118 THE POISONOUS SNAKES OF INDIA. 



HiMALAYAXUS ToXjEMIA. 



Illustrative Cases. 

 No. 1. 

 Bite. Severe local effects. Recoveiy without treatment. 



My brother Colonel E. W. Wall was bitten by this snake in 

 Kashmir in September 1912 in a locality so remote that no attempt 

 at treatment could be made. The paharis, who call the snake 

 "pohur", claimed to be quite familiar with the toxic effects, as 

 many subjects they said are bitten annually, and they get well in a 

 couple of days or so. Their predictions were confirmed in this case. 

 The seat of injury was above the boot. And almost immediately 

 my brother felt lancinating burning pain in the punctures. On 

 removing his boot he noticed a sort of blood blister. The foot and 

 leg up to the groin rapidly swelled, the pain continuing, but there 

 was no bloody or serous oozing from the punctures after a few 

 minutes, and no hsemoiThages from mucous surfaces or the wound 

 subsequently. The boot could not be put on for a couple of daj^s, 

 but the swelling then subsided, and the tissues in the vicinity of the 

 wound were much discoloured for some time. 



This is an extremely valuable record for the purposes of this 

 book. 



No. 2. 



Major Frost, I. M.S., has favoured me with the following case : — 



Bite from adult Himalai/anus, 18 inches long — Toxaemia — 

 Recovery. 



On Sunday, the 14th May 1911, at about 5 p.m.. Rifleman 

 Himantia Thapa of the 2/4 Goorkhas was bitten on the right fore- 

 finger by a Himalayan viper Ancistrodon himalaijanus (identified 

 as such by the Secretary, Bombay Natural History Society), about 

 18 inches long. 



Himantia thought but little of the bite and went off to take his 

 evening meal, however his hand rapidly became very painful, and 

 much swollen up to the wrist, and he came to Hospital for treat- 

 ment at 7 P.M., two hours after the infliction of the bite. A liga- 

 ture was applied i-ouud the wrist by me, and crucial incisions were 



