370 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA 
H4MORRHAGE AND MORTIFICATION. 
In Viperine poisoning, such as is occasioned by the bite of the 
Puff Adder, there is always grave danger of death supervening 
from gangrene or extensive suppuration, owing to the hemorrhage 
into the tissues in various parts of the body. Death may occur 
from these causes a week or more after the infliction of the bite. 
The hemorrhage or extravasation of blood into the tissues occurs 
more or less extensively in patches, causing bluish-black dis- 
colouration. There is also- oozing of blood from the mucous 
surfaces of the mouth, lungs, bowels, kidneys, bladder and 
stomach; and sometimes suffusion of blood into the brain 
tissues. If this latter should take place death follows at once. 
I have many times examined natives with large cavities in 
the calves of their legs, due to the sloughing away of the flesh 
around the site of the bite of a Puff Adder. Other cases have 
come under my observation where the flesh sloughed to a certain 
extent, around the part bitten, then healed, only to break out 
again later and discharge a quantity of matter, and remain in a 
suppurating condition for a month or two, and finally heal. This 
suppuration and subsequent healing of the wound occurred at 
intervals, in one case extending over a period of three years. In 
this latter case most of the calf of the man’s leg had sloughed 
away. Yet he eventually recovered. 
VIPERINE POISON SYMPTOMS. 
The symptoms of Viperine poisoning are as_ follows :—- 
Intense but not prolonged smarting, discolouration, and swelling 
at the site of the fang punctures. Within twenty minutes the 
venom begins to bring about constitutional symptoms such as 
giddiness, and irregular fluctuating pulse. The skin grows cold 
and clammy, the pupils of the eyes are dilated, followed by intense 
nausea and vomiting, often accompanied with evacuations from 
the bowels. If death fails to take place within twelve hours, the 
swelling becomes more extensive. If the bite be on the lower 
part of the leg, the swelling gradually extends upwards and into 
the body. At the same time hemorrhage from the walls of the 
capillary blood vessels takes place, causing purple patches, more 
o- less large, to appear in various parts of the body. Oozing of 
