THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 23 



inability of medical men to recognise it. Eogers* estimates that the 

 poison is nearly twice as virulent as that of the binocellate cobra. 



Fayrert records a case where 4 men were bitten by the same krait. 

 This occurred at night, all men being prevailed upon to submit them- 

 selves to the bite of a specimen about 3 feet long in the possession of 

 some snakemen, who vouched that no evil effect should befall them. 

 The first man bitten complained of thirst and foamed at the 

 mouth, and died before dawn. The second and third men died at 

 about noon the next day, and the fourth man recovered. He 

 suffered from giddiness, perspiration, pain in the stomach and un- 

 consciousness, and he remained in hospital 5 or 6 days. Favrer J 

 records another case where a chowkidar was bitten in the forefin<Ter. 

 lie suffered burning pain in the finger, later on in the head, and then 

 over the whole body ; he became weak, could hardly articulate, and then 

 got drowsy. He vomited after some native medicine, then lost the 

 power of swallowing, and died in 6 hours. Again Fayrer § records the 

 case of a man bitten in the finger who experienced great pain in the 

 wound, and the hand swelled up to the wrist. His breathing became 

 short and hurried, he complained of constriction ronnd the chest, became 

 drowsy, and then insensible. He died in 3 hours, frothy mucus oozino- 

 from the mouth and nostrils. Elliott records a case where a sepoy was 

 bitten on the inner side of his ankle, and death supervened in 31 

 hours. 



The results of Fayrer's experiments on fowls were that death 

 supervened in 4, 7, 17, 20, 32, 43| and 44 minutes, 1 hour 4y 

 minutes, and 2 hours 22 minutes. On dogs, death occurred in 52 

 minutes, 2 hours 15 minutes, 3 hours 42 minutes, and on the third 

 day after the bite was inflicted. These dogs exhibited the followino 

 symptoms : — restlessness, salivation, vomiting, depression, paralysis, 

 involuntary discharges, laboured breathing, convulsions passing 

 on to death. In all cases where mention is made of the blood both 

 in fowls and in dogs it clotted firmly after removal from the blood 

 vessels. 



* The Lancet, February (itb, llt04. f Thanatophidia, p. ."il. 



J Ibid, p. 54. 

 § Ibid.f p. 60, 

 IT Trans. Brit. Med. A.-?sociation. S. lud. Br., 1895, p. 31. 



