142 INDIAN SNAKE POISONS, 



get a complete view of the underlying tissue. Now, it 

 is clear that if no venom has heen injected by a poisonous 

 snake, or if the bite has been given by a harmless 

 reptile or mammal, no subjacent inflammation can be 

 present. A bite by a mongoose or Lycodon can pro- 

 duce nothing but a mechanical puncture. But if 

 inflammation is present, it is evident that there must be 

 some reason for it, and the only cause that can produce 

 such rapid inflammation of the subcutaneous areolar 

 tissue under these circumstances is snake-poison. There 

 are, of course, wide differences in the appearances to be 

 seen in the areolar tissue under the skin, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the bite. In the case of the daboia a deep 

 purple patch will be found at the spot, whereas the 

 Bungarus cceruleus or krait will only cause a pale slight 

 watery exudation, not much in quantity, and of a 

 faint pink hue. The cobra, which is the snake that 

 chiefly concerns us, always leaves decided marks of its 

 poison, unless the venom has been thrown directly into 

 a vein, when, of course, treatment is useless if sufficient 

 to kill has been injected. It must be borne in mind 

 that if any change whatever is found in the areolar 

 tissue we must conclude that poison is present, and act 

 accordingly ; for we can only find out by leaving the 

 patient alone and seeing if death supervene, if sufficient 

 poison to kill has been injected; and this, of course, is 

 an utterly unjustifiable proceeding. Every opportifnity 

 should be taken to become thoroughly acquainted with 



