THEIE NATURE AND EFFECTS. 17 



Local Effects of Cobra-poison. 



It has been mentioned that severe pain is generally 

 felt in the region of the cobra-bite. There are, however, 

 gases on record which seem to prove that the intense 

 mental shock of snake-bite renders the victim occasion- 

 ally, insensible to the pain. This pain is accompanied 

 by, or rather is dependent upon, a very characteristic 

 local condition, which is of the utmost practical import- 

 ,ance. If the body of a man or animal killed by snake- 

 bite be examined, there may be scarcely a sign on the 

 skin to mark the spot where the snake inflicted its bite; 

 or possibly one or two small punctures, or even a scratch, 

 may be found, especially if the part bitten be the fingers, 

 which, of course, are apt to be forcibly and involuntarily 

 retracted when the bite is felt. It may even happen 

 that the part is slightly swollen or discoloured. But 

 whatever may be the condition of the external aspect, 

 there will be found a distinct change in the state of the 

 parts beneath. If an incision be made through the skin 

 and carried through the punctures made by the snake's 

 fangs, very little difference will be found in the true 

 skin. It may be a little more injected than normal, and 

 the punctures will be found to be intensely so just at 

 the edges, and a small quantity of blood may be effused 

 there. But the areolar tissue lying beneath the true 

 skin is the site of the chief change. It will generally be 

 seen to be of a purple colour, and to be infiltrated with 



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