408 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



vessels to be subsequently pumped all over the body by the 

 heart. It is, therefore, obvious that if a ligature is appUed as 

 close above the punctures as possible, it will tend to delay the 

 absorption of the venom and confine it to that region of the limb. 

 Then, if another is appHed higher up it will act as a second safe- 

 guard. A third ligature would also tend to help. The use of 

 two or three ligatures is highly desirable in cases of poisoning 

 by all the species of snakes whose venom acts mainly upon the 

 blood and its vessels — such snakes for instance as the Boomslang 

 and the Adder family, which includes the Puff Adder, Horned 

 Adder, Berg Adder, and Night Adder. 



I have recently arrived at this conclusion after experiments 

 on animals. I found that by applying a hgature just above the 

 site of the bite I was able to prevent the venom acting upon the 

 muscles above the ligature. Now, for instance, if a man were 

 bitten on the instep and he applied one ligature above the knee 

 the muscles of the leg from the foot to the ligature would probably 

 be charged with extravasated blood, which later might result 

 in mortification of the limb. 



In applying a hgature, the object is to prevent the return 

 of the venous blood and lymph from the site of the entry of the 

 venom. The object is not to constrict an artery. 



In conclusion, it must be borne in mind that hgaturing and 

 appl3ang permanganate of potash is of little or no antidotal 

 value if not applied within ten minutes of the infliction of the 

 bite. In the majorit}^ of cases if not applied within five minutes, 

 death will ensue, should a fatal dose of venom happen to have 

 been injected. 



Ligaturing is at best but a first-aid, temporary measure, 

 the object being to gain time for other remedial measures, such 

 as the injection of anti-venomous serum, which is, as I have 

 already mentioned in this book, the only antidote recognized 

 by science, and the only one which I have found to be of value 

 among all those with which I have experimented. 



The Serum Treatment — Methods of Injection. 



The next thing to do is to procure and inject anti-venomous 

 serum with the least possible delay. 



^^'ith a suitable serum syringe inject the serum under the 



