402 



THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



then rub it into the wounds. U a friend be at hand he must be, 

 meanwhile, applying a ligature, or else you can be doing this 

 while he attends to the scarifying and permanganate applica- 

 tion. The ligature must be applied between the wound and 

 the heart at a spot best calculated to compress the blood vessels 

 (veins) and lymphatics. If bitten on the foot or ankle-region, a 

 ligature just above the knee is best. If on the forearm or hand, 

 apply the ligature above the elbow joint. To tighten the ligature, 

 a strong twig, a lead pencil, or a broken walking-stick, should 

 be inserted in a loop in the ligature and twisted up, but not 



Fig. 151. — The ligature is best applied above the knee, because 



sequently the pressure is more uniform all round the leg. The black tioised lines above 

 the sock are the incisions over the site ot the fang punctures. 



sufficiently tight to cause pain. Tie the stick against the leg or arm 

 as the case may be, to prevent it reversing itself after you let it 

 go. If a syringe be handy, a teaspoonful of solution of per- 

 manganate with water may be injected obhquely under the skin 

 over the site of the fang punctures. 



It is a doubtful point whether the scarifying and application 

 of the potash,* or the ligature should be applied first. If the per- 

 manganate can be applied almost instantly, then it is preferable 

 to scarify and apply it first. If there is any delay, or if no 



* Dry pulverized anti-venomous serum, if available, is more efficacious 

 than the potash if rubbed into the incisions over the site of the bite. 



