26 1 Journal of Travel and Natural History 



cottage in the neighbourhood he got a httle hartshorn, some of 

 which he appHed to the bite, and caused her to swallow about a 

 teaspoonful in water. Being in a state of high fever, he took 

 about I lb. of blood from her, after which she became faintish. 

 She was then removed to the Fazenda, and had two grains of 

 calomel administered to her, and about an hour after a large dose 

 of castor oil. Gardiner saw her the following day, when she still 

 complained of excruciating pain in the hand and arm, to relieve 

 which a linseed meal poultice was applied ; and the pulse being 

 130, and full, about another lb. of blood was taken from the other 

 arm. Next day a number of little vesicles made their appearance 

 on the back of the hand, and a little above the wrist, which, when 

 opened, discharged a watery fluid. For the next two days she 

 continued to suffer much pain, to relieve which poultices were 

 constantly applied. More vesicles formed, and the cuticle began 

 to peel off in the vicinity of the bite. On the fourth day after the 

 accident, when the poultice was removed, she complained of no 

 pain at all in her hand, and on careful examination it was found 

 that gangrene had taken place, all below the wrist being dead, 

 and from the state of the arm there was every appearance of 

 mortification extending. On making an incision into the living 

 portion above the wrist, a considerable quantity of a very foetid 

 whitish watery fluid discharged itself; and on pressing the arm 

 between the finger and thumb a crepitation was felt from the air 

 which had generated beneath the integuments. She was now very 

 weak, the pulse 136, small and feeble, and she appeared to be 

 fast sinkmg. Amputation being the only means that seemed to 

 oifer her a chance of recovery, Gardiner at once decided to take 

 off the arm. He accordingly performed the operation, and in a 

 fortnight after the stump had healed up, and she was walking 

 about the room. He tells us that four years afterwards he again 

 saw her, and her general health had not suffered in the least, but 

 she had become irritable and ill-tempered."'^ 



This was an exceptionally favourable case. The reader will 

 understand, therefore, that the reptile is looked on with no little 

 dread and alarm, and that every one gives it as wide a berth as 

 they can, although it is naturally timid, and never attacks unless 

 in desperation, and when it imagines its retreat cut off. 



Our friend Mr Alexander Fry, the well-known Entomologist, on 



*Gardincrs' "Travels in llic Inlciior of Bnuil, 1846," p. 51. 



