INCIDENTS AND REMEDIES 259 



soldier to drink from any moderately good water. 

 If you drink only good filtered water always you 

 will miss it on service and get enteric forthwith. 

 Last year on manoeuvres we told our fellows in 

 " R." that as they had been inoculated a week 

 before they were quite safe ; failing beer they might 

 drink from any puddle. Our medical officer remon- 

 strated in anguish. But we pointed out to him 

 that either the inoculation was good or it was not. 

 If he did not believe in his own science we did. 

 We were right, but I misdoubt me our men drank 

 mostly beer. 



A study of the mortality return due to animals 

 in India will show you the very heavy losses from 

 snake - bite. Undoubtedly many deaths due to 

 murder in its various forms are ascribed to this 

 cause, and escape detection. Still it is an ever- 

 present danger in India. Owing to the fact that 

 Europeans wear shoes and some covering to the 

 legs, while natives are bare-legged, nearly all the 

 casualties happen among the latter. No man can 

 like this ; it is deplorable, but unavoidable. 



Considering the large number of snakes in India 

 it is curious how seldom they are met with. In 

 my own experience I have known of two fatal cases. 

 I have seen half a dozen cobras. We found a 

 Russels viper under our mess table in camp at 

 Vellichi near St. Thomas' Mount, Madras, and 

 once stalking a buck I found two Russels vipers in 

 the same bush as myself ; these and a Karait which 

 hid in the hood of my mother's motor have been 

 my total experience. 



But the whole point about snakes is that if you 

 do meet them you may meet them bad. You will 

 have no time to think ; whatever you do has got to 



