ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION. 429 
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The scarified site of the bite must be regularly washed with 
an antiseptic and carefully bandaged, after smothering it with 
boracic acid. This must on no account be neglected. Do it 
twice a day. 
During convalescence from snake bite the diet should be 
very light, such as hot milk taken in small sips, milk puddings, 
artificial infants’ food, rusks soaked in milk, soft ripe fruit, well- 
cooked rice and milk, etc. Do not give meat or meat soups, 
or any food containing added fat, or fried foods. The organs of 
the body at this time must be handicapped as little as possible, 
for if the venom be that of an Adder or Boomslang there will be 
more or less extensive hemorrhage. This dead blood will require 
to be reabsorbed and cast out of the body by the various organs, 
else mortification and death will occur. 
Many cases have been related to me of remarkable cures 
having been effected by certain roots, herbs, tinctures, alcohol, 
etc., but on close investigation it was evident the patient would 
have recovered just as quickly if nothing had been adminis- 
tered. When snake venom does not kill, recovery is usually 
very rapid, and this is invariably attributed to something in the 
way of an antidote given the patient. No known medicine 
taken internally is a remedy for snake bite. 
PARALYSIS OF THE RESPIRATORY NERVE CENTRES. 
What to do if the breathing should suddenly stop. 
The venom of the Elapine or sub-family of snakes to which 
the Cobra belongs acts powerfully upon the nerve-centres, and 
tends to paralyse their action. Its principal effect is upon the 
nerve-centres controlling the automatic movements of the lungs. 
By paralyzing these nerve-centres the lungs collapse, breathing 
ceases, and the patient dies. 
Now, if you are nursing a person suffering from the bite of 
any one of these snakes, and if you observe the breathing to grow 
shallow and hurried, carefully watch him. Then, if the breathing 
should cease altogether, you should instantly resort to artificial 
respiration methods, and keep them up without a pause for 
an hour at least, or until a medical man tells you to 
desist. 
