438 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



of the body, then it is possible for recovery to take place when 

 otherwise death would have ensued. 



If considerably more venom is taken into the body than is 

 sufficient under normal conditions to kill, artificial respiration 

 would be useless, but no man can know just how much the snake 

 has injected, and therefore it is desirable to resort to artificial 

 respiration when the victim of snake bite has ceased to breathe, 

 particularly so if serum has been injected. 



Experiments on Animals. 



Experiments have been made on animals by injecting them 

 with snake venoms and resorting to artificial respiration im- 

 mediately breathing ceases. In this way life has been prolonged 

 many hours. In one notable case a dog was bitten by a Sea 

 Snake. Two hours later it ceased to breathe, apparently dying 

 in convulsions. Artificial respiration was resorted to. This was 

 kept up for some hours. A galvanic current was then applied, 

 but no muscular contractions were aroused, and the eyes con- 

 tinued to be glazed, dry, and insensible to the touch. 



The animal seemed as dead as it was possible for it to be. No 

 sign of life remained. Any medical man would have pronounced 

 it so. The last spark of life seemed to have gone out. But 

 artificial respiration was kept up by relays of assistants. 

 After sixteen hours the dog showed signs of life. The galvanic 

 battery was again applied. This time the muscles contracted, 

 and caused various movements of the body. The bowels and 

 bladder acted. Another five hours showed still more advanced 

 signs of recovery in the dog. The eyes were no longer dry and 

 glazed. Tears were secreted, and suffused the eyes. Saliva 

 flowed. The eye-lids closed and opened when the now sensitive 

 cornea was touched, or when drops of water were poured into 

 the eyes. The dog made attempts to swallow when water was 

 poured into its mouth. It eventually partially recovered its 

 senses, and moved its body and wagged its tail. Twice the 

 animal relapsed, and artificial breathing was again resorted to. 

 However, after twenty-four and a half hours, when recovery 

 seemed certain, the dog began to sink. The heart slowed down, 

 and eventually ceased to beat. All subsequent attempts at 

 resuscitation failed. 



