THBIE NATURE AND EFFECTS. 141 



ject previously, they may not inject one particle of 

 poison. Symptoms are almost useless as an indication, 

 as the most profound collapse may be caused by the 

 fear of impending death, when the reptile causing the 

 dread has not been in the least poisonous ; and the victim 

 not seldom does not see his assailant at all. Amputa- 

 tions, ending fatally, have even been performed on 

 persons who have thus apparently had symptoms of 

 snake-poisoning, though it has been proved afterwards 

 that the snake was a harmless one. Moreover, when 

 the time for symptoms has come, the time for treatment 

 has passed. It will be seen, therefore, of how great 

 importance it is to ascertain whether the person has 

 been poisoned as well as bitten. 



It was pointed out in the chapter on cobra-poisoning 

 that snake-poison produces at once inflammation at the 

 spot where it has been injected. The degree of inflam- 

 mation may vary greatly, depending partly on the 

 species of snake, partly on the amount of poison injected 

 and the time it has remained in the tissues, and partly 

 on the position where it has been injected. Of Indian 

 gnakes the daboia produces the greatest amount of 

 inflammation, and the Bungarus cceruleus or krait, I 

 think, the least. Now this inflammation is not at all 

 perceptible on the surface of the skin. After applying 

 the band, the first thing to be done by the surgeon is 

 to dake a free incision through the skin at the site of 

 the bite, and reflect back the skin on each side, so as to 



