BITTEN BY A RINGHALS. 480 
to take a photo when it reared, for we desired its photograph 
with hood expanded. The reptile would not do anything of 
the kind. It lay as though dead. Its mouth gaped, and its 
head and neck were twisted in the attitude of a snake which 
had recently died. We prodded it with long sticks and turned 
it over and over, but not a sign of life did it show. 
Becoming bolder, my assistant ventured rather near. ‘Then, 
in a second the snake reared a foot and a half of the anterior 
part of its body, and the venturesome man received a shower of 
finely-sprayed venom on his face and coat. Fortunately he had 
previously donned a pair of curved spectacles, so none got into 
his eyes. We carefully inspected his face to see if there were 
any abrasions. He felt rather nervous because he had shaved a 
few hours previously and his skin was tender in places. A few 
minutes later I noticed thousands of tiny specks of venom, 
glistening in the sun, on his blue serge coat. 
After this ineffectual attempt to blind its aggressor, the 
Ringhals glided away, endeavouring to find some place of con- 
cealment. Getting annoyed, I prodded it with my stick, where- 
upon it again reared and, this time, sprayed my face, neck and 
coat with venom. I too wore spectacles, so no harm was done. 
BITTEN BY A RINGHALS. INJECTING NORMAL SALT SOLUTION. 
Dr. H. Claude Wright, Medical Superintendent of the Victoria 
Cottage Hospital, Wynberg, Cape Province, writes me as 
follows :— 
“A railway labourer was admitted to hospital at 2 p.m., 
having been bitten by a Ringhals at 1r a.m. He was collapsed, 
livid, and semi-conscious—almost pulseless, which was very 
rapid and uncountable. He was approaching death. I adminis- 
tered a large dose of brandy, and immediately transfused him 
in the left median vein to the extent of three and a half pints of 
Normal Saline Solution, at the same time opening the median 
vein in the right arm. At first very little blood flowed out, but 
as the dynamic pressure asserted itself due to the saline, he bled 
freely to the extent of a quart by measure, some being lost in 
the bed. His condition thereupon improved, and, with the 
addition of plenty of hot boric and brandy, by the night he was 
much better. His convalescence was uneventful with the 
