the cop- 

 perhead less so, and the water moccasin the least so, al- 

 though in itself not to be trifled with. 



''As for the preliminary treatment before medical 

 assistance can be obtained or rational remedies applied, 

 but little can be added to the old methods employed. The 

 first thing to be done is to tie a strong ligature or two, a 

 string or a handkerchief, between the wound and the 

 heart, whenever practicable ; next, cutting deeply into the 

 punctures so as to make the blood flow freely; sucking out 

 of the blood from the wound, a procedure perfectly harm- 

 less, unless the person doing it has an open wound in the 

 mouth; next, a careful loosening of the ligature so as to 

 admit a small quantity of fresh blood to the ligated mem- 

 ber in order to prevent mortification ; next, administration 

 of a stimulant; if at hand, small doses of an alcoholic 

 liquor being given internally at frequent intervals; if 



