138 INDIAN SNAKE POISONS, 



importance, for, as the skin is freely movable over the 

 parts below, especially on the back of the hands and feet, 

 the fang may have dragged the skin away from its proper 

 position before injecting the poison, so that the poison 

 deposit may not be immediately beneath the punctures. 



The first consideration to be attended to in dealing 

 with a case of snake-bite is at once to prevent any 

 more poison being absorbed from the deposits. All other 

 considerations must yield to this. A minute or two may 

 make all the difference between life and death. Therefore 

 nothing else is to be thought of till any further absorp- 

 tion of the poison is rendered impossible. Fortunately 

 there is a practical point in connection with snake-bite 

 that gives us a clear indication of how to proceed in the 

 majority of cases in the first instance. The best series 

 of cases of snake-bite in the human subject, is contained 

 in Sir J. Fayrer's " Thanatophidia." In the list given 

 there, fifty-four instances are detailed, in which the 

 exact spot bitten is specified. From this the following 

 table has been prepared : — 



