THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. G7 



Fayrei* records a case where 4 men were bitten by the same krait. 

 This occurred at night, all men being prevailed upon to submit them- 

 selves to the bite of a specimen about 3 feet long in the possession of 

 some snakemen, who vouched that no evil effect should befall them. 

 The first man bitten, complained of thirst and foamed at the mouth, 

 and died before dawn. The second and third men died at about noon 

 the next day. and the fourth man recovered. He described his 

 symptoms as giddiness, perspiration, pain in the stomach and un- 

 consciousness, and he remained in hospital 5 or 6 days. Fayrert 

 records another case where a cbowkidar was bitten in the forefinger. 

 He suffered burning pain in the finger, later on in the head, and then 

 over the whole body ; he became weak, could hardly articulate, and 

 then got drowsy. He vomited after some native medicine, then lost 

 the power of swallowing, and died in 6 hours. Again FayrerJ records 

 the case of a man bitten in the finger who experienced great pain in 

 the wound, and the hand swelled up to the wrist. His breathing became 

 short and hurried, he complained of constriction round the chest, 

 became drowsy, and then insensible He died in 3 hours, frothy 

 mucus oozing from the mouth and nostrils, Elliot§ records a case 

 where a sepoy was bitten on the inner side of his ankle, and death 

 supervened in 31 hours. 



The results of Fayrer's experiments on fowls were that death super- 

 vened in 4, 7, 17, 20, 32, 43^ and 44 minutes, 1 hour 48 minutes, and 

 2 hours 22 minutes. On dogs, death occurred in 52 minutes, 2 hours 

 15 minutes, 3 hours 42 minutes, and on the third day after the bite 

 was inflicted. These dogs exhibited the following symptoms: — rest- 

 lessness, salivation, vomiting, depression, paralysis, involuntary dis- 

 charges, laboured breathing, convulsions passing on to death. In all 

 cases where mention is made of the blood both in fowls and in dogs it 

 clotted firmly after removal from the blood vessels. 



Dimensions. — Grows to 4^ feet. I have measured a skin 4 feet 

 6-| inches. 



Colour. — Glistening black with linear, narrow, or broad white cross 

 bars, usually most apparent in the posterior part of the body. 



* Ibid., p. 51. 

 t Ibid., p. 54. 

 % Ibid., p. 60. 

 § Trans. Brit. Med. Association, S. Ind. Bi\, 1895, p. 31. 



