How to Treat Snake Bite. 99 



It is a good plan to carry a small lancet and a small bottle 

 or tube of permanganate of potash in the cartridge bag 



when shooting. There seems to be only one thing to do 



when bitten by a poisonous snake, and that is to imme- 

 diately tie a ligature tightly above the wound, and then 

 gash it with the lancet or a sharp bladed penknife, so as to 

 induce it to bleed freely. Then the permanganate crystals 

 are rubbed in after squeezing the blood out. Sucking the 

 wound is good, but personally I would not care to allow a 

 native to suck my blood, as their mouths are generally foul. 

 Alcohol is often given, and particular care has to be taken 

 to keep the sufferer moving, and on no account should he be 

 allowed to lie down or go to sleep until some considerable 

 time has elapsed. 



I remember reading two cases of Europeans being bitten 

 by puff adders and recovering. One was that of Mr. Frank 

 Streatfield, who was bitten by a female puff adder on a 

 voyage to England from South Africa. Luckily, medical 

 aid was quickly available and he recovered, though I think 

 he mentioned in the Field, in describing the incident, that 

 he has never felt quite so fit since, It is certainly a 

 reckless proceeding to handle dangerous snakes, and 

 because a reptile does not object to being handled at one 

 time is no assurance that it will always be in an equally 

 docile state. 



Of course the cobras and other poisonous snakes that 

 Indian snake charmers use for public performances have 

 been rendered innocuous by having their poison glands 

 removed. 



A small tube of permanganate is also useful for bites 

 from wild animals, and every sportsman should make 

 a point of carrying a little when out shooting. 



I lately treated a native who was scratched by a leopard, 

 near where I am at present living on the Bua River in 

 Nyasaland. He was out with some natives hunting small 

 buck and pig, and was alone on one of the flanks. The 

 leopard suddenly jumped on his back and gave him a few 

 .scratches, and he got one rather painful gash where a claw 



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