POISONS AND POISONING. 



OTHER POlSOiNOUS FUNGI. 



Many other fungi poison lierbivora. In some instances, however, 

 where fungi are blamed for causing disease their presence on the 

 foodstuff or herbage is but coincidental with some other and more 

 potent disease-producing factor. For example, if the conditions are 

 favorable to the growth of fungi they are also favorable to the 

 growth of bacteria, and bacteria may produce poisons in foods. In 

 general it may be said that any food that is moldy, musty, or putrid 

 is possibly dangerous. Silage, properly cured, does not belong to this 

 class, because the curing of silage is not a bacterial process. But 

 spoiled silage and silage matted with mold is dangerous and should 

 not be fed. 



POISONING BY ANIMAL PRODUCTS. 



SNAKE BITES. 



The poison contained in the tooth glands of certain venomous rep- 

 tiles, particularly some of the snakes, which is injected into or under 

 the skin of an animal bitten by the reptile, is a very powerful agent. 

 It is likely to produce a serious local irritation, and in the case of the 

 more poisonous snakes serious constitutional disturbances, even to 

 causing death, which it may do in either of two ways: First, when 

 very strong, by exerting a narcotic influence similar to that of some of 

 the powerful poisons, checking heart action. Second, by diffused 

 inflammation of the areolar tissue, gangrene, and extensive- sloughing. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms of snake bite are a local swelling caused 

 by an intense local inflammation, pricks showing where the fangs 

 penetrated, depression, weakness, feeble pulse, difficult breathing, 

 bluish discoloration of the visible mucous membranes, stupor, or con- 

 vulsions. If the poison is not powerful or plentiful enough to pro- 

 duce death, it is, at any rate, likely to cause severe local abscesses or 

 sloughs. 



Treatment. — The treatment nuiy be divided into local and general. 

 Locally every effort should be made to prevent absorption of the 

 poison. If discovered at once the bitten part had better be excised. 

 If that. is impracticable and a ligature can be applied, as in the case 

 of a bite to one of the limbs, no time should be lost in applying it 

 above the injury. It should be made sufficiently tight to so far as 

 possible arrest circulation in the bitten part. The wound should be 

 freely incised, so that it will bleed freely, and the poison should be 

 extracted by cupping or pressed out by squeezing with the fingers. 

 Permanganate of potash in 5 per cent solution should be applied to 

 and injected into the wound. The depressing effect of the poison on 

 the general system should be counteracted by liberal drenching with 

 stimulants, such as alcohol, coffee, digitalis, or the aromatic spirits or 



