94 ZOOLOGY OF INDIA. 



was ofTered for each of these animals caught, on the con- 

 dition of its being carried to the superintendent of police. 

 Pandauls were erected opposite to the two principal fords, 

 and skilful natives, under the superintendence of Dr. 

 M'Kenzie (to whom we are indebted for the information), 

 were provided with eau-de-luce and other remedies, and di- 

 rected to atford immediate aid to those persons who might 

 be unfortunately bitten. Many were bitten accordingly, 

 and all of them exhibited the symptoms usually consequent 

 upon the action of a powerful animal poison ; but none of 

 them died. We shall briefly state a couple of cases : — A 

 native woman, in crossing near the land custom-house, was 

 seen, while stepping out of the water, to shake something 

 off which had grasped her foot, and which to several spec- 

 tators appeared to be a water-snake. The woman, after 

 advancing a few paces from the river, fell down, and was 

 carried to the pandaul in a state of apparent insensibility. 

 On examining her feet two small but distinct wounds were 

 perceived on the ankle of her right leg ; her skin was cold, 

 her face livid, her breathing laborious, and her pulse scarcely 

 perceptible. A ligature was immediately applied above the 

 wound, which had been previously enlarged with a lancet, 

 and a piece of the carbonate of ammonia, well moistened 

 •with pure nitric acid, applied, and 30 drops of the eau-de- 

 luce were administered nearly at the same time in a glass 

 of water. In five minutes more a similar dose was poured 

 down her throat, which seemed rather to increase the spasm 

 at the chest, but the pulse became distinct at the wrist, 

 thoutfh feeble. A third dose was repeated in three minutes- 

 more, on which she uttered a scream, and began to breathe 

 more freely. About ten minutes had now elapsed since she 

 had been carried to the pandaul, and in about three minutes 

 more a teaspoonful of the eau-de-luce was given, which al- 

 most immediately produced violent nausea, and profuse 

 perspiration. When a little salt was put into her mouth 

 she declared it was not salt, but sugar ; and this the natives 

 deemed an infallible sign of still-continued danger. She 

 was soon, however, entirely relieved, and merely complained 

 for three or four days of a numbness in the limb above the 

 wound. 



Another case was that of a lascar, who was bitten by a 

 snake when about the middle of the river. He advanced a 



