324 BURMA, TTS PEOPLE AXD PliODrCTWXS. 



a venomous snake is a ligature applied witliin a few seconds of receiving tlie injury, 

 and either suction or excision of the wounds. If the poison once gains an entry into 

 the system, it is next to iiseless drenching the unfortunate patient, as is too often done, 

 with either such antidotes as ammonia, ardent spii'its or any so-called specifics, or 

 torturing him with the actual cautery of live coals, gunpowder, etc., or hounding the 

 poor man ahout till he dies to prevent his sinking into sleep. If the patient does not 

 object to it, a glass or two of brandy and water might be given, as cases sometimes 

 occur where nothing more than fear is the cause of very alarming prostration, and in 

 such cases a stimulant would do good ; as where a man has been bitten by a harmless 

 snake, which he believes to be a Cobra. I once heard of a man who, walking in the 

 dark, trod on one end of a thin coil of tin plate, the other end of which flying up, 

 .slightly punctured one of his calves. The impression on the man was, that he had 

 been bitten by a large snake, and an alarming state of prostration supervened, which 

 however was cured by some one going out and finding the cause of the mischief. 

 It cannot, therefore, be too widely known that in the case of snake bite, the sutFeror's 

 life is in his own hands, as nothing but instantl}- sucking the wound, with or with- 

 out ligaturing it, can pro\'e of the slightest value, all recoveries from snake bite, 

 under treatment, being cases which would jirobably have recovered no less speedily 

 without it. I cannot resist here extracting the philosophic remarks of Dr. Payrer on 

 the prevalent mode of worrying to death the unfortunate victim of snake-bite. 

 "But another popular mode of treatment of the so-called lethargy induced by the 

 poison, that by walking the person violently about and keeping him awake hy flog- 

 ging, pinching and other such violent measures, is in my opinion of very doubtful 

 efficacy, if not altogether wrong. The mini who is dying from snake hite is perishing 

 from rapid exhaust ion of nerve force. To make him take violent exercise and deprive 

 him of rest seems to me more likely to do harm than good. It would be almost as 

 reasonable to give a man a blow on the head to recover him from concussion of the 

 brain, or to give him antimony to cure him of sea-sickness. Let him lie down. Leave 

 him to rest, to sleep if he can." 



Speaking of chemical antidotes, Dr. Faj-rer thus expresses himself : "I have no 

 hesitation in saying that I believe them to be useless, and tliat, excepting for their 

 stimulant action when they have any, they are inert. "When the symptoms of 

 poisoning have set in, either when the ligature and excision or caustic or cautery 

 have failed, or when they have not been used, I believe that the only rational treat- 

 ment is to endeavour to rouse the sinking energies and arrest tlio tendency to fatal 

 paralysis of the nerve force, by the aid of alcohol or other stimulants such as ammonia 

 or ether judiciously administered, avoiding anything that can depress, such as over- 

 exertion or fatigue, especially that produced by the popular practice of making the 

 sufferer walk when his force is almost expended. Brandy or whisky or indeed any 

 form of alcohol should be given freely and frequently, though not in the large 

 quantities sometimes recommended. My belief is, that if a certain quantity of the 

 poison has entered the circulation, we can expect but little benefit from treatment of 

 any kind ; where less has entered, yet enough to cause dangerous present and con- 

 secutive symptoms, wo may do much to support the strength and save lite by ordinary 

 rational measures. But that we possess any drug or substance, solid or fluid, that 

 either swallowed or inoculated can counteract or neutralize the poison once absorbed, 

 and acting on the nerve centres, I do not believe, — and I think the notion that we do 

 is a dangerous one, and liable to do harm by inspiring confidence in ways and means, 

 in which none should be placed." — Thatiatophidia, pp. 38, 39. 



To show how small is the chance of recovery from an effective bite of a venomous 

 snake in possession of its full powers, I will quote three experiments from Dr. Fayrer's 

 work, together with the reflection suggested by them. 



"June 26, 18G9. Experiment No. 15. — A pariah dog was bitten in the fore 

 arm by a co])ra (Kala Keautiah) at 3"2 p.m. A ligature had been thrown round 

 the limb above tlie bitten part, which was imme<liately tightened. A pointed 

 .steel, heated to a red heat, was then, at 3-3 p.m., insertecl into the punctures, and 

 the wounds were thoroughly cauterised." Forty drops of licpior ammonia, in three 

 parts water, were injected into the jugular vein, but the dog died in -13 minutes. 



