SNAKES OF CEYLON. 455 



of the whisky that was offered him, and vomited after each 

 dose. He became Very cold, and finally died at 4 P.M., twelve 

 hours after the accident. 



It certainly seems highly probable from this account that 

 the man was suffering from snake poisoning. The loss of 

 power in his legs and his difficulty in swallowing accord well 

 with the state of paralyses seen in other forms of Colubrine 

 ophitoxsemise. Even if one admits that poisoning was 

 manifest, it is impossible to know whether the death should be 

 attributed to the action of the poison alone. The coldness 

 referred to suggests a syncope, but as syncope is not a mani- 

 festation of Colubrine poisoning, one may be justified, perhaps, 

 in ascribing it to fright, and cannot exclude this from the cause 

 of death. There is no mention of respiratory embarrassment, 

 the typical sequence, and actual cause of death in Colubrine 

 ophitoxsemise. 



(d) Treatment : Antivenene would be of no avail in the 

 treatment of this toxaemia. However serious the case one 

 should hope that the dose injected has been something 

 sublethal and treat symptoms. Above all things do not let 

 the patient die of syncope. Syncope is to be expected in every 

 case of snake poisoning, look for it, and treat it vigorously, 

 bearing in mind that it is not due to the poison itself. 



The treatment should be as outlined for B. c&ruleus. 



Lepidosis. — (a) Typical — Rostral : The rostro-nasal sutures 

 longer than the rostro-internasals, twice the rostro -labials. 

 1 nternasals : The suture between them half that between the 

 prefrontals, two -thirds the internaso -prefrontals. Pre- 

 frontals : The suture between them longer than the prefronto- 

 frontals ; touching the internasal, postnasal, preocular, and 

 supraocular. Frontal : The fronto -supraoculars about three - 

 fourths the fronto -pari etals. Supraoculars : Length about 

 four -fifths the frontal, breadth about half the frontal along a 

 line connecting the centres of the eyes. Nasals : Both 

 equally deep. Preocular : Barely reaching the top of the 

 head. Postoculars : Lower rather larger. Temporal : As 

 long as the supraocular. Supralabials : Seven ; the 1st and 

 2nd touching the nasals, 2nd shorter than the 1st or 3rd ; the 

 3rd and 4th touching the eye ; and the 5th and 6th touching 



