Notes dn' Two Specimens of Si'Ittin(;-Snakks fuom 

 Southern Khodesi.v 



BY 



Henuy Curtis, F.R.C.S. 

 London 



The two specimens in question were brought to England by the writer in 1906, on 

 his return from Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, having been captured after causing 

 injury to the eyes of patients of Dr. Strong, of Bulawayo, on different occasions. 



Clinical Histoby 



Dr. Strong has had several cases under liis care at Bulawayo, arising as the result 

 of the patients disturbing the snake in tlie garden, or while out shooting, or when 

 climbing a kopje. In one case the only noticeable features were merely temporary 

 pain, photophobia, and hyper^emia of the conjunctiva. 



In the case affected by the smaller snake now referred to, the victim incautiously Cases 

 stooped down while belabouring it with a stick, his face and eyes being invitingly near i„jurv^to"uie^'^ 

 the snake. The first thing noted was an acid taste in the mouth, and, directly after, eyes by ejected 

 a sudden sharp burning pain in the eyes as the caustic fluid reached the eyel^alls. The 

 pain and photophobia required the use of an eye-shade for more than a week. Cocaine 

 is, of course, a very effective anodyne. 



This instance, as Dr. Lefeuvre remarks, seems to show that the fluid is scattered 

 as it is ejected, and not aimed, as some say, directly at the eyes. 



In the third case under Dr. Strong's care — a child of about seven years — there was 

 violent purulent oplithalmia, but this may have been contributed to by dirty habits 

 and surroundings and the use by the jsarents of copper sulphate in rather strong 

 solution. 



The eyes of the patient attacked by the larger snake were washed out with warm 

 milk with at least no ill effects. 



Dr. W. Lefeuvre, wlio before coming to Bulawayo had had twelve years' experience 

 in the Karoo, writes: "I have only come across instances of spitting in the cobra and 

 Ring-hals ' (Sepedoii) . A captive cobra in a cage, when teased through the glass fi-ont, 

 repeatedly struck at the glass with his head, raising his nose and mouth as he did so, 

 at the same time ejecting a yellowish custardy-looking liquid, quite different from the 

 clear viscous poison peculiar to the poison gland and ejected through the fangs." 

 [Mr. Boulenger, to whom I submitted this statement, however, draws the opposite 

 inference and considers that the fluid here described was the venom itself.] 



As to the geographical distribution. Dr. Lefeuvre found no essential difference Geographical 

 between the cobra in Southern Rhodesia and that at the James River, 160 miles from '^"''""°" 

 Cape Town. Cape boys and Dutch farmers avoid going too near when dealing with 

 snakes, which are quickly seized by means of a forked stick, used to firmly press the 



' In the Field newspaper for February 20, 1909, is a record of recorcrv from the effects of venom 

 injected into the eyes of a patient, the snake being the Ring-hals. 



