REPTILIA. 



337 



practice of walking the patient about when in a lethargic state 

 enhances the risk of death by forced circulation should it happen 

 that the ligature is not properly or effectively applied, and in any 

 case does more harm than good. Dr. Fayrer even goes so far as 

 to recommend the amputation of a limb to save life. "The milk " he 

 says " of a women bitten by a poisonous snake is fatal to the child if 

 allowed the breast." The blood of an animal bitten by a poisonous 

 snake is also a powerful poison introduced into the system of 

 another animal ; but apparently not so the flesh, which does not 

 seem affected, and is eaten. It would be well in all cases of snake 

 bite to examine the wound inflicted, and ascertain whether it was 

 from a venomous or non-venomous snake. A wound from a venomous 

 snake would show either one or two large punctures on each side 

 besides smaller ones if it be from a Daboia, Cobra, or Echis, while 

 that of a non-venomous snake would present a series of minute 

 punctures only. The diagrams below, taken from Fayrer's Thanatop- 

 hidia, well illustrate the direction and nature of the punctures that 

 would be made by wounds from venomous and non-venomous snakes. 



Ptyas mucosus. 

 Innocent. 



Cobra. 



Naja tripudians. 



Viner. 

 Daboia Russelli. 



Much, however, would depend on the seat of the wound, whether 

 all the punctures as illustrated would be present ; but the large fang 

 marks of the venomous species are seldom absent. 



In the case of the Hydrophidse or Sea Snakes, another very veno- 

 mous family, the fang marks would not be very apparent, owing to their 

 fangs being small and differing but little from the other teeth. Their 

 poison, however, is very potent, and on it they depend chiefly for 

 their food, which consists of fish. These are swallowed head foremost 

 and entire. Russell and Cantor have ascertained by direct observation 

 that the Sea Snakes belong to the most poisonous of the whole order. 

 Tortoises, other snakes, and fish have died from their bite in less than 

 an hour, and a man succumbed after four hours. Dr. Fayrer makes 

 mention of two such cases as the last ; one in which a fisherman died 

 in an hour and a quarter. 

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